Microorganisms produce much of the air we breathe, influence the food we eat and the water we drink, sustain plant and human health, regulate Earth’s climate, and drive the cycling of essential elements. Yet most of the microbial world remains undiscovered.

Microbial Ecology explores the remarkable diversity of microorganisms and the fundamental roles they play in natural, engineered, plant-associated, and human-associated ecosystems. The course connects microbial community structure with ecosystem processes, asking questions such as:

• Which microorganisms are present in an ecosystem, and how are they distributed?
• What ecological functions do they perform?
• How do microbial communities respond to environmental change?
• How can genomic and computational tools reveal the diversity and activity of microbes in nature?

The course provides an in-depth examination of microbial evolution, phylogeny, physiology, metabolism, community ecology, and biogeochemical cycling. Applications extend from plant and human microbiomes to wetlands, soils, food systems, biofuels, bioproducts and environmental bioremediation.