Research Expertise and Interest

oceanography, chemical oceanography, environmental microbiology, molecular tools for microbial ecology, mass spectrometry, lipidomics, lipid metabolism, marine biogeochemistry, microbial carbon cycling, ocean carbon cycle dynamics

Research Description

By pairing integrated meta-omics with microbial and chemical oceanography, the Edwards lab explores microbial interactions, metabolic processes, and chemical turnover rates in the lab and at sea. They are particularly interested in carbon export, the Biological Pump, and the impact of marine microbes on particle dynamics as particles form in the surface ocean and disaggregate at depth. Their lab studies a wide range of marine microbes: viruses, bacteria, phytoplankton, and microzooplankton.

Lipidomic analysis is Bethanie Edwards' area of expertise, allowing for the quantification of a wide range of lipid species in culture and in seawater. Lipids are most recognized for their structural role within cellular membranes and utility as fuel. However, her lab uses lipidomics to look at biomarkers of community composition, cellular stress, and environmental conditions in marine systems. They also integrate metabolomics, proteomics, genomics, and transcriptomics into laboratory experiments and fieldwork.