Tuesday, April 20 2021, 11:10am Online via Zoom Special Information: Please contact Nancy Perkins at nancydh@uga.edu for Zoom link and passcode Type of Event: Department Seminars Dr. He (Andrew) Fu Department of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Abstract: Since the inception of life on Earth ~3.8 billion years ago, microorganisms have shaped and defined Earth’s biosphere and have created conditions that allowed the existence of all higher trophic life forms, including human societies. The microbial ‘unseen majority’ drives nearly all biogeochemical cycles. However, given their immense diversity, complex interactions and varied responses to environmental changes, we still have a limited understanding on how microorganisms affect climate change (including the production and consumption of climate-active molecules) and how they in turn will be affected. In this talk, I will focus on two research topics in the context of global carbon and sulfur cycles. The first study elucidates the molecular mechanisms of how methanogenic Archaea metabolize methylated sulfur compounds. The second study concentrates on marine bacterial communities that associate with marine phytoplankton cells. These projects demonstrate the power of integrating physiological and ecological approaches to understand microorganism–climate connections, which are essential for achieving an environmentally sustainable future.
