Alyson Santoro, Ph.D.

Location:

Chesapeake Biological Laboratory

Research Topics:

Research Interests:

Our lab studies single-celled organisms called bacteria and archaea involved in nutrient cycling, especially of the element nitrogen. Microbes that convert nitrogen among its different dissolved forms live in the ocean, coastal sediments, and soils. We experiment with these organisms in the lab, look for their DNA in the environment, and measure rates of the different reactions they perform. We try to understand how and when they evolved, how they collaborate with other organisms, and how they keep our planet habitable.