ANU PhD student, Yani Lach has been selected by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for a groundbreaking astrobiology PhD internship to be undertaken in Pasadena, California.

An early-career researcher in astrophysics, Yani has secured a five-month research placement with JPL, an internship project by the New South Wales (NSW) Government funded NSW Space Research Network (SRN) delivered by APR.Intern. Yani’s research project titled ‘What Planetary Chemical Conditions Support the Emergence of Life’ will see him contribute to an ongoing effort to unravel the planetary conditions that may lead to the origin of life.

As a first-year PhD candidate at the Australian National University (ANU), Yani’s work focuses on using stellar spectra to understand the formation of binary star systems and their planets. His previous research explored whether the chemical composition of a star could indicate the presence of terrestrial planets.

“I’ve had an enduring fascination with astrobiology, and JPL is one of the few places where the necessary interdisciplinary expertise converges,” Yani said.

“Having the opportunity to collaborate with JPL scientists to investigate the building blocks of life on other worlds is an absolute dream, and one that’s only possible thanks to the ible support of the NSW Government, the SRN and APR Intern.”

Reflecting on the significance of this achievement, SRN Co-Director Associate Professor Dushmantha Thalakotuna, expressed his pride in the network’s role in facilitating access to world-leading research experiences that support emerging talent.

"The SRN is proud to support Yani’s internship at NASA JPL an incredible opportunity to contribute to world-leading space research. Such opportunities will help inspire and equip Australia’s next generation of space science leaders,” Associate Professor Thalakotuna said.

The NSW Government’s Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer (OCSE) plays a pivotal role in fostering the growth of the state’s research ecosystem, particularly in emerging fields including space science.

Through the SRN, OCSE helps bridge the gap between early-career researchers and globally significant scientific institutions. NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte acknowledged the positive impact of this PhD internship opportunity.

"Our NSW research networks play a crucial role in accelerating the career trajectory of promising young researchers. I applaud the work of NSW SRN in securing this internship with NASA's prestigious JPL," Professor Durrant-Whyte said.

ANU Pro Vice-Chancellor (Graduate Research), Professor Ann Evans said the University is pleased to support opportunities for internships for PhD candidates.

“We provide additional financial support for candidates to enable them to make the most of career-boosting opportunities such as this one,” she said.

“We can’t wait to see what Yani achieves as a result of this internship and his PhD program.”

Over the course of internship, Yani will collaborate on software development to model the interactions between planetary atmospheres, oceans, and surface compositions, simulating conditions that may enable life to arise. His work aims to uncover spectral signatures that can be detected by current or future space telescopes to identify habitable or life-bearing exoplanets. The internship will also explore how mineral chemistry influences planetary atmospheres, habitability and long-term viability for life – ultimately discovering groundbreaking insights into how we search for origins-of-life conditions beyond Earth.

APR.Intern Business Development Manager, Mark Ovens extended his thanks to all internship partners for their support in advancing space research opportunities through PhD internships.

“This placement demonstrates the impact of university-industry collaboration, and the importance of supporting emerging PhD researchers in space sciences,” he said.

“Thanks to ANU, NSW SRN and NASA JPL, we can foster global connections and advance critical space discovery.”

Yani’s APR PhD internship at NASA JPL strengthens the links between academia, industry and scientific space research institutions, driving progress in space exploration and innovation.

“Yani’s internship at NASA JPL highlights how international placements benefit everyone — they broaden skills, build connections, and tie academic research to real-world challenges. In Yani’s case, the internship work on life-supporting chemistry complements Yani's PhD on extracting stellar chemistry from starlight." says Yani’s PhD supervisor at the ANU and ARC DECRA Fellow Dr Sven Buder.

Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern) is Australia’s only national industry internship program for PhD, other Doctoral and Masters by Research students that spans all sectors and disciplines. A not-for-profit, the program is the industry engagement arm of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI), dedicated to strengthening industry-university collaboration, and empowering students to thrive in a practical research environment.