Bethanie Edwards

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. We 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. Our lab studies a wide range of marine microbes: viruses, bacteria, phytoplankton, and microzooplankton.

Lipidomic analysis is my 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, our lab uses lipidomics to look at biomarkers of community composition, cellular stress, and environmental conditions in marine systems. We are also integrating metabolomics, proteomics, genomics, and transcriptomics into our laboratory experiments and field work.