Microbial Roles in Regulating Climate

Microorganisms play a significant role in regulating climate through their role in the marine sulfur cycle.  Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is an important intermediate in the sulfur cycle that regulates climate through formation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). We are interested in studying marine microorganisms and their interactions that lead to the production of DMS.

Bacterial-algal interactions are an important source of DMS as the interaction releases the algal-derived dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) which bacteria can metabolize to DMS. Additionally, temperature appears to modulate the interaction of bacteria and algae, thus, an important implication of this research is the effect of the rising ocean’s temperature on bacterial-algal interactions, potentially resulting in a self-regulating mechanism for local marine climate.