S. Neal Gupta
Postdoc
Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT
E25-637, 45 Carleton Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
USA
phone 317.903.7357
email sngupta@mit.edu

and

Department of Geology and Geophysics , Yale University
New Haven, CT 06520
USA
webpage
email neal.gupta@yale.edu

research interests

1) Changes in molecular structure and composition of biopolymers and lipids in terrestrial and marine organisms in different Pressure-Temperature conditions
2) Molecular structure, composition and formation pathway of kerogen in important source rocks
3) Biogeochemistry of fossils and associated sediment from important Fossil Lagerstatten
4) Development of analytical and experimental techniques
5) Reconstruction of source input and assessment of thermal history of sedimentary organic matter using biomarkers
6) Biomolecular Paleontology            
7) Experimental Taphonomy

PhD in Geochemistry, May 2005. School of Chemistry , University of Bristol .

BSc. Honors in Geology, University of Delhi , India . September, 2001.

Gupta, N.S., Yang, H.,  Leng, Q., Briggs, D. E. G., Summons, R.E., (in review). Macromolecular preservation of Metasequoia: Diagenesis of plant biopolymers. Organic Geochemistry.

Gupta, N.S ., Landman, N.H., Briggs, D.E.G., Summons, R.E. 2008. Molecular structure of organic components in  cephalopods: evidence for oxidative cross linking in fossil marine invertebrates. Organic Geochemistry( in press)

Gupta, N. S. , Love, G.D., Moo, O. C., Summons, R.E., Briggs, D.E.G. (2008). Molecular Taphonomy of macrofossils at the Cretaceous Las Hoyas formation, Spain. Cretaceous Research 29, 1-8

Gupta , N.S . , Yang, H., Briggs, D.E.G., (2007). Molecular Taphonomy of Metasequoia. Yale University Peabody Museum of Natural History Bulletin. 48, 329-338.

Gupta , N.S. and Briggs, D. E. G. Chapter 7. Taphonomy of Animal Organic Skeletons through Time. Allison, P. and Bottjer, D (eds). To be released by Springer.

Gupta, N. S. , Tetlie, O. E. Briggs, D. E. G. and Pancost. R. D. ( 2007). Fossilization of Eurypterids: A product of molecular transformation. Palaios 22, 399-407.

Gupta, N. S ., Briggs, D. E. G., Collinson, M. E., Evershed, R. P., Michels, R., and Pancost, R. D. (2007). Reply to de Leeuw comment ‘On the origin of sedimentary aliphatic macromolecules’. Organic Geochemistry. 38, 1585-1588.

Gupta, N. S ., Briggs, D. E. G., Collinson, M. E., Evershed, R. P., Michels, R. and Pancost, R. D. (2007). Molecular preservation of plant and insect cuticles from the Oligocene Enspel Formation, Germany : Evidence against derivation of aliphatic polymer from sediment. Organic Geochemistry. 38, 404-418.

Gupta, N. S ., Briggs, D. E. G., Collinson, M. E., Evershed, R. P., Michels, R., Jack, K.S. and Pancost, R. D. (2007). Evidence for the in situ polymerisation of labile aliphatic organic compounds during the preservation of fossil leaves: Implications for organic matter preservation. Organic Geochemistry 38, 499-522.

Gupta, N. S. , Michels, R., Briggs, D. E. G., Collinson, M. E., Evershed, R. P., and Pancost. R. D. (2007). Experimental evidence for formation of geomacromolecules from plant leaf lipids. Organic Geochemistry 38, 28-36.

Gupta, N. S. , Briggs, D. E. G. and Pancost, R. D.(2006). Molecular taphomomy of graptolites. Specials paper. Journal of the Geological Society of London 163, 897-900.

Gupta, N. S. , Briggs, D. E. G., Collinson, M. E., Evershed, R. P. and Pancost, R. D. (2006). Re-investigation of the occurrence of cutan in plants: implications for the leaf fossil record. Paleobiology.32, 432-449.

Gupta, N. S., R. Michels, Briggs, D. E. G., R. P. Evershed, and R. D. Pancost. (2006). Organic preservation of fossil arthropods: an experimental study. Proceedings of the Royal society of London B 273, 1471-2954.

Gupta, N. S., Pancost, R.D.(2004). Biomolecular and physical taphonomy of angiosperm leaf during early decay: Implications for fossilisation, Palaios 19, 428-440.

thesis/book chapers

Gupta , N.S. and Briggs, D. E. G. Chapter 7. Taphonomy of Animal Organic Skeletons through Time. Allison, P. and Bottjer, D (eds). To be released by Springer.

Gupta, N. S. 2005. Ph D thesis. Organic macrofossils as a key to the origin of aliphatic polymer in kerogen. 175 p. ( University of Bristol , U. K.).

Gupta , N.S., Yang, H., Briggs, D.E.G., Accepted. Geochemistry of Metasequoia and associated gymnosperms. Yale University Peabody Museum of Natural History, Special publications.

Gupta, N.S., Cody, G., Tetlie, E.O.,  Briggs, D.E.G., Summons, R.E. Rapid association of lipids into macromolecules: initiation of geopolymer formation.  In preparation for Organic Geochemistry.