Our research focuses on deciphering and understanding biogeochemical processes through elucidation of the molecular and isotopic characteristics of molecular biomarkers in organisms, sediments, rocks and petroleum. We are examining spatial, temporal and stratigraphic variations in biogeochemical records to elucidate: (i) Controls on carbon cycling, especially factors reflecting fluctuations in ocean productivity and biota, (ii) Evidence for environmental and climate change provided by biogeochemical proxies in sediments, (iii) Signatures of critical events in geological history that affected or perturbed global climate, (iv) Evolutionary developments in biosynthetic pathways over geological time linked to the progression of life, (v) Microbial processes and communities transforming organic matter in sediments and influencing its preservation and pathways of diagenetic alteration, and (vi) Formation of source rocks and influences on petroleum generation, composition, and biodegradation.