Peter R. Girguis
Faculty Support: Jennifer Thomson
We study how marine organisms “make a living” in the ocean, especially in the deep sea and extreme environments. For example, we study the novel biochemical capabilities of marine microbes that live within animals (symbiosis) or live at Earth’s most extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents. We also study how animals have adapted to these extreme environments, and how they respond to our changing world. To this end, we apply a diversity of molecular and geochemical techniques to examine these physiological and biochemical adaptations in natural systems or laboratory simulations. We are also known for developing novel technologies such as microbial fuel cells and underwater sensors that advance our understanding of these organisms. We are also committed to making marine science more inclusive, and work to foster deeper engagement between scientists, social scientists, artists, and policy makers.
Recent Publications
Mitchell, J.H., Freedman, A.H., Delaney, J.A. and Girguis, P.R., 2024. Co-expression analysis reveals distinct alliances around two carbon fixation pathways in hydrothermal vent symbionts. Nature Microbiology, 9(6), pp.1526-1539. doi: 10.1038/s41564-024-01704-y
Hwang, Y., Cornman, A.L., Kellogg, E.H., Ovchinnikov, S. and Girguis, P.R. 2024. Genomic language model predicts protein co-regulation and function. Nature Communications, 15(1), p.2880. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46947-9
Baker, I.R., Matzen, S.L., Schuler, C.J., Toner, B.M. and Girguis, P.R. 2023. Aerobic iron-oxidizing bacteria secrete metabolites that markedly impede abiotic iron oxidation. PNAS nexus, 2(12), pgad421. doi:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad421
Hwang, Y., Roux, S., Coclet, C., Krause, S.J. and Girguis, P.R. 2023. Viruses interact with hosts that span distantly related microbial domains in dense hydrothermal mats. Nature Microbiology, 1-12. doi:10.1038/s41564-023-01347-5
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.
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.
Courses Taught
OEB 119: Deep Sea Biology
OEB 290: Microbial Sciences: Chemistry, Ecology, and Evolution
OEB 191: Physiological and Biochemical Adaptation
FRSHSEMR 50V: Sea Monsters: Mythology, Fiction, Film and Fact
Bio E-118: Deep Sea Biology (Harvard Extension School)
HUMA E-103: Sea Monsters: Mythology, Fiction, Film and Fact (Harvard Extension School)
Image courtesy of Samuel Girguis