Category Archives: microbiology

Nancy Moran awarded the 2017 Molecular Ecology Prize

Posted on 31 May, 2017 by Jeremy Yoder

The 2017 Molecular Ecology Prize will go to Professor Nancy Moran of the University of Texas at Austin. The Prize is awarded by the Editorial Board of Molecular Ecology to recognize “an outstanding scientist who has made significant contributions to … Continue reading →

Posted in Coevolution, community, evolution, microbiology, Molecular Ecology, the journal | Tagged , | 4 Comments

A sponge and its symbionts, using genomics to unravel complex relationships

Posted on 30 Mar, 2017 by Kelle Freel

The ocean is full of interesting organisms and even more fascinating (as well as difficult to tease apart) are the interactions among them. From deep sea giant tube worms, to the adorable bobtail squid, symbioses have a central role, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Coevolution, community ecology, genomics, metagenomics, microbiology | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Dishing out Art: “Soiling” our microbiology curriculum

Posted on 14 Mar, 2017 by Stacy Krueger-Hadfield

Sarah Adkins wrote this post as a final project for Stacy Krueger-Hadfield’s Science Communication course at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a MS student working with Dr. Jeffrey Morris at UAB. They are looking at how microbes (i.e., phytoplankton and E. … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, Coevolution, evolution, methods, microbiology, natural history, selection | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How much wood would a termite chuck…if it was missing its microbial symbionts

Posted on 24 Feb, 2017 by Kelle Freel

Termites get a pretty bad rap, probably because we think of our houses disintegrating when they move in. Ironically, we have a lot to learn from these critters, and their mounds have served as an inspiration for modern architecture. Either … Continue reading →

Posted in Coevolution, evolution, genomics, microbiology | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When microbes can move mountains, studying microbial communities on glaciers

Posted on 18 Jan, 2017 by Kelle Freel

Bacteria are amazing, and as a recent article by Ambrosini and colleagues reminds us, they are quite literally, just about everywhere. Before reading this article, I have to admit, I was a little rusty on my definition of cryoconite holes, … Continue reading →

Posted in community ecology, microbiology, Molecular Ecology, the journal | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

I do not think it means what you think it means: "relic DNA" can obscure microbial diversity studies

Posted on 20 Dec, 2016 by Kelle Freel

Although microbes are small, they play an important part in both biogeochemical cycles in the ocean as well as on land. However, as they are not so easy to observe by eye, and in many cases can’t be cultured in … Continue reading →

Posted in community, community ecology, microbiology, next generation sequencing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

When the going gets hot the dinoflagellates (sometimes) get going, how viruses might affect coral symbionts

Posted on 7 Dec, 2016 by Kelle Freel

Corals represent more than meets the eye, they host intricate and interesting communities composed of dinoflagellates (also referred to as zooxanthellae), and a suite of microbes that include bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses. One such dinoflagellate that often shares … Continue reading →

Posted in community ecology, microbiology, next generation sequencing, RNAseq, transcriptomics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Diving into chilly California waters, understanding genomic differentiation and the role of gene transfer in marine cyanophages

Posted on 23 Nov, 2016 by Kelle Freel

At this point, it’s clear: microbes are everywhere, there are a lot of them, and they are important. In fact, they are more abundant, more diverse and older than any other organism we have on this planet. In particular, cyanobacteria … Continue reading →

Posted in Coevolution, evolution, genomics, horizontal gene transfer, microbiology, population genetics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The importance of culturing the uncultured, delving into the microbial consortia in the human gut

Posted on 15 Nov, 2016 by Kelle Freel

The molecular side of ecology has grown by leaps and bounds in recent decades. The review we covered not too long ago, did a nice job of summarizing many key aspects highlighting the importance of this relatively new molecular view … Continue reading →

Posted in community ecology, genomics, medicine, metagenomics, microbiology | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

There are more microbes than meet the eye: exploring the genomic diversity in an aquifer

Posted on 8 Nov, 2016 by Kelle Freel

First: it’s Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 – before you even think about putting your feet up and reading this post, I hope you’ve managed to wrangle yourself one of those highly prized “I voted” stickers. Now, on to more microbial … Continue reading →

Posted in bioinformatics, community ecology, metagenomics, microbiology, next generation sequencing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment