The Hayes Lab

Earth is a microbial world in many respects. While people generally associate microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses and fungi) with life-threatening diseases, the bulk of our scientific research indicates that most microbes are benign and potentially even beneficial in the context of human and environmental health. In this research stream, you will take a hands-on approach to exploring the vast microbial diversity that lies hidden in, on and around us.

Students will gain a working knowledge of concepts that are relevant to environmental microbiology from the fields of ecology, evolution, molecular biology and genetics, while honing laboratory skills in classical and molecular microbiology, including isolating, cultivating and characterizing samples using biochemical, genetic, genomic and bioinformatic techniques.

In collaboration with the American Type Culture Collection’s Center for Translational Microbiology, we will also highlight the use of culture collections in the search for new targets of therapeutic chemicals, the design of diagnostic tools based on the human microbiome, the identification of novel enzymes for producing next-generation biofuels, and ways to produce highly valued materials from waste streams and other environmentally sustainable sources. This research stream is directed at students with particular curiosities about biomedicine, ecology, science education, agriculture and engineering, although other disciplinary interests are also appropriate. Science education majors who enroll in this stream will also have the opportunity to develop a teaching curriculum around their research.