2nd December 2025 - K2-18b panel

Welcome

Please join us at the Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability for our first panel discussion event!

We encourage attendees to bring their own refreshments.

How to Attend

This event will be hosted both in-person and online - see details below for how to join.

In-person - B2.04/5 on the science concourse, 15:00-16:30 (see campus mapLink opens in a new window)

Online - via Microsoft Teams, accessible at bit.ly/ceh-k218b-panel-teamsLink opens in a new window

Exoplanet K2-18b: the search for biosignatures

K2-18b is an exoplanet a few times the size of Earth, orbiting in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. Originally discovered in 2015 using the Kepler space telescope, it is one of very few small habitable zone exoplanets currently known, and is thought to have a temperature similar to Earth. As such, it is a very interesting target for studies of exoplanet atmospheres and habitability.

Over the last few years, K2-18b has been observed using telescopes such as JWST, and studies of its atmosphere by several different research groups have identifed possible signatures of methane, carbon dioxide, and water.

Earlier this year, a new study tentatively detected dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in K2-18b's atmosphere. This gas is a possible biosignature, though can be produced through non-biological means. The study sparked extensive debate in the academic literature and in public media, and the claimed detection remains controversial in terms of both the science and how that science was communicated and publicised.

In this panel discussion, experts from the University of Warwick will present their work on aspects of science relevant to the K2-18b case, and discuss how the way we communicate resarch can influence public opinion.

When?

Tuesday 2nd December - 15:00 to 16:30 GMT

Where?

B2.04/5 (science concourse)Link opens in a new window

or on Microsoft TeamsLink opens in a new window

Who?

Everyone is welcome!

Dr Siddharth Gandhi

Dr Siddharth Gandhi is an assistant professor in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group of the Physics Department at the University of Warwick. His work focuses on atmospheric modelling of exoplanets and comparisons with space and ground based observations to constrain their properties, with the eventual goal of studying rocky Earth-like planets in the habitable zone which have the potential for biosignatures.

You can find more information about Dr Gandhi's work on his Warwick webpageLink opens in a new window or his websiteLink opens in a new window.

Professor Hendrik Schaefer

Prof Hendrik Schaefer is a professor of microbiology in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick. He and his research group study microorganisms that cycle atmospheric trace gases and degrade pollutants that are relevant for climate regulation and air quality. The group's recent work has investigated the cycling of organic sulphur compounds such as dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in saltmarshes and the Arctic Ocean.

You can find more information and Prof Schaefer's work on his Warwick webpagesLink opens in a new window.

Professor Nick Lee

Prof Nick Lee is a professor of marketing in the Warwick Business School, where he is the Assistant Dean for Research Culture and Environment. His work connects theories from social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, economics, and philosophy, to advanced measurement and modelling methods, in order to solve important problems in professional sales, organizational psychology, behavioural science, behavioural research methodology, and philosophy of science (e.g. metaphysics, scientific realism, causality).

You can find out more about Prof Lee's work on his WBS webpageLink opens in a new window.