Center for Metagenomic Microbial Community Analysis

Research in the Macdonald Lab uses an array of high-throughput molecular, genomic and computational approaches to address a number of evolutionary and quantitative genetics questions. One particular goal is to characterize the loci contributing to complex trait variation. Primarily we work in the Drosophila model system, but in collaboration are working on C. elegans, HSV-1, the lesser wax moth (Achroia grisella), and applications of metagenomics.

Dr. Robert's work focuses broadly on microbe:mineral interactions and the geological and ecological implications of these interactions in subsurface environments. Her program currently has three separate but interrelated thrusts—microbial attachment to mineral surfaces; nutrient-driven microbial silicate weathering, and low temperature-dolomite precipitation. Found out more about her research here.

The Center for Metagenomic Microbial Community Analysis is a multidisciplinary initiative comprising faculty from multiple departments and fields conducting research from genes to ecosystems. 

Research in the Billings lab explores how the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and water is influenced by climate, rising levels of atmospheric CO2, and nutrient availability. Our work ranges from the scale of microorganisms to the whole ecosystem, permitting us to study within a wide range of disciplines, including microbial ecology, ecophysiology, and soil science. We examine the biosphere-atmosphere fluxes of CO2, N2O, and water, the stable isotopes within these compounds, and the mechanisms in soils and vegetation that govern these fluxes.

Dr. Sturm is an environmental engineering with key interests in microbiological processes involved in wastewater treatment, water quality impacts, and public health. Municipal wastewater treatment relies heavily on selecting and maintaining complex microbial communities performing nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Dr. Sturm's research seeks to advance reactor design and operation to optimize the community structure and function. Dr. Sturm has also applied molecular microbiology tools to characterize water quality, particularly the detection of viruses and microbial source tracking of fecal contamination using DNA sequencing and quantitative PCR. In recent years, Dr. Sturm has worked to develop nutrient removal from wastewater with mixed algal communities, with the algal biomass being harvested as a biofuel feedstock. Visit her research homepage here.