OCEAN VIRAL ECOLOGY
Viral community omics, viruses and the biological pump, phage-host model systems, microscopy techniques
We study microbes and their viruses across organizational scales (individuals, populations, communities) and the impact of their interaction on microbial ecosystem functions. This work is rooted in the analysis of large-scale viral and microbial omics datasets, model phage-host system development, and state-of-the-art laboratory and field-based study.
While we currently focus our efforts on viral ecology, for most of the last 3 years we have been investigating the distribution, concentration, and environmental health impact of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Today, we are wrapping up this primary initiative by exploring the microbial communities living on this plastic.
Our current research addresses three major themes:
Viral community omics, viruses and the biological pump, phage-host model systems, microscopy techniques
Viral community omics in the Great Lakes; freshwater reservoirs of antibiotic resistance
Community structure and genomics of plastic biofilms in freshwater and oceans
Read more about the 2017 Antarctic Circumpolar Expedition (ACE) and the Duhaime Lab's involvement.