Skip Navigation
Search for People:
Search for Projects:

Bryana Henderson

Photo of Bryana Henderson

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 183-301

Pasadena, CA 91109

Curriculum Vitae:

Click here

Member of:

Laboratory Studies

Biography

Over the last decade, Dr. Bryana Henderson has used mass spectrometry and spectroscopy to study reactions in extreme environments. Since arriving at JPL as a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow in 2012, she has studied chemistry of organics and prebiotic molecules in astronomical and planetary analogs, particularly focusing on understanding chemical evolution in icy, radiation-drenched environments like those found on Jupiter’s moon Europa. She is also working to develop new robust instrumentation for sensitive detection of organics in these challenging planetary environments. With wide-ranging applications of this work, her ultimate goal is to contribute towards understanding of the origins of life and habitability in our solar system and beyond.

Education

  • 2011 Ph. D., M.S. (Physical Chemistry), UCLA. Graduate Advisor: Jeffrey I. Zink
  • 2005 B.A. (Chemistry), Lawrence University, Appleton, WI l

Professional Experience

2023 – Present Visitor in Geochemistry, Caltech Institute of Technology, to further develop the Hypervelocity Ice Grain System (HIGS)

2021 – Present Strategic Initiative Task Lead for “In-Situ Life Detection Technology”

2019 – Present Network for Ocean Worlds (NOW) Steering Committee

2018 – Present Europa Clipper Science Team Affiliate – SUDA Instrument

2015 – Present Scientist, Laboratory Studies Group, JPL

2021 – 2022 NASA Working Group “Search for Life Beyond Earth”

2019 – 2022 Strategic Initiative Lead for “Fate of Organics in Ocean Worlds”

2012 – 2015 NASA Postdoctoral Fellow, Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar (Mass Spectrometry, Ice Spectroscopy, Radiation Processes), JPL (advisor: Murthy Gudipati)

2011 – 2012 Scientific Consultant, Science and Sensors Technologies (fiber optics, polymer sensor design)

2005 – 2011 Research/Teaching Assistant (Physical Chemistry), UCLA

2005 Research Assistant (Atmospheric Chemistry), NASA-Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (advisor: Margaret Pippen)

2004 Research Assistant (Spectroscopy), Santa Clara University REU Program

Selected Awards

  • 2022 Organized/chaired session, “Preparing for astrobiology missions through science autonomy development (machine learning, data science), modeling, laboratory, and field analog studies,” Astrobiology Science Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • 2022 Selected for NFOLD’s “Future of the Search for Life” Workshop – Life-Detection Science & Technology
  • 2021 Selected for NFOLD/NExSS’s “Standards of Evidence for Life Detection” Workshop
  • 2021 Invited talk, “Consequences of Radiation on Europa’s Composition,” Europa Clipper Composition Working Group
  • 2021 Invited talk, “Europa’s Surface under Radiation,” Europa Lander Outside the Vault Working Group
  • 2020 Invited talk, Europa Clipper Habitability Thematic Working Group
  • 2018 Invited talk, “Towards a Better Understanding of Composition: Lab studies of Europa Environment Analogs,” Europa Deep Dive II, LPI, Houston, TX
  • 2017 Invited member of the “Unlocking the Climate Record Stored within Mars’ Polar Layered Deposits” study team. Workshop at the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech
  • 2017 Organized/chaired session, “The Survival and Fate of Microbes and Molecules at the Near-Surface of Icy Worlds,” Astrobiology Science Conference, Mesa, AZ
  • 2017 Invited member of the “Cryogenic Comet Sample Return – Compelling New Science vs. Technological Challenges” study team. Workshop at the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech
  • 2017 Invited talk, “Chemical processing in interstellar grains via electron and UV radiation,” 253rd ACS meeting, San Francisco, CA
  • 2016 Invited talk, “Frontiers of Solar System Chemistry: Chemistry and Icy Bodies” session, listed as a “Must-See Presenter,” 252nd ACS meeting, Philadelphia, PA
  • 2016 Invited talk, “How primitive are comets?” session, Bonn, Germany
  • 2015 Early Career Travel Grant (Outer Planets Assessment Group, OPAG)
  • 2014 American Astronomical Society International Travel Award (Exoplanet Summer Course in the Canary Islands)
  • 2012-2014 NASA Postdoctoral Scholar Fellowship
  • 2011 American Chemical Society WCC/Eli Lilly Travel Award
  • 2005-2010 Regents Scholarship, University Fellowship (UCLA)
  • 2009 NASA Group Achievement Award

Selected Publications

  1. Becker, T. M. Zolotov, M., Gudipati, M. S., Soderblom, J. M., McGrath, M. A., Henderson, B. L., ... (2024). Exploring the Composition of Europa with the Upcoming Europa Clipper Mission. Space Science Reviews, Accepted.
  2. Fleury, B., Benilan, Y., Venot, O., Henderson, B. L., Swain, M., & Gudipati, M. S. (2023). Experimental Investigation of the Photochemical Production of Hydrocarbons in Warm Gas Giant Exoplanet Atmospheres. The Astrophysical Journal, 956(2), 134.
  3. Meitzler, R., Jun, I., Blase, R., Cassidy, T., Clark, R., Cochrane, C., ... & Yokley, Z. (2023). Investigating Europa’s radiation environment with the Europa Clipper radiation monitor. Space Science Reviews, 219(7), 61.
  4. Yang, J., Gudipati, M. S., Henderson, B. L., & Fleury, B. (2023). High-fidelity Reaction Kinetic Modeling of Hot-Jupiter Atmospheres Incorporating Thermal and UV Photochemistry Enhanced by Metastable CO (a3Π). The Astrophysical Journal, 947(1), 26.
  5. Gudipati, M., Fleury, B., Wagner, R., Henderson, B. L., Altwegg, K., & Rubin, M. (2023). Thermal Behavior of Astrophysical Amorphous Molecular Ices. Faraday Discussions.
  6. Weber, J. M., Henderson, B. L., LaRowe, D. E., Goldman, A. D., Perl, S. M., Billings, K. & Barge, L. M. (2022). Testing Abiotic Reduction of NAD+ Directly Mediated by Iron-Sulfur Minerals. Astrobiology, 22(1), 25-34.
  7. Lin, Y., Zhong, F., Henderson, B. L., Abrahamsson, V., Kanik, I., Gross, J., ... & Tzanetos, T. (2021). MASEX—A Dedicated Life Detection Mission on Mars. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 53(4), 333.
  8. Castillo-Rogez, J., Scully, J., Neveu, M., Wyrick, D., Thangjam, G., Rivkin, A., ... & De Sanctis, M. C. (2021). Science Motivations for the Future Exploration of Ceres. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 53, 303.
  9. Abrahamsson, V., Henderson, B. L., Herman, J., Zhong, F., Lin, Y., Kanik, I, & Nixon, C.A. (2021). Extraction and Separation of Chiral Amino Acids for Life Detection on Ocean Worlds without Using Organic Solvents or Derivatization. Astrobiology, 21(5), 575-586.
  10. Gudipati, M. S., Henderson, B. L., & Bateman, F. B. (2020). Laboratory predictions for the night-side surface ice glow of Europa. Nature Astronomy, 1-7.
  11. Fleury, B., Gudipati, M. S., Henderson, B. L., & Swain, M. (2020). Influence of C/O Ratio on Hot Jupiter Atmospheric Chemistry. The Astrophysical Journal, 899(2), 147.
  12. Smith, I. B., Hayne, P. O., Byrne, S., Becerra, P., Kahre, M., Calvin, W., ... & Siegler, M. (2020). The Holy Grail: A road map for unlocking the climate record stored within Mars’ polar layered deposits. Planetary and Space Science, 184, 104841.
  13. Abrahamsson, V., Henderson, B. L., Zhong, F., Lin, Y., & Kanik, I. (2019). Online supercritical fluid extraction and chromatography of biomarkers analysis in aqueous samples for in situ planetary applications. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 411(30), 8091-8101.
  14. Henderson, B. L., Gudipati, M. S., & Bateman, F. B. (2019). Leeb hardness of salty Europa ice analogs exposed to high-energy electrons. Icarus, 322, 114-120.
  15. Gudipati, M., Milam, S.N., Hendrix, A.R., Henderson, B.L., Linnartz, H. et al. (2019). "From Interstellar Ice Grains to Evolved Planetary Systems: The Role of Laboratory Studies." In Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 51, (3).
  16. Fleury, B., Gudipati, M. S., Henderson, B. L., & Swain, M. (2019). Photochemistry in Hot H2-dominated Exoplanet Atmospheres. The Astrophysical Journal, 871.
  17. Bekaert, D. V., Gudipati, M. S., Henderson, B., & Marty, B. (2019). Coulomb explosion of multiply ionized xenon in water ice. Geochemical Journal, 53(1), 69-81.
  18. Postberg, F., Khawaja, N., Abel, B., Choblet, G., Glein, C., Gudipati, M.S., Henderson, B.L. Hsu, H., Kempf, S., Klenner, F. Moragas-Klostermeyer, G., Magee, B., Nölle, L., Perry, M., Reviol, R., Schmidt, J., Srama, R., Stolz, F., Tobie, G., Trieloff, M., Waite, J.H. (2018). "Macromolecular organic compounds emerge from deep hydrothermal sites on Enceladus." Nature, in press.
  19. Menlyadiev, M., B. L. Henderson, F. Zhong, Y. Lin & I. Kanik (2018). "Extraction of Amino Acids using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide for in Situ Chemical Analysis for Astrobiological Applications." International Journal of Astrobiology, Apr: p.1-10
  20. Bekaert, D. V., Avice, G., Marty, B., Henderson, B., & Gudipati, M. S. (2017). “Stepwise heating of lunar anorthosites 60025, 60215, 65315 possibly reveals an indigenous noble gas component on the Moon.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 218, 114-131.
  21. Henderson, B.L., Gudipati, M., (2015).  Direct Detection of Complex Organic Products in Irradiated Astrophysical Ice Analogs. The Astrophysical Journal, 800(1), 66.
  22. Henderson, B.L., Gudipati, M.S. (2014).  Plume Composition and Evolution in Multi-Component Ices Using Resonant Two-Step Laser Ablation and Ionization Mass Spectrometry (2S-LAIMS). Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 118 (2014) 5454-5463.
  23. Brown, J.W., Henderson, B.L., Kiesz, M.D., Whalley, A.C., Morris, W., Grunder, S., Deng, H., Furukawa, H., Zink, J.I., Stoddart, & J.F.,Yaghi, O.M. (2013). Photophysical pore control in an azobenzene-containing metal-organic framework. Chemical Physics, 4(7), 2858-2864.
  24. Lau, Y.A., Henderson, B.L., Lu, J., Ferris, D.P., Tamanoi, F., & Zink, J.I. (2012). Continuous Spectroscopic Measurements of Photo-Stimulated Release of Molecules by Nanomachines in a Single Living Cell. Nanoscale, 4(11), 3482-3489.
  25. Kuzmanich, G., Simoncelli, S., Gard, M., Spaenig, F., Henderson, B.L., Guldi, D., Garcia-Garibay, M. (2011). Excited State Kinetics in Crystalline Solids: Self-Quenching in Nanocrystals of 4,4'-Disubstituted Benzophenone Triplets Occurs by an n-Type Mechanism. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133(43), 17296–17306.
  26. George, S., Pokhrel, S., Ji, Z., Henderson, B.L., Xia, T., Linjiang, L., Zink, J.I., Nel, A.E., Mädler, L.  (2011). Role of Fe doping in tuning the band gap of TiO2 for photo-oxidation induced cytotoxicity paradigm. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133(29), 11270–11278.
  27. Creilson, J.K., Pippin, M.R., Henderson, B.L., Ladd, I.H., Fishman, J., Votápková, D., & Krpcová, I.  (2008). Surface Ozone Measured at GLOBE Schools in the Czech Republic: A Demonstration of the Importance of Student Contribution to the Larger Science Picture. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 89(4), 505–514.
  28. Ow, F.P., Henderson, B.L., & Zink, J.I.  (2007). Multiple Photochemical Reaction Pathways in a Ni(II) Coordination Compound.  Inorganic Chemistry, 46(6), 2243-2248.