Trinity Hamilton
Associate Professor
Plant and Microbial Biology
Our research focuses on microbial photosynthesis and global biogeochemical cycles. We combine genomic, functional, and evolutionary studies of complex microbial ecosystems to answer outstanding questions in microbial ecology and evolution including the form and function of the Earth’s earliest phototrophs and the contribution of these organisms to biogeochemical cycling in Earth’s past, present, and future.
Research statement
Our lab studies the functions and interactions of microorganisms in natural and engineered systems and how microbial communities respond and adapt to environmental change. We are particularly interested in life at the fringe including redox gradients and temperature extremes. We use traditional microbiology and molecular techniques as well as next generation -omics approaches in combination with high resolution geochemical and geological data. The integration of these data results in a multidisciplinary approach to examine the in situ dynamics of microbial interactions and the affect of these interactions on local and global biogeochemical cycles. Ongoing projects in the lab include: 1) microbial primary productivity in the Proterozoic oceans; 2) the limits of chlorophototrophy (from glaciers to hot springs); 3) competitive interactions and microbial community assembly; 4) the Ecology and Physiology of toxin-producing Cyanobacteria. For more information, please visit the lab's website.