Devaki Bhaya's Talk

Mar 20, 2014 - 17:00

Mar 20, 2014 - 18:00

Room 118 Creativity Hall Chemical Engineering

Seminars

Devaki Bhaya Carnegie Institution 260 Panama Street Stanford CA94305

Abstract: Our lab focuses on cyanobacteria which are fascinating from several perspectives. As primary producers they contribute significantly to the fixed carbon budget in terrestrial and marine environments. Thus a broader understanding of their role in biogeochemistry is important particularly as the magnitude and rapidity of global environmental changes become pressing issues. Currently there is a growing interest in cyanobacteria as a source of clean biofuels and specialty products. Although my research interests focus on basic questions ranging from the mechanisms of photoperception to molecular ecology our approaches and results may have utility and relevance to applied fields as well. I will discuss the unexpected diversity we have uncovered in microbial and phage populations in extreme environments and the mechanisms by which this diversity is maintained and evolves over relatively short time scales. Thus the major priority in my research program is the use of genomic molecular and computational tools to probe diversity and adaptations within microbial communities. I would also like to bring in my longstanding interest and understanding of phototaxis into our thinking of how organisms exquisitely sense and move in response to light gradients and qualities. Some of the questions we are poised to answer will be best approached by working with colleagues with complementary interests and new technologies. This strategy coupled with our recent ability to grow and manipulate some of these organisms should allow us to build a strong framework that provides a mechanistic understanding of interacting communities in the environment. Finally we are interested in using our understanding of pathways e.g. nitrogen fixation to repurpose them for particular usesBiography: https://dpb.carnegiescience.edu/labs/bhaya-lab