Global Change Microbiology

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course will examine the fundamental ecophysiological and evolutionary mechanisms that govern how microbes respond to global change across diverse ecosystems. Emphasis will be placed on adaptive and non-adaptive responses across levels of biological organization - from genes and cells to populations and ecosystems - under individual and compounded climate stressors. Lectures will introduce and synthesize advanced concepts in microbial ecophysiology and biogeochemistry, providing the foundation for linking microbial processes to ecosystem-scale feedbacks. Class discussions will center on primary literature that investigates the interplay between climatic factors and microbial community dynamics.