Ziqin (Grace) Ni is interested in understanding life’s origin, distribution, and evolution in the Universe via laboratory simulation, computational modeling, experimental observation, and philosophical deduction. She has three main research areas: primitive Earth conditions, prebiotic processes to synthesize organic compounds, and the development of analytical techniques and operational strategies to search for life’s signatures via spaceflight instrumentations. Grace is passionate about navigating communications between engineering and science communities, focusing on developing operational strategies and analytical innovations to maximize scientific return with minimum technological risks and financial costs. As an investigator on a team building spaceflight instrumentations for future life detection missions, Grace advocates for international and interdisciplinary collaboration across the academic, industry, and government sectors to come up with feasible solutions to answer grand scientific questions in space exploration.