Microbes are key mediators of the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and metals in the ocean.
Phytoplankton are the key primary producers in the ocean.
Yet these ubiquitous ocean inhabitants remain poorly understood, in part because many of them cannot be isolated and studied using traditional cultivation techniques. Furthermore, the behavior of those that can be cultivated cannot always be predicted from laboratory studies. In situ analyses are a prerequisite for understanding oceanic microbial populations. Our goal is to be able to rapidly identify, quantify, and functionally characterize the dominant microbial groups in marine planktonic ecosystems. To attain this goal, we are currently developing new tools, assays, and methods for the identification, quantization, and characterization of marine plankton.