Victoria Orphan

Victoria J. Orphan is a geobiologist at the California

Institute of Technology who studies the interactions Victoria Orphan
between marine microorganisms and their Nationality American
environment. [1][2] As of 2020, she is the Chair for the Alma mater University of California, Santa
Center of Environmental Microbial Interactions. Barbara
Known for Geobiologist
Awards American Association of Arts and
Early life and education Science
Victoria Orphan received her B.A. in Aquatic Biology MacArthur Fellowship
(1994) and Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Gordon and Betty Moore
Biology (2001) from the University of California, Foundation Investigator Award
Santa Barbara.[3] She served as a National Research DOE Early Career Research
Council fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center Award
(2002–2004) before joining the Geobiology faculty at National Research Council
California Institute of Technology.[4] Fellowship
Scientific career

Career Fields Geobiology

Institutions California Institute of Technology
Orphan is the James Irvine Professor of Environmental
Science and Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology.[5] She has also been an adjunct scientist
at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) since 2009[6] and Senior Scientist of the Center
for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations, a Science and Technology Center funded by the National
Science Foundation and headquartered at the University of Southern California.[7] As of 2020, she is the
Alan V.C. Davis and Lenabelle Davis Leadership Chair for the Center of Environmental Microbial
Interactions.[8][9] In 2023 she was named LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year by Out to Innovate, a global
organization of LGBTQ+ students and professionals in STEM.[10] She is the director of Caltech's
Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory as well as the Center for Environmental Microbial Interactions (CEMI).[11]

Research
Orphan's research integrates molecular, microscopy, and geochemical techniques to improve
understanding of various processes, including those that serve as the primary sink for the greenhouse gas
methane in the ocean.[12] She focuses on microbially-mediated anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in
deep sea sediment.[13] Specifically, she looks at the relationships between two groups of marine
microbes: archaea and bacteria. Orphan uses tools such as nanoSIMS to visualize these organisms at the
microscale and track how and when they exchange energy.[14] Through her research, Orphan has helped
develop novel stable isotope applications that provide insight into the relationship between microbes and
large-scale geochemical processes.[15]
Orphan appeared in the 2018 Netflix documentary The Most Unknown[16] on scientific research directed
by Ian Cheney.

Personal life
Orphan is in a relationship with fellow scientist Shana K. Goffredi, who teaches biology at Occidental
College and also studies deep-sea ecosystems.[17] [18]

Honors and awards

2001, National Research Council Fellowship, NASA Ames Research Center
2005, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Young Investigator Award[19]
2010, DOE Early Career Research Award[20]
2013, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Investigator Award[21]
2014, Dr. Fred Shair Award for Programming Diversity[22]
2016, MacArthur Fellowship[23]
2018, NOMIS Distinguished Scientist Award[24]
2020, species (Peinaleopolynoe orphanae) named after her[25]
2020, American Academy of Arts and Science member[26]
2021, elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union[27]

Selected Publications
Orphan, V., Hinrichs, K.-U., Ussler, W., Paull, C.K., Taylor, L., Sylva, S.P., Hayes, J.M. and DeLong, E.,
2001. Comparative analysis of methane-oxidizing archaea and sulfatereducing bacteria in anoxic marine
sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 67(4): 1922-1934.

Orphan, V.J., House, C.H., Hinrichs, K.-U., McKeegan, K.D. and DeLong, E.F., 2001. Methane-
consuming archaea revealed by directly coupled isotopic and phylogenetic analysis. Science, 293(5529):
484-487.

Orphan, V.J., House, C.H., Hinrichs, K.-U., McKeegan, K.D. and DeLong, E.F., 2002. Multiple archaeal
groups mediate methane oxidation in anoxic cold seep sediments. Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, 99(11): 7663-7668.

Orphan, V., Goffredi, S., Delong, E. and Boles, J., 2003. Geochemical influence on diversity and
microbial processes in high temperature oil reservoirs. Geomicrobiology Journal, 20(4): 295-311.

Orphan, V., Ussler III, W., Naehr, T., House, C., Hinrichs, K.-U. and Paull, C., 2004. Geological,
geochemical, and microbiological heterogeneity of the seafloor around methane vents in the Eel River
Basin, offshore California. Chemical Geology, 205(3): 265- 289.
Orphan, V., Jahnke, L., Embaye, T., Turk, K., Pernthaler, A., Summons, R. and Des Marais, D., 2008.
Characterization and spatial distribution of methanogens and methanogenic biosignatures in hypersaline
microbial mats of Baja California. Geobiology, 6(4): 376-393.

Orphan, V. and House, C., 2009. Geobiological investigations using secondary ion mass spectrometry:
microanalysis of extant and paleo-microbial processes. Geobiology, 7(3): 360-372.

Orphan, V.J., 2011. Getting cozy: hidden microbial interactions in nature. Environmental Microbiology
Reports, 3(1): 16-18.

Orphan, V.J. and Hoehler, T.M., 2011. Microbiology: Hydrogen for dinner. Nature, 476(7359): 154-155.

Cavicchioli, R., Ripple, W. J., Timmis, K. N., Azam, F., Bakken, L. R., Baylis, M., ... V. Orphan… &
Crowther, T. W. (2019). Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change. Nature
Reviews Microbiology, 17: 569-586.

Leu, A.O., Cai, C., McIlroy, S.J., Southam, G., Orphan, V.J., Yuan, Z., Hu, S. and Tyson, G.W., 2020.
Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to manganese reduction by members of the Methanoperedenaceae.
The ISME journal, 14(4), pp.1030-1041.

References
1. "MacArthur winner Victoria Orphan showed how deep-sea microbes keep greenhouse gas
out of the atmosphere" (http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-victoria-orpha
n-macarthur-award-20160921-snap-story.html). Los Angeles Times. 2016-09-21.
ISSN 0458-3035 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0458-3035). Retrieved 2017-03-08.
2. "Orphan Lab" (http://orphanlab.caltech.edu/). orphanlab.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
3. "Caltech Environmental Science and Engineering" (http://www.ese.caltech.edu/people/3348/
profile). www.ese.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
4. "Schmidt Ocean Institute" (https://schmidtocean.org/). Schmidt Ocean Institute. Retrieved
2020-01-30.
5. "Victoria J. Orphan | www.gps.caltech.edu" (https://www.gps.caltech.edu/content/victoria-j-or
phan). www.gps.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
6. "MBARI Adjunct Victoria Orphan receives "genius grant" " (http://www.mbari.org/mbari-adjun
ct-victoria-orphan-receives-genius-grant/). Retrieved 2016-12-08.
7. "People" (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/about-our-center/people/).
www.darkenergybiosphere.org. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
8. "Victoria J. Orphan | Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences" (https://www.gps.caltec
h.edu/people/victoria-j-orphan). www.gps.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
9. "Center for Environmental Microbial Interactions" (http://microbiology.caltech.edu/index.htm
l). microbiology.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
10. "Victoria Orphan Named LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year" (https://www.caltech.edu/about/new
s/victoria-orphan-named-lgbtq-scientist-of-the-year). California Institute of Technology.
2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
11. "People" (http://kml.caltech.edu/about-us/people). Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory. Retrieved
2023-10-10.
12. "Schmidt Ocean Institute" (https://schmidtocean.org/). Schmidt Ocean Institute. Retrieved
2020-01-30.
13. "| NASA Astrobiology Institute" (https://nai.nasa.gov/directory/orphan-victoria/#).
nai.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
14. "Superorganisms are changing our understanding of life — NOVA Next | PBS" (https://www.
pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/evolution/superorganisms/). NOVA Next. 2016-04-20. Retrieved
2017-03-08.
15. "Simons Foundation | Advancing Research in Basic Science and Mathematics" (https://www.
simonsfoundation.org/). Simons Foundation. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
16. "The Most Unknown (2018) – IMDb" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8126390/).
www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
17. "MacArthur winner Victoria Orphan showed how deep-sea microbes keep greenhouse gas
out of the atmosphere" (https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-victoria-orph
an-macarthur-award-20160921-snap-story.html). Los Angeles Times. 2016-09-22. Retrieved
2020-11-13.
18. "Shana Goffredi" (https://www.oxy.edu/academics/faculty/shana-goffredi). www.oxy.edu.
Retrieved 2023-10-10.
19. "Grant Detail" (https://www.moore.org/grant-detail?grantId=GBMF691). www.moore.org.
Retrieved 2017-03-08.
20. "DOE Early Career Awards" (https://science.energy.gov/about/honors-and-awards/pecase/w
inners-since-1996/). DOE. 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
21. "Grant Detail" (https://www.moore.org/grant-detail?grantId=GBMF3780). www.moore.org.
Retrieved 2017-03-08.
22. "Celebration of Excellence" (http://ccid.caltech.edu/events/celebration-of-excellence).
Center for Inclusion & Diversity. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
23. "Victoria Orphan — MacArthur Foundation" (https://www.macfound.org/fellows/964/).
www.macfound.org. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
24. Stoeter, Author Sarah. "Victoria Orphan, NOMIS Distinguished Scientist Awardee 2018" (htt
ps://nomisfoundation.ch/awards/victoria-orphan-nomis-distinguished-scientist-awardee-201
8/). The NOMIS Foundation. Retrieved 2019-03-26. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic
name (help)
25. Hatch, Avery S.; Liew, Haebin; Hourdez, Stéphane; Rouse, Greg W. (2020-12-05). "Hungry
scale worms: Phylogenetics of Peinaleopolynoe (Polynoidae, Annelida), with four new
species" (https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/48532/). ZooKeys (932): 27–74.
Bibcode:2020ZooK..932...27H (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020ZooK..932...27H).
doi:10.3897/zookeys.932.48532 (https://doi.org/10.3897%2Fzookeys.932.48532).
ISSN 1313-2970 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1313-2970). PMC 7237507 (https://www.n
cbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7237507). PMID 32476973 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.g
ov/32476973).
26. "New 2020 Members Announced" (https://www.amacad.org/2020-member-announcement).
American Academy of Arts & Sciences. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
27. "2021 Class of AGU Fellows Announced" (https://eos.org/agu-news/2021-class-of-agu-fello
ws-announced). Eos. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

External links
Orphan Lab (California Institute of Technology) page (http://orphanlab.caltech.edu/)
MacArthur Foundation page (https://www.macfound.org/fellows/964/)
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation page (https://www.moore.org/home)

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