Single-celled microorganisms, Bacteria and Archaea, represent two of the three domains of life. They constitute the majority of Earth’s biodiversity and play crucial roles in cycling elements and energy in the biosphere. Yet, a vast majority of these organisms in the environment remain uncultivated, and much of their ecophysiology remains poorly understood.

Research in the Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry Lab focuses on elucidating this “microbial dark matter” by studying their genetic and functional characteristics and their impact on biogeochemical processes within the Earth System.

A particular focus is in better characterizing the intersection between microbial ecology and climate dynamics.