Follow the Elements! An award from the NASA Astrobiology institute allows us to look beyond requiring water for life, and try to understand what other elements - including C, N, O, and many metals - play a role in life. We look at extreme environments on Earth, including Yellowstone hot springs, Mo-poor lake environments and As-rich environments to see the role that different elements assume depending on their environmental availability. Did V- and Ni- hydrogenases evolve before Mo- ones? Could life be based on As instead of P? At extremes of temperature and pH, how does life handle the energetic requirements to continue? Is the Shadow Biosphere real? These are a few of the types of questions we try to look at through the lens of astrobiology. By better understanding the range of life on our blue planet, we can better guide where we look for life - and how to recognize it - elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond.