The Microbiology and Microbial Ecology faculty in the Department of Biology is a diverse group of scientists investigating microbial biology at gene to ecosystem scales. We are a highly interactive and collaborative group that uses a wide range of approaches—including genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic sequencing; bioinformatics; microscopy; biochemical analyses; field, laboratory, and culture-based experiments—to better understand the functioning of microbes in diverse environments. Our faculty leverage both model and non-model microbial, animal, plant, and soil systems to address research questions in the following areas:

• Response and feedback of microbes to global change
• Ecology and evolution of plant-microbe interactions
• Role of soil microbes in terrestrial biogeochemistry
• Eco-evolutionary dynamics in microbial communities
• Microbial community assembly and functional diversity
• Host immune responses to microbial pathogens
• Microbial self-organizing behavior and population dynamics

Members of our group interact and collaborate with researchers from neighboring campuses in Syracuse (SUNY ESF, Upstate) that have a shared interest in microbes through regular meetings of the SU Microbial Biology Network (MBN) and the Global Change Ecology Network (GCEN)