Research Interests: Soil is essential for much of life on earth. Microbes are ubiquitous in this environment – an estimated 108-109 microbial cells occupy one gram of soil with a diversity ranging from a few hundred to thousands of species. Soil microbes participate in carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and soil formation - all critical ecosystem processes, yet are poorly understood. I study these microbes with the hope of understanding how the BcCZO and native soils around the world are affected by their presence.