Iron is the most abundant transition metal in the Earth's crust; as such, it is a key player in the planetary redox budget and is utilized by nearly all life.  Iron is present in a diverse suite of minerals and is the crucial component in magnetic minerals such as natural "permanent" magnets.  Our group uses iron minerals to understand the (co)evolution of Earth’s surface environments and life as well as the fidelity of the rock record in preserving ancient bio- and environmental signatures.