The NSF CAREER proposal on branched GDGT biomarkers has been funded! Branched GDGTs are an intriguing class of lipid biomarkers that are frequently used in paleoclimate studies yet we still know strikingly little about their origins and biological function. In addition to the laboratory research on branched GDGTs, this project will create a new Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) class on Experimental Geomicrobial Diversity (coming Fall 2021) to involve undergraduate students in our research on branched GDGTs together with close collaborator Lynne Albert at Red Rocks Community College.