Origin of Life . Interpreting the available evidence on the nature and setting of the earliest life. In 1969, Pace joined the faculties of the National Jewish Hospital and Research Center, and University of Colorado Medical Center. He taught and carried out research there for fifteen years before returning to Indiana University, where he became Distinguished Professor of Biology and Chemistry. In 1996, Pace moved to the University of California, Berkeley, as Professor in the Departments of Plant and Microbial Biology, and Molecular and Cell Biology.
Pace wears two scientific hats.
On one hand he is a molecular biologist, and his laboratory has made substantive contributions to our understanding of nucleic acid structure and processing. Noteworthy recent efforts have involved elucidation of the structure and catalytic mechanism of the RNA moiety of ribonuclease P, an enzyme composed of RNA instead of the usual protein. On the other hand, Pace is a microbial ecologist. His laboratory has led the field in the development and use of molecular tools to study microbial ecosystems. This work has led to the discovery of many novel organisms and an understanding of some unusual symbioses.