The Todd Lab’s interest lies in investigating the origins of life on Earth and understanding the implications for the possibility of life on other planets. The research utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to attempt to understand how the astronomical and planetary environments may allow for the chemical/biochemical origins and evolution of life. The Todd Lab also investigates prebiotic chemistry in the laboratory to better understand the constraints on the planetary environment and the plausibility of the chemistry. Research goals include working toward tracing out a continuous and plausible path for the origins of life: from the astronomical and planetary environments seeding the necessary feedstock chemicals, to the synthesis of the building blocks of life (e.g. ribonucleotides, amino acids, or alternatives), and finally to the development of the first self-replicating and functional protocells.