Who are we? Where do we come from?

With the enhanced capabilities of modern radio and infrared telescopes, astrochemistry has experienced a remarkable surge in detecting molecules within the Interstellar Medium (ISM). Some of these identified species hold prebiotic significance. The origins, activation, and storage of these molecules within the ISM remain a mystery. How, when, and where these compounds form, become energized, and persist within the ISM, as well as how they transition through star and planetary system formation, evolution, and demise, remain crucial inquiries. The transformation of stardust into atoms, molecules, proteins, DNA, RNA, and ultimately life forms an essential part of these investigations. The universal nature of life's foundational building blocks continues to elude us.

During this colloquium, I will present various ongoing multi-wavelength line imaging survey projects. These endeavors aim to delineate the dynamic and chemical properties of systems involved in the birth of stars and planets, across a spatial range spanning from 20 parsecs to 50 astronomical units throughout our Galaxy. Furthermore, I will introduce our forthcoming projects, focused on unraveling the chemical intricacies and establishing links between star-forming regions and life's origins.

BIO

Dr. Siyi Feng's research focuses on unraveling the intricate processes governing star and planet formation in our galaxy, as well as exploring the molecular complexities within the Interstellar Medium (ISM) and the origins of life. Presently, Dr. Feng holds the position of Full Professor at Xiamen University (XMU). Before joining XMU, she was an East Asian Core Observatories Association (EACOA) fellow at Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Taipei; 2019-2021), National Astronomical Observatories of China (Beijing; 2018-2019), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Mitaka; 2017-2018), a European Research Council (ERC) postdoctoral fellow at Max-Planck-Institut for Extraterrestrial Physics (Garching; 2015-2017), and a Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (Heidelberg, 2011-2014). She got her Ph.D. degree from University Heidelberg (Germany, 2015), and MS and BA degrees from Nanjing University (China, 2011, 2008).