Research Bio
Nearly every environment on earth is home to an invisible community of bacteria and other microbes. The diverse microbial communities that inhabit soil, oceans, and the human gut influence their environment by driving global carbon cycling and impacting human health. Therefore, understanding how microbes coexist in communities will be critical for harnessing their potential to improve human and environmental health.
The Taga lab developed the corrinoid model to investigate how interactions among individual microbes structure communities. Corrinoids—the vitamin B12 family of cofactors—are one of many types of nutrient produced by a subset of the microbes that use them. The Taga lab uses a combination of genetic, biochemical, and bioinformatic approaches to discover how the interactions between corrinoid-producing and -requiring microbes evolve and shape community structure.
Research Expertise and Interest
molecular biology, genetics, microbial biology, chemical biology, cofactors, nutrient exchange, microbial communities, bacteria
Teaching
Special Topics in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 190]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) [PLANTBI 199S]
Research Review in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 292]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Individual Study for Graduate Students [PLANTBI 602]
Honors Research - Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI H196]
Supervised Research: Biological Sciences [UGIS 192C]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [INTEGBI 199]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Microbial Genetics [PLANTBI 220A]
Microbial Genetics [PLANTBI 220A]
Research Review in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 292]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Individual Study for Graduate Students [PLANTBI 602]
Honors Research - Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI H196]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Microbial Genomics and Genetics [MCELLBI C148]
Special Topics in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 190]
Directed Group Studies in Plant Biology [PLANTBI 198]
Directed Group Studies in Plant Biology [PLANTBI 198]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Research Review in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 292]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Individual Study for Graduate Students [PLANTBI 602]
Microbial Genomics and Genetics [PLANTBI C148]
Honors Research - Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI H196]