Protist Ecology

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Most organisms are microbial. This includes protists, the tiny relatives of plants and animals. I use genomic data to rapidly characterize protist biodiversity over space and time, and manipulative experiments to understand what factors underlie this distribution. Though only microscopic, protists have huge impacts on aquatic ecosystems because they influence the flow of nutrients and energy. Additionally, the diverse protists that live in the human gut have profound influences on human health. This research will allow more accurate predictions about the microbial response to environmental challenges and better understanding of the connection between protists in our gut and our health.