Scientific career
 

DLR, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Köln, Germany

Since 2005    Deputy Head of the Radiation Biology Department
Since 1996    Head of the Research Group ‘Astrobiology’
1993 - 1995   Junior research scientist

Max-Planck-Institute for Radiation Chemistry, Mülheim, Germany

1988 - 1992   Head of the research group ‘Radiation Biology’
1988              Scholar of the Max Planck-Society

Education and training

1983 - 1988   Dissertation (Dr. rer. nat.), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
1977 - 1983   Study of chemistry, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
1968 - 1977   Secondary school (Gymnasium)
1965 - 1968   Primary school

Professional experience

Acquisition, management and scientific realisation of interdisciplinary international research projects in the areas of astrobiology, planetary protection, microbiology and photobiology

Supervision of PhD, diploma, master and bachelor students in the disciplines biology, medicine, mechanical, chemical and medical engineering

Co-Investigator of the following international space experiments:

• SURVIVAL I of the missions BIOPAN I and II
• SURVIVAL II of the mission BIOPAN III
• UVRAD of the mission D-2
• REPAIR of the mission IML-2
• KINETICS of the mission IML-2
• UVE of the mission Mir’97
• EXOBIOLOGIE of the mission PERSEUS
• HighRad of the FOTON M-3 mission
• Lithopanspermia of the FOTON M-3 mission
• PROTECT on the EXPOSE-E mission on the ISS
• SPORES on the EXPOSE-R mission on the ISS
• BIOMEX on the EXPOSE R-2 mission on the ISS
• EXTREMOPHILES (formerly known as ARBEX, ISS, ongoing)
• BioRock (under preparation for the ISS)
• BIOFILMS (formerly known as mETALLICa, selected for the definition phase, ISS)
• IceCold (formerly known as ICE-cube, in preparation for the ISS)
• HABIT (ExoMars 2018)

Principal Investigator of the following international space experiments:

• MARSTOX I of the mission FOTON M-2
• MARSTOX II of the FOTON M-3 mission
• ADAPT on the EXPOSE-E mission on the ISS
• BOSS on the EXPOSE-R-2 mission on the ISS
• TRIPLELUX C (accepted for the ISS in 1997, deselected in 2014)
• LUX-in-Space (in preparation for the ISS)
• MEXEM (formerly known as MASE-in-Space, in preparation for the ISS)

ESA projects:

• 2003 – 2005 MiDiv - Determination of the Microbial Diversity of Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facilities (contractor)
• 2006 – 2011 BioDiv - Bioburden and Biodiversity Evaluation in Spacecraft Facilities and Lifetime Test of a Rapid Spore Assay (contractor)
• Since   2011 PP-VERI - Bioburden and Biodiversity Agency-Level Verification Assays (contractor)
   
• 2010 – 2011 MICHAm in the MARS 500 project (Principal Investigator)
• 2012 – 2015 BIOSIS (team member)
• Since 2011 CAVES (team member)
• 2011 – 2016 ESA Topical Team EANA (coordinator)
• 2014 – 2016 BIOMODEXO (team member)

EC funded projects:

• 2008 – 2010 CAREX (team member)
• 2012 – 2015 Astromap (team member)
• 2014 – 2017 MASE (team member)
• 2015 – 2017 EURO-CARES (team member)
• Since 2015 EDEN-ISS (team member)
• Since 2016 PPOSS (team member)

National project:

• 2011 - 2015 Federal Ministry of Education and Reserch, Verbundforschungsvorhaben ToxBox – Teilprojekt 4: SWITCH
• Since 2016 Bayrisches Wirtschaftsministerium, Kalte Plasmatechnologie für die Raumfahrt
   

Further professional skills and activities

IAA: Member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), Member of Commission 2: Space Life Sciences (since 2011), Chair of Commission 2: Space Life Sciences (2015 - 2017)

IAF: Member of International Astronautical Federation (IAF) Technical Committee: Space Life Sciences (since 2012)

ESSC: Member of the European Space Science Committee (ESSC) of the European Science Foundation – Solar System and Exploration Panel (since 2013)

ECSS: Member of the ECSS-U-ST-20C Working Group

ESA PPWG: Member of the ESA Planetary Protection Working Group (ESA PPWG)

EANA: Ex officio Councillor of the European Astrobioloy Network Association (EANA) and treasurer (2012 - 2016)

Senior Editor of the journal Astrobiology, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Member of the German National COSPAR Committee (COSPAR-Landesausschuss der DFG)

Organiser of COSPAR Symposia for the COSPAR Assemblies since 2006
Member of the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP)
Organiser of sessions for the IAC (International Astronautical Congres) since 2011
Organiser of EANA'11

2003 Chief biologist at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, USA
2000 Visiting scientist at NASA Ames in California, USA
1996 and 1997 Visiting scientist in Okazaki, Japan

Biosafety officer (BBS) at DLR
Project scientist of a research project with genetically modified organisms
1993 – 2012 Radiation protection supervisor (SSB)
4 patents

Awards

2000        DLR-Forschungssemester
2001        2nd Place winner of the award ‚DLR-Competition of Visions’
2014/15   2nd Place winner of the award ‚DLR-Competition of Visions’
2014        Life Sciences Book Award of the International Academy of Astronautics for the book
                'Complete Course in Astrobiology', Gerda Horneck and Petra Rettberg,
                Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.KgaA, Germany 2007
2016        DLR Senior Scientist

Membership in Scientific Societies

IAA: International Academy of Astronautics

EANA: European Astrobioloy Network Association (EANA)

VAAM: Vereinigung für allgemeine und Angewandte Mikrobiologie

Publications

See Publikationen des Instituts für Luft- und Raumfahrtmedizin and
elib - Publikationen des DLR -> Petra Rettberg

ORCID -> Petra Rettberg

ResearchGate -> Petra Rettberg

Google Scholar -> Petra Rettberg