But in the world of marine
microbial ecology, there are very few model
systems and associated tools that enable scientists to deeply explore the physiology, biochemistry, and
ecology of marine microbes, which drive the ocean's elemental cycles, influence greenhouse gas levels, and support marine food webs.
The ILRS PhD projects use interdisciplinary approaches, combining methods of microbiology, natural product chemistry, chemical
ecology, bioinformatics and
systems biology to decipher complex biological mechanisms underlying
microbial and biomolecular