Oxygen-starved areas of the ocean, known as Oxygen Deficient Zones (ODZs), are predicted to expand as a result of rising global temperatures. ODZs support diverse microbial communities that play an essential role in essential role in facilitating complex elemental cycling with the surrounding ocean. In some portions of ODZs a pronounced secondary chlorophyll maximum exists, where the euphotic zone extends into oxygen-depleted waters. These secondary chlorophyll maxima are dominated by the picocyanobacterium Prochlorococcus, the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic organisms on Earth that, as a group, are major contributors to global primary production. My research aims to understand the ecological function and role of ODZ Prochlorococcus and their interactions with the surrounding microbial community. I use an integrative approach, from cultivation to environmental “omics,” to link gene expression, pathways, and chemical features—providing an in-depth overview of the metabolic capabilities and interactions of these major microbial groups within ODZs.
Education:
PhD Student, University of Washington School of Oceanography, 2018-Present
B.S. Biochemistry and Oceanography, University of Washington, 2017
Awards:
Hall Conservation Genetics Research Fund, UW College of the Environment, 2020
ARCS Foundation Fellowship, Seattle Chapter, 2018
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2018
Mary Gates Research Scholarship, University of Washington, 2017
Publications:
Heal, K. R., Kellogg, N. A., Carlson, L. T., Lionheart, R. M. & Ingalls, A. E. Metabolic consequences of cobalamin scarcity in the diatom thalassiosira pseudonana as revealed through metabolomics. Protist 170, 328–348 (2019).