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Microbiology and the Environment

U.S. Geological Survey microbiology efforts span the disciplines and cover many broad research areas, including fish and wildlife health and disease, climate change, microbial ecology, public health and water quality, geomicrobiology, and ecosystem function. More about USGS Microbiology

Microbiology

Research Activities for Resource Management

Microbiology research is supported across USGS Science Disciplines Biology, Geography, Geology, and Water.*
Montastraea cavernosa with yellow blotch/band disease. Photo credit: USGSFish and Wildlife Disease
Researchers bring understanding to how diseases interact with their fish and wildlife hosts.
WBC-2 microbial consortium. Photo credit: Geosyntec ConsultantsBioremediation
Scientists discover how microbes can clean up contamination in the environment.
   
Earth. Photo credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)Climate Change
Microbes and their impact on the Earth's climate are studied to discover the role microbes play in climate change.
Coal boring rig at dusk in Texas. Photo credit: USGSEnergy
From supplying energy to impacting human health, scientists study the microbes that play a role in the Nation's energy resources.
   
Pacific Northwestern forest. Photo credit: USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterEcosystem Function
The latest tools and techniques are used to understand the role of microbes in shaping the environment.
Phospholipid fatty acids and soil health map. Image credit: J. Holloway, USGSGeographic Patterns
Scientists provide insight on the distribution of microbes that impact public health and ecosystem function.
   
Open water in post-Katrina marsh, Louisiana. Photo credit: J. Holloway, USGSGeomicrobiology
Researchers investigate how microbes interact with the nonliving parts of Earth such as soils, sediment, and atmosphere.
Human liver tissue. Photo credit: USGSHuman Health
Using microbes, scientists study environmental agents that can impact human health.
   
The colorful landscape and incredible diversity of a deep-sea reef in the Aleutian Islands. Photo credit: Alberto Lindner, NOAA FisheriesMicrobial Ecology
Scientists use the latest techniques to understand the living community of microbes in the environment.
Anabaena planktonica. Arrow points to the heterocyst, the site of atmospheric nitrogen fixation. Photo credit: Barry H. Rosen, USGS Water Quality
Chemicals, algal blooms, and pathogens are measured and monitored to assist beach health and other water quality programs.
- All samples of USGS microbiology research activities

*Research summaries are contributed by USGS scientists and information specialists from across USGS disciplines. For the goals of this Web site, see "Feedback about the Web site" under Contact Us.

 

Featured Topics

Arsenic, Evolution, and Extraterrestrial Life

Mars. Photo credit: NASA's hubble space telescopeWhat might extra-terrestrial life look like? and given a lack of water and oxygen, what might it use to survive?

Arsenic-eating bacteria on Earth may hold the answers to these questions. USGS scientists, with the support of NASA, have discovered that these microbes existed on Earth much earlier than expected, when Earth was more similar to the water and oxygen deprived conditions of other planets.

Read about the discovery: Arsenic-eating bacteria rewrite evolutionary history

Read the latest scientific article:

Oremland, Ronald S., Saltikov, Chad W., Wolfe-Simon, Felisa and Stolz, John F. 2009. Arsenic in the Evolution of Earth and Extraterrestrial Ecosystems. Geomicrobiology Journal, 26:7, 522 — 536. DOI: 10.1080/01490450903102525 (online abstract and full text)


Scientists and Science Centers

New Staff: Felisa Wolfe-Simon has joined Ronald S. Oremland's team at the Menlo Park Regional Office, California Water Science Center. See a sample of her research: Searching for Alien Life on Earth

USGS Columbia Environmental Research CenterUSGS microbiology capabilities develop at science centers where scientists use the latest methods and equipment to provide services for partners and customers.


Image Gallery

Gloeotrichia with Sytox Green. Photo credit: Barry H. Rosen, USGSCyanobacteria, human cells, other microbes, and more: images captured by USGS personnel related to their microbiology research.

- More images


Contact Information

USGS Microbiology Coordinator
Kay M. Briggs

Phone: 703-648-4046

Scientists may be contacted through the Microbiology Scientists page or by the USGS Employee Directory.

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Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 04-Nov-2009 07:36:19 MST