Seminar: Virginia Rich

Microbes and climate change, from the modern arctic to ancient glaciers

Microorganisms both drive and respond to climate change, reshaping ecosystem function under rapid environmental perturbation. Predicting or managing microbiome function requires identifying the governing principles by which microbial communities reorganize across space and time. My lab applies molecular microbial ecology — from amplicon surveys to genome-resolved multi-omics — to interrogate microbe–climate interactions across diverse systems. The multi-lab collaborations I lead integrate diverse disciplines (e.g. microbiology, biogeochemistry, and modeling) to move from longitudinal field observatories to mechanistic insight. I will highlight discovery of a widespread microbial class with a critical ecosystem role, a conditionally abundant novel phylum, and two powerful cryosphere systems for inquiry. Together, this work contributes to a unifying, mechanism-based view of microbiome science and invites connections with research across M&I and affiliated departments.