Molecular Microbiology

Bloom of anoxygenic phototrophs
Trunk River lagoon is the only ecosystem known to date in which anoxygenic phototrophic Chlorobiales thrive at the water surface in the presence of substantial dissolved oxygen concentrations. The photo shows Molly Moynihan inmidst the bloom during a sampling campaign. The yellow-green color of the microbes is due to the presence of sulfur and bacteriochlorophylls, pigments that the cells use to harvest light.
© Katy Crowle

In the “Molecular Environmental Microbiology” research group, we investigate our planet’s hidden habitats, focusing primarily on microorganisms that live in extreme environments and the important role these play in the Earth’s element cycles. Central to his work are the carbon and oxygen cycles, both of which are significantly influenced by microbes and their metabolic activity.

Our research takes us to some of the most extraordinary environments on Earth. He has studied methane seeps and hydrothermal sediments of the deep sea, ancient groundwater systems beneath the Canadian prairies, and water veins in one of South Africa’s deepest gold mines. His goal is to better understand the interactions between microbial communities and nature, deliberately selecting relatively simple ecosystems to study, so that the underlying processes become visible.