Morales Lab Research Overview

Funding for a PhD student in Soil Microbiology currently available.

For more information see here: PhD student position 2013 UO-MM

Why study microbial ecology?

Microbes rule the planet. They have inhabited Earth for ¾ of its existence, and were the sole living organisms for over 2 billion years, which means that all other life forms evolved within a microbial world. Estimates of bacterial abundance in the world hover in the nonillion (10³⁰), with the human body alone having more bacteria than human cells by a factor of 10 to 1. The long residence of microbes on the planet has allowed them to develop vast metabolic diversity that we are only just beginning to understand. It is now accepted that microorganisms are the engine to the majority of metabolic transformations in the planet and changes in their populations can have significant effects at ecosystem scales. However, as living organisms, microbes are prone to selective pressures and respond to environmental cues like other organisms. Understanding how microorganisms adapt and respond to these cues can allow us to harness some of their power, and predict how ecosystems will react to environmental changes.

What does the lab work on?

I love being and playing outdoors, and I guess my work reflects that. In a general sense my interest is in understanding the role that microorganisms play in the natural world. Figuring out who is there, why they are there, and what exactly are they doing and putting it in the context of entire ecosystems. Specifically, research in the lab focuses on microbial ecology with the aim of understanding how microbial communities are assembled, and how differences in communities and their activities can lead to changes in ecosystem processes (e.g. carbon and nitrogen cycling, productivity, etc). To achieve this we use a variety of techniques and approaches including high throughput sequencing, molecular genetics, field scale studies and classic microbiological methods.

So go ahead, take a look around and see if anything catches your eye. I am always happy to chat and if you are interested there are opportunities for joining the team (see link below and on the side bar). If you are not from Dunedin, or NZ for that matter, don't let it stop you. There are opportunities for you too, see the New Zealand and Dunedin (below and on the side bar), as well as the University of Otago link.

Contact:

Sergio E. Morales

Department of Microbiology & Immunology

University of Otago

PO Box 56

Dunedin 9054

New Zealand