Robert Kysela, EBIO MA student
I find the diversity of bacteria in soils absolutely stunning, and even more amazing when functions can be ascribed to microbial communities occupying different habitats. I am interested in linking the study of microbial ecology with biogeochemistry. I want to know how microbial communities affect nutrient cycling and how biogeochemistry affects microbial communities. Currently, I am examining how different leaf litter inputs affect soil microbial community structure and function. I am also ascertaining how shifting nitrogen and phosphorous cycles affect the levels of naturally occurring antibiotic resistance in tropical soils. It is plausible that increased fertilization of undisturbed soils may increase as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance in the future.
Terry Legg, EBIO PhD student
There is compelling evidence suggesting that microbial community composition responds to changes in environmental conditions. I am interested in how microbial community structure and function responds to seasonal variations in hydrology and environmental chemistry in aquatic environments. In addition, I am interested in how microbial community response patterns vary across spatial and temporal scales. In collaboration with environmental engineers and geochemists, I am currently investigating the role of hydrology and microbial community structure in regulating iron reduction and the release of arsenic in groundwater aquifers in Bangladesh.
Sean P. O'Neill, MCDB graduate
The forces driving the tremendous microbial diversity seen in soil microbial communities are poorly understood. Specifically, few experiments have tested the relationship between environmental heterogeneity and bacterial microevolution. My goal is to study the effects of climate variability on rates of microevolution in Pseudomonas strain M19. I have inoculated this organism into the soil from which it was originally isolated, and have devised a system to vary soil temperature at different rates between 5 and 25°C. I am periodically extracting Pseudomonas strain M19 from these soils and performing subsequent molecular analyses to determine if the climate variability affects the rate of microbial evolution. This work will test the role of environmental heterogeneity in driving microbial diversity and may lead to a better understanding of the ecological significance of microdiversity.
Nita Clark, LSU Environmental Sciences undergraduate student
Recovery from Hurricane Katrina has proceeded at a remarkably slow pace, and many residents are justifiably frustrated. Notably, different neighborhoods appear to be recovering at very different rates. It has been speculated that many factors may be correlated to these variable recovery rates, as post-Katrina policy decisions may have had different impacts on residents of different neighborhoods. My goal is to examine the correlation between race, income, elevation, level of destruction, percentage of home ownership and recovery in neighborhoods across New Orleans. Additionally, I will be examining how local to national policy decisions in the wake of Katrina may have led to differences in recovery rates in different neighborhoods.
Nick Mosely, EBIO Honors student
As some of the most biologically productive ecosystems on the planet, I am interested in algal mats: their distribution, diversity, patterns of nutrient cycling, and ecological significance. I am currently in Pescadero, California pursuing an Honors Thesis research project investigating successional trends of marine biofilm assemblages, as well as variation of community structure as related to depth. The goal of the project is to examine community diversity as it changes over time by introducing artifical surfaces to promote colonization. The provided surfaces will be extracted after varying time intervals to study changes in community structure and rates of biomass accumulation. Similarly, I am introducing surfaces at varying depths to examine differences in community structure and variation in photosynthetic pigments.
Taija Ventrella, EBIO undergraduate student
Taija spent the spring of 2008 in New Zealand participating in an independent student project. She is interested in the realities of agriculture, and spent time participating in organic farming festivals, as well as volunteering with the organization WOOOF.
Sarah Sattin, EBIO MA graduate
Sarah finished her MA degree in May 2008. Her thesis was on microbial community succession in the forelands of the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, AK. She has submittted her thesis for publication.