Dr. Brett J. Baker, an associate professor in the Departments of Integrative Biology and Marine Science at The University of Texas at Austin, is leading an international research team to explore one of life’s greatest mysteries, the origin of complex life on Earth. The team will investigate Asgard archaea, a group of single-celled microbes that are the closest known relatives to eukaryotes, the building blocks of all plants, animals, and humans. Their work will help reveal how the first eukaryotic cells evolved from simpler life forms billions of years ago.
Searching for Asgards Cruise Logistics
The expedition will take place from November 13 to December 3, 2025, aboard the R/V Falkor (too), operated by Schmidt Ocean Institute. The team will explore the waters offshore of Uruguay and the mouth of the Río de la Plata River, where freshwater and saltwater mix to form an environment rich in microbial diversity.
Using the ship’s CTD & Rosette, gravity corer, and ROV SuBastian, the team will collect water and sediment samples to detect Asgard archaea. Onboard laboratory facilities will allow scientists to conduct real-time genomic sequencing, analyze microbial communities, and share findings with collaborators across the globe.
Searching for Asgards Dispatches
Updates and reflections from the Searching for Asgards Expedition will be shared here.
Research Overview
This international research effort investigates the origin of complex life by studying Asgard archaea, a group of single-celled microbes that are the closest living relatives of eukaryotes. The project focuses on Hodarchaeales, a type of Asgard archaea that lives in coastal mud where freshwater and seawater mix, such as the Río de la Plata region off Uruguay.
During the November to December 2025 expedition aboard the R/V Falkor (too), the team will collect water and sediment samples using the ship’s CTD and Rosette, gravity corer, and ROV SuBastian. They will use nanopore DNA sequencers and flow cytometry to detect Asgard archaea and potential bacterial partners, seeking to understand how these relationships may reflect those that first gave rise to complex life.
By sequencing newly discovered genomes and attempting to cultivate Hodarchaeales in the lab, the project aims to determine whether Asgard archaea still form symbiotic relationships today. The findings will help uncover how complex life evolved on Earth and may inform future efforts to identify life beyond our planet.
This expedition is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
More Information
Learn more about the Searching for Asgards expedition at Schmidt Ocean Institute offical website.