Improving Fungal Identification with ITS1
A current project to improve the taxonomic identification of ITS1 DNA sequences by improving alignment and establishing hierarchical thresholds.
Assessment of Microbes for Improving Wild Rice Restoration
As part of as large project identifying microbes and fungi involved in the health and life cycle of wild rice (Zizania palustris), I am focusing on wetland biogeochemical cycles using high throughput sequencing.
Psychrophilic and Extremely Acidophilic Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria and Acidic Mine Drainage
Collaboration with University of Alaska to identify microbes isolated in Acid Mine Drainage treatment
Source Sink Modeling of Raw Sewage Microbial Communities
Raw sewage samples are often used as stand-ins for human stool signal in environmental source tracking studies. I'm using SourceTracker to determine the relative contribution of human and other animal feces to the signal.
Insect Forest Pest and Unrecorded Species Identification through Bat Guano
Mitochondrial markers can be used as DNA barcodes to identify the macerated remains of insects to the species level. In this study, we used eDNA recovered from guano to update insect species occurrence in Minnesota.
Who's Who in the Insectivorous Bat Gut Microbiome
Bat guano is a rich source of ecological data for bat biologists alike. In this study, we profiled the gut microbiomes of three species of bats on an individual level to uncover function and taxonomy in an unusual physiological system.
