Research Area: Microbiota and Microbiomes

Lucas studies how populations and communities are shaped by interacting ecological and evolutionary dynamics that play out across space. Given the conceptual breadth of questions that interest him, Lucas uses a range of approaches (e.g., theory, experiments, population genomics) and systems (e.g., insect host–parasitoid, microbial[...]

During her doctoral work, Megan specialized in uncovering new ways bacteria can become less susceptible to antibiotics through her work with the Doerr lab. However, her long-term passion is seeded in communicating science to the public, either through the instruction of rising young scientists, or[...]

We focus our research efforts on discovery and molecular characterization of bacterial factors involved in bacterial-plant interactions, with particular interests in bacterial signaling systems and small non-coding RNAs. Another area of research is the development of new management strategies for bacterial pathogens. We use a[...]

We look to elucidate the mechanisms through which small proteins, approximately 50 amino acids in length, contribute to the regulation of stress responses in bacteria, with a particular focus on E. coli and B. subtilis. Our research revolves around exploring the role of these small[...]

Dan’s research focuses on the assembly and transmission of host-associated microbial communities. He is interested in understanding where your microbiota comes from in early life, how microbes are transmitted between hosts, and the ecological and evolutionary forces that shape these microbial communities as they develop[...]

Our lab seeks to understand and prevent spillover of zoonotic pathogens from wildlife to other species. We develop the science of pandemic prevention through collaborative, transdisciplinary science. We work in the field, the lab, and in silico, all with a commitment to translate the science[...]

I investigate what drives hosts’ contributing to pathogen dynamics across biological scales, from host-pathogen molecular interactions to host species interactions. To do so, I combine theoretical, observational, and experimental approaches, and consider various study systems in the lab and in the field, including emerging bat-borne[...]

The Crickard lab studies chromosome maintenance pathways with a focus on homologous recombination. We use genetic approaches in combination with single molecule imaging to dissect molecular mechanisms. An example of a student project is expressing and purifying proteins to understand the role of signaling kinases[...]

Scott’s research investigates how endocrine signaling networks regulate animals’ physiological responses to pathogenic microbes. He uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a genetically tractable model to investigate the mechanisms by which several key insect hormones and their cognate nuclear receptors both directly and indirectly[...]

The Kim Lab focuses on the general fields of population genetics and evolutionary biology. Dr. Kim is interested in computational problems relevant to understanding evolutionary processes and population dynamics, and in development and application of statistical methods for inference from genetic data. In addition to[...]