Benthic cyanobacteria are understudied in comparison to their planktonic counterparts. Consequently, our understanding of cyanotoxin production in ben…

DNA methylation can epigenetically alter gene expression and serve as a mechanism for genomic stabilization. Advancements in long-read sequencing technology have allowed for increased exploration into...

Planktothrix rubescens is distinct from other cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (cHAB) genera: the crimson-red cHAB thrives in the cold, low-light, nutrient-limited metalimnion. Studies have attribut...

Picocyanobacteria, especially members of the Synechococcus collective (1), contribute to primary productivity, food webs, and biogeochemical cycles of fresh and marine waters worldwide (2). The Synech...

Viruses are an understudied component of plant microbiomes. Identifying viruses that are shared between individual plants, or members of the “core virome”, could reveal stable viral populations with t...

Harmful algal blooms dominated by Microcystis spp. occur throughout the world’s freshwater ecosystems, leading to detrimental effects on ecosystem services that are well documented. After decades of r...

Sargasso Sea plankton and other marine microbes take turns sharing nutrients. A new study co-authored by Steven Wilhelm, Kenneth and Blaire Mossman Professor in microbiology; Joshua Weitz, mathematical modeling professor at the University of Maryland; and team found that microbes in the Sargasso Sea divide nutrients throughout their communities over time, supporting coexistence and efficient […]

As winter turned to spring, ice cover on the lake diminished to reveal colorful billows of sediment and phytoplankton.

The daily cycle of photosynthetic primary production at the base of marine food webs is often limited by the availability of scarce nutrients. Micr...