Environmental Microbiomes
Researchers across three different Penn State Colleges are exploring microbiomes in soils, biocrusts, coral reefs, and geological settings, in both natural and man-made environments. Our research also asks questions about how environmental microbiomes respond to changes in climate or ecology, and how these changes may be leveraged to improve key problems today in climate change, deforestation, and fire.
Check out the Phytobiomes Initiative at Penn State to learn more about our research focused on examining the diverse microbial systems of plants.
Faculty Working in Environmental Microbiomes
Veronica Roman-Reyna
Assistant Professor of Global Change Pathology
I work on understanding how plant-associated microbes change in agricultural systems.
Mary Ann Smith
Biology Lecturer (Schuylkill)
The isolation of microorganisms with the potential for antibiotic production within soil and sourdough systems