Peer-Reviewed Publications

Nisson, D. M., T. L. Kieft, J. Castillo, S. M. Perl, T. C. Onstott (2024) Radiolytic support for oxidative metabolism in an ancient subsurface brine system. ISME Communications, ycae138. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycae138.

Nisson, D. M., C. C. Walters, M. L. Chacón-Patiño, C. R. Weisbrod, T. L. Kieft, B. Sherwood Lollar, O. Warr, J. Castillo, S. M. Perl, E. D. Cason and B. M. Freifeld (2023) Radiolytically reworked Archean organic matter in a habitable deep ancient high-temperature brine. Nature Communications, 14 (1): 6163. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41900-8.

Nisson, D. M., T. L. Kieft, H. Drake, O. Warr, B. Sherwood Lollar, H. Ogasawara, S. M. Perl, , B. M. Friefeld, J. Castillo, M. J. Whitehouse, E. Kooijman  and T. C. Onstott (2023). Hydrogeochemical and isotopic signatures elucidate deep subsurface hypersaline brine formation through radiolysis driven water-rock interaction. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 340:65-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2022.11.015.

Warr O., C. J. Ballentine, T. C. Onstott, D. M. Nisson, T. L. Kieft, D. J. Hillegonds and Sherwood Lollar, B. (2022) 86Kr excess and other noble gases identify a billion-year-old radiogenically-enriched groundwater system. Nature communications, 13(1): 3768. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31412-2.

Warr O., T. Giunta, T. C. Onstott, T. L. Kieft, R. L. Harris, D. M. Nisson and B. Sherwood Lollar (2021) The role of low-temperature 18O exchange in the isotopic evolution of deep subsurface fluids. Chemical Geology, 561: 120027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.120027.

Nisson D. M. and S. D. Allison (2020) Litter microbial respiration and enzymatic resistance to drought stress. Elementa Science of the Anthropocene, 8: 45. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.442.

Academic Publications and White Papers

Perl S.M., Cockell C.S., Fischer W.W., Sharma S., Lloyd K., Karunatillake S., Wilhelm M.B., Foreman C., Corsetti F.A., Freedman K., Bywaters K., Mikucki J., Lynch K., Celestian A.J. , Chen P., Som S., Homann M., Sobron P., Wilson L., Guan L., Malaska M., Ibarra Y., Treude T., Drake H., Tosi L.P., Leadbetter K., Hosseini S., Giovannelli D., BolandJ., Nisson D., Murphy A., Garner M., Willis M., Eshelman E. (2024). “The Biology of Biosignature Detection: Rationale and Experimental Frameworks for Biological Validation.” Perl, Scott M., Cockell, Charles, S., Fischer, W.W. (Eds.) Report prepared for the W. M. Keck Institute of Space Studies (KISS), California Institute of Technology.

Nisson D.M. (2023) Hydrogeochemical Support for Microbial Habitability in an Ancient, Hypersaline, Thermal and Radiogenic Subsurface Brine in South Africa. Doctoral Dissertation. Princeton University.

Alfonso D., Cable M., Catling D., Cleaves J., Eigenbrode J., Nisson D., Nuevo M., Johnson S., Steele A., Stern J. (2020) Astrobiology on Mars: Organic Chemical Evolution on an Earth-like Planet. National Academy of Sciences Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, 2023 - 2033. 

Nisson D.M. and Allison S.D. (2019) Adaptive Metabolic Response of Desert Microorganisms to Drought and Moisture Pulses. UCI Undergraduate Research Journal. The Journal Vol. XXVII.

Conference and Seminar Talks

D.M. Nisson. ‘Dark’ oxidative metabolism fueled by radiolysis in an ancient, hypersaline, and subsurface brine system. (2025) Scripps Institute of Oceanography Marine Biology Seminar. Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA. January 2025. (Invited Talk).

D.M. Nisson and L.J. Rothschild. Single Cell Heterogeneity of Microbial Metabolic Populations in Thermodynamically Constraining Environments. (2024) NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow Virtual Symposium, Online, 19-24 November. (Poster).

D.M. Nisson, T.L. Kieft, J. Castillo, S.M. Perl, T.C. Onstott. Radiolytic support for oxidative metabolisms in low biomass ancient subsurface brine. (2024) International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME), Cape Town, South Africa 18-23 August. (Talk).

D.M. Nisson. (2024) Influence of Hydrogeochemical History on Thermodynamically Constrained, Habitable Water-Rock Dominated Systems. Rocky Mountain Geobiology Symposium. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM. April 2024. (Keynote Talk).

D.M. Nisson and S.M. Perl. (2024) Low Biomass Sampling. The Biology of Biosignature Detection Workshop Part – II. Keck Institute for Space Studies, Caltech, Pasadena, CA. February 2024. (Invited Talk).

D.M. Nisson, T.L. Kieft, O. Warr, B. Sherwood Lollar, H. Ogasawara, S.M. Perl, B.M. Friefeld, J. Castillo, C. Walters, M. Chacon, T.C. Onstott, B. Liebenberg and the DSeis Team. (2024) Geomicrobiological Study at Moab Khotsong Mine – A DSeis Project. DSeis and Protea Meeting 2024. Tokyo, Japan. January 2024. (Virtual Talk).

D.M. Nisson (2023) Influence of Hydrogeochemical History on Thermodynamically Constrained, Habitable Water-Rock Dominated Systems. LJ Wilbert Endowed Geology and Geophysics Seminar, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 29 September (Invited Talk).

D.M. Nisson, C. Walters, M. Chacon, T.L. Kieft, R. Liang, B. Sherwood Lollar, O. Warr, S.M., Perl, T.C. Onstott (2023) Abiotic vs. Biotic Contributions to Thermodynamically Supported Microbial Life Inhabiting 3.2km Deep, Hihly Radiolytic, Fracture Fluid in South Africa. The Biology of Biosignature Detection Workshop, Keck Institute for Space Studies at CalTech, Pasadena, CA, 17-21 July. (Invited Poster).

D.M. Nisson, Kieft, T.L., Drake, H., Warr, O., Sherwood Lollar, B., Ogasawara, H., Perl, S.M., Friefeld, B.M., Castillo, J., Whitehouse, M.J., Kooijman, E., Onstott, T.C. (2023) Radiolysis-Driven Evolution of an Ancient Subsurface Habitable Brine in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa. Goldschmidt Annual Meeting, Lyon, France, 9-14 July. (Invited Talk).

D.M. Nisson, Perl, S.M., Kieft, T.L., Castillo, J.C., Onstott, T.C. Radiolytic Support for Oxidative Metabolisms in Low Biomass Ancient Subsurface Brine from the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa. (2023) Brines Across the Solar System: Ancient and Future Brines, Reno, Nevada, 15-18 May. (Poster).

T. Kieft, B. Sherwood Lollar, O. Warr, M. Chacon, R. Rogers, C. Walters, D. Nisson. The Legacy of T.C. Onstott: Investigations into Geomicrobiology of the Witwatersrand Basin and their Applications to Astrobiology. (2022) International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME), Lausanne, Switzerland, 14-19 August. (Talk).

S.M. Perl, D.M. Nisson, T.C. Onstott. Detections and Validations of Single Cell Microorganism Preservation and Associated Biosignature Activity. (2022) AbSciCon, Atlanta, GA, 15-20 May. (Talk).

D.M. Nisson, C. Walters, M. Chacon, T.L. Kieft, R. Liang, B. Sherwood Lollar, O. Warr, T.C. Onstott. Abiotic Organic Chemistry in an Ancient Hypersaline Brine: Evaluating Bioenergetic Support for Microbial Life Inhabiting 3.2km Deep Fracture Fluid in South Africa. (2022) Princeton High Meadows Environmental Institute Research Discovery Day, Princeton, NJ, 27 April. (Poster).

D.M. Nisson, T.L. Kieft, J. Hernandez, S. Perl, R. Stepanauskas, O. Warr, B. Sherwood Lollar, R. Yokochi, G. Chmiel, M. Caffee, B. Liebenberg, T.C. Onstott. Influence of Alpha Particle Radiolysis on the Formation and Microbial Metabolic Composition of a Deep Subsurface Hypersaline Brine in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa. (2021) American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, New Orleans, 13-17 December. (Talk).

S.M, Perl, A.J. Celestian, C.S. Cockell, C. Basu, J. Filiberto, S. Potter-McIntyre, K. Olsson-Francis, S.P. Schwenzer, J.R. Crandall, B.K. Baxter, T.C. Onstott, J. Bowman, K. Bywaters, M. Winzler, J. Valera, Z. Cooper, D. Nisson, M. Garner, B. Baharier, P. Tasoff. (2021). Preservation of Dynamic Biological Processes From Extant Halophilic Life: In-Situ Lessons Learned From Planetary Analogue Brines And Evaporites. LPI Modern Brines Virtual Meeting, 25-28 October. (Talk).

D. Nisson., O. Warr., B. Sherwood Lollar, T.L. Kieft and T.C. Onstott. The Impact of High Salinity on Radiolytic H2 Yield and the Evolution of Subsurface Brine. (2020) American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. (Poster and Talk).

O. Warr., C.J. Ballentine, T.C. Onstott, D. Nisson, T.L. Kieft and B. Sherwood Lollar. Novel Radiogenic Noble Gas Signatures in the Crust: The Krypton Factor. (2020) American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. (Talk).

O. Warr, T. Giunta, T.C. Onstott, T.L. Kieft, R.L. Harris, D. Nisson, B. Sherwood Lollar. Subsurface 18O Exchange at Low Temperatures: The (GMWL) Plot Thickens. (2020) Goldschmidt Annual Meeting. (Talk).

H. Ogasawara, B. Liebenberg, Y. Yabe, Y. Yokoyama, T. Hirono, D.M. Nisson, T.C. Onstott, T.L. Kieft, E.van Heerden, T. Wiersberg, T. Noda, M.S.D. Manzi, S.B. Mngadi, R.J. Durrheim, Y.Yamamaoto, T. Ito, A. Funato, M. Ziegler, J.J. Mori, C. Dinske, and the ICDP DSeis team. (2020). The seismogenic zones of an M2.0-5.5 earthquakes successfully recovered in deep South African gold mines: the outcomes and the follow-up plan. European Geophysical Union Spring Meeting. Vienna, Austria. (Talk). Postponed due to COVID-19.

D.M. Nisson, T.L. Kieft, O. Warr, C.C. Walters, E. van Heerden, E.D. Cason, J.C. Hernandez, J. Vermeulen, B. Freifeld, H. Ogasawara, R.J. Durrheim, B. Sherwood Lollar, B. Liebenberg and T.C. Onstott. Abiotic (Prebiotic?) Organic Chemistry in a Potentially Ancient Hypersaline Brine: New Insights on the Limits of Microbial Life Inhabiting 3.1 km Deep Fracture Fluid in South Africa. (2019) American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. San Francisco, CA. (Poster).

T.C. Onstott, T.L. Kieft, D. Nisson, O. Warr, B. Sherwood Lollar, B.M. Freifeld, M.C.Y. Lau, H. Ogasawara, S.J. Webb, Z.K. Garvin and R.L. Harris Deep subsurface, Precambrian hypersaline environments as training sites for exploration of the Martian subsurface. (2019) American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. San Francisco, CA.

T.C. Onstott, B.L. Ehlmann, H. Sapers, J. Marlow, M. Ivarsson, A. Neubeck, D. Nisson, R. Harris, Z. Garvin, P. Niles, and M. Coleman. How Mars 2020 Could Look for Life in the Noachian Stratigraphy at NE Syrtis or Midway. (2018) Fourth Mars 2020 Landing Site Workshop. Glendale, CA. (Talk).

D.M. Nisson and S.D. Allison. Adaptive Metabolic Response of Desert Microorganisms to Drought and Moisture Pulses. (2018). UCI Excellence in Research Symposium, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Irvine, CA. (Poster and Talk).

D.M. Nisson and S.D. Allison. Adaptive Metabolic Ability of Desert Microbial Communities to Rapidly Decompose Litter when Triggered by Sudden Moisture Availability. (2017) UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Symposium. Irvine, CA. (Poster).