Faculty Support: Jennifer Thomson

We study the physiology and biochemical adaptations of marine organisms, their influence on biogeochemical cycles, and how they respond to our changing world. We are particularly interested in how organisms work together, such as animal-microbial and microbial-microbial symbioses. To this end, we apply a diversity of molecular and geochemical technologies to examine physiological and biochemical processes in natural systems or laboratory simulations. We are also committed to making marine science more inclusive, and to fostering deeper engagement between scientists, social scientists, and artists.

Recent Publications

Baker, I.R., Conley, B.E., Gralnick, J.A. and Girguis, P.R., 2022. Evidence for Horizontal and Vertical Transmission of Mtr-Mediated Extracellular Electron Transfer among the Bacteria. Mbio, 13(1), pp.e02904-21. DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02904-21.

de Oliveira, A.L., A.L., Mitchell, J., Girguis, P. and Bright, M., 2022. Novel insights on obligate symbiont lifestyle and adaptation to chemosynthetic environment as revealed by the giant tubeworm genome. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39(1), p.msab347. DOI:10.1093/molbev/msab347.

Marlow, J.J., Hoer, D., Jungbluth, S.P., Reynard, L.M., Gartman, A., Chavez, M.S., El-Naggar, M.Y., Tuross, N., Orphan, V.J. and Girguis, P.R., 2021. Carbonate-hosted microbial communities are prolific and pervasive methane oxidizers at geologically diverse marine methane seep sites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(25). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006857118.

Picard, A., Gartman, A. and Girguis, P.R., 2021. Interactions Between Iron Sulfide Minerals and Organic Carbon: Implications for Biosignature Preservation and Detection. Astrobiology. DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2276.

Mitchell, J.H., Leonard, J.M., Delaney, J., Girguis, P.R.* and Scott, K.M.*, 2020. Hydrogen Does Not Appear To Be a Major Electron Donor for Symbiosis with the Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Tubeworm Riftia pachyptila. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 86(1). DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01522-19.

Courses Taught

OEB 119 Deep Sea Biology
OEB 191 Physiological and Biochemical Adaptation
FRSH 50V Sea Monsters: Mythology, Fiction, Film and Fact
OEB 364 364 Ecological Physiology of Microbes

Image courtesy of Kristen DeAngelis