Past Research Projects

Missing Links In The Marine Sulfur Cycle – Identity And Functions Of Microorganisms Utilizing Sulfur Cycle Intermediates And Organic Sulfur Molecules In Marine Sediments

Past Projects DOME

© NASA

The sediments underlying our oceans are inhabited by massive numbers of microbes that contribute substantially to global cycles of elements such as…

Competition Between The Enteric Pathogen Clostridium Difficile And The Commensal Members Of The Gut Microbiota For Mucosal Sugars

Past Projects DOME

© rawpixel.com / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The trillions of bacteria that live in the human gut form a complex ecological community that helps in food digestion, produces vitamins, and trains…

BSC: Understanding the Key Players of N2 Fixation in European Biological Soil Crusts

Past Projects DOME

© Arches National Park

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are present in habitats where the growth of vascular plants is limited and play an essential role in soil stabilization…

Exploring Spatial Patterns Of Microbial Activity And Interactions Using Raman Microspectroscopy

Past Projects DOME

© Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - PNNL / Flickr.com

The interactions between bacteria can have significant and wide-ranging effects on diverse ecosystems, yet our ability to directly and…

Bacteriocyte-Associated Symbionts Of Insects

Past Projects DOME

© Katja Schulz / Wikimedia Commons

The presence of heritable bacterial endosymbionts in insects is widespread in nature. Their roles range from obligate mutualists with essential…

Inside The Cellular Control Center Of Eukaryotes

Past Projects DOME

© Dr. Yale Rosen Atlas of Pulmonary Pathology / Flickr.com

Intracellular bacteria including major pathogens generally live within their host cell’s cytoplasm or in cytoplasmic vacuoles. However, some can…

Bacterial Symbionts Of Amoebae

Past Projects DOME

© Katherine Ralston / Science

Free-living amoebae are ubiquitous, they feed on other microbes and shape microbial communities. They also serve as transient hosts for facultative…

Eukaryotic Genes In Vacuolar Pathogens And Symbionts (Eugenpath)

Past Projects DOME

© ZEISS Microscopy / Flickr.com

Intracellular bacterial pathogens and symbionts maintain intimate interactions with their eukaryotic hosts, which have been shaped by mutual…

Revealing The Function Of Dormant Soil Microorganisms And The Cues For Their Awakening

Past Projects DOME

Soils are considered the last scientific frontiers that harbor one of the most diverse microbial communities on Earth. It is hypothesized that this…