Aquatic Microbial Ecology Research Lab

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AQUATIC MICROBIAL ECOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP

Steven W. Wilhelm - Professor OF Microbiology

Office: 865-974-0665 Labs: 865-974-0682 or 865-974-4014

OCEANOGRAPHY - LIMNOLOGY - MICROBIAL ECOLOGY

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Quantifying the impact of marine and freshwater viruses on aquatic food webs SCOR WG 126
Developing diagnostic biosensors for the bioavailability of Fe in aquatic systems
Characterizing microbial community dynamics in the Lake Erie Dead Zone The MELEE project
Resolving the ecology of the Aureococcus anophagefferens virus / host system using metaproteomics
Resolving the interactions between cyanophages and toxic cyanobacteria in aquatic systems
Developing real time quantitative molecular tools for the study of toxic cyanobacterial ecology
Proteomic approaches to understanding the causes of Microcystis blooms

MERHAB-LGL AND The Lake Taihu project

Research Team

See their smiling faces on the lab's picture board

Dr. Gary LeCleir, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate
Star Loar, M.Sc., Research Associate
Matthew Saxton, B.Sc., Doctoral Candidate (Microbiology)
Audrey Matteson, M.Sc., Doctoral Candidate (Microbiology)
Emily Rogers, M.Sc., Doctoral Candidate (Fisheries & Wildlife Science)
Larissa Caudill, B.Sc., Master's Candidate (Microbiology)

Kellina Morris, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Sarah Farnsley, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Tommie Jo Kinney, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Juhee Shah, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Miriam Kramer, Undergraduate Journalism Intern
Cara Turski, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Tanaysha Mapp, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Winter Assessment of Microbial and Biological Activity - Lake Erie - Feb 2007

Net tow samples collected from iced-over (left) and ice-free (right) areas in Lake Erie in February 2007.

Scientists and crew work to clear a spot in the ice to sample - Lake Erie Feb 2007

Sunset over a very cold Lake Erie

LOST AT SEA - video compilations from recent research cruises

FeCycle II: September - October 2008 on the RV Tangaroa

Other videos from research cruises are archived here

Big News on Small Things - Happenings in the Aquatic Microbial Ecology Research Group

In the summer of 2008, science journalist Joel Smithson will be working with the Aquatic Microbial Ecology Research Group to document the progress and experiences of student and staff researchers.

Issue #1 - Solving a microbial mystery

Issue #2 - Ironing out global warming

Issue #3 - Into the wild blue yonder

Issue #4 - Sandusky Bay cyanobacteria

NEWS

Exploring the sea in Tennessee

Click to see the recent article in Higher Ground on Oceanographers at the University of Tennessee

___

August 2009. Work in the Wilhelm lab was recently featured on the MoBio web site, a company that makes molecular biology kits.

August 2009. Science journalism intern Miriam Kramer recently completed the newsletter for the Department of Microbiology.

September 2009. Our winter research with collaborators in New York and Ohio is featured in the Twineline.

Affiliations

Recent Publications

Higgins JL, I Kudo, J Nishioka, A Tsuda, and SW Wilhelm. 2009. The response of the virus community to a mesoscale iron fertilization in the sub-Arctic Pacific Ocean. Deep Sea Research pt II. (accepted).
Ong HC, SW Wilhelm, CJ Gobler, GS Bullerjahn, MA Jacobs, G Rocap, RA Cattolico. 2009. Profiling the culprits of destructive brown tides: analyses of the complete chloroplast genome sequences of Aureococcus anophagefferens CCMP1984 and Aureoumbra lagunensis CCMP1507. Journal of Phycology (accepted).
Leblanc, K., Hare, C. E., Feng, Y., Berg, G. M., DiTullio, G. R., Neeley, A., Benner, I., Sprengel, C., Beck, A., Sanudo-Wilhelmy, S. A., Passow, U., Klinck, K., Rowe, J. M., Wilhelm, S. W., Brown, C. W., and Hutchins, D. A. 2009. Distribution of calcifying and silicifying phytoplankton in relation to environmental and biogeochemical parameters during the late stages of the 2005 North East Atlantic Spring Bloom, Biogeosciences 6, 2155-2179.
Cusick KD, GL Boyer, SW Wilhelm, GS Sayler. 2009. Transcriptional profiling of Saccharomyces cerevisiae upon exposure to saxitoxin. Environmental Science and Technology 43:6039-6045.
Allender CJ, GR LeCleir, JM Rinta-Kanto, RL Small, MF Satchwell, GR Boyer, SW Wilhelm. 2009. Identifying the source of unknown microcystin genes and predicting microcystin variants by comparing genes within uncultured cyanobacterial cells. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75:3598 - 3604 doi:10.1128/AEM.02448-08
Sharma AK, K Sommerfeld, GS Bullerjahn, AR Matteson, SW Wilhelm, J Jezbera, U Brandt, W F Doolittle, MW Hahn. 2009. Actinorhodopsin genes discovered diverse in freshwater habitats and among cultivated Actinobacteria. The ISME Journal 3: 726-737. Doi:10.1038/ismej.2009.13
Rinta-Kanto JM, EA Konopko, JM DeBruyn,RA Bourbonniere, GL Boyer, and SW Wilhelm. 2009. Lake Erie Microcystis: relationship between microcystin production, dynamics of genotypes and environmental parameters in a large lake. Harmful Algae. 8: 665-673. doi:10.1016/j.hal.2008.12.004
DeBruyn JM, TJ Mead, SW Wilhelm, GS Sayler. 2009. PAH biodegradative genotypes in Lake Erie sediments: Evidence for broad geographical distribution of pyrene-degrading Mycobacteria. Environmental Science and Technology 43:3467-3473 doi:10.1021/es803348g
Rinta-Kanto JM, MA Saxton, JM DeBruyn, JL Smith, CH Marvin, KA Krieger, GS Sayler, GL Boyer, SW Wilhelm. 2009. The diversity and distribution of toxigenic Microcystis spp. in present day and archived pelagic and sediment samples from Lake Erie. Harmful Algae 8: 385–394.

Short SM, F Chen, SW Wilhelm. 2009. The construction and analysis of marker gene libraries for virus in aquatic systems. Manual for aquatic virus ecology. In Manual for aquatic virus ecology. American Society for Limnology (accepted).
Weinbauer MG, JM Rowe and SW Wilhelm. 2009. MAVE: Determining rates of virus production in aquatic systems by the viral reduction approach. In Manual for aquatic virus ecology. American Society for Limnology (accepted).
Feng Y, CE Hare, K Leblanc, JM Rose, Y Zhang, GR DiTullio, P Lee, SW Wilhelm, JM Rowe, J Sun, N Nemcek, C Gueguen, U Passow, I Benner, C Brown, DA. Hutchins. 2009. The Effects of Increased pCO2 and Temperature on the North Atlantic Spring Bloom: I. The Phytoplankton Community and Biogeochemical Response. Marine Ecology Progress Series 388: 13-25 doi: 10.3354/meps08133
Lee PA, JR Rudisill, AR Neeley, DA Hutchins, Y Feng, CE Hare, K Leblanc, JM Rose, SW Wilhelm, JM Rowe, GR DiTullio. 2009. Effects of increased pCO2 and temperature on the North Atlantic Spring Bloom. III. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate. Marine Ecology Progress Series 388:41-49 doi: 10.3354/meps08135

Link to all publications (including PDFs or Abstracts)

Web of Science Research Index

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN...

Star Loar Seasonal Variation in Lake Erie Picoplankton (M.Sc. 2009)
Janet Rowe Ecological aspects of viruses in marine systems (Ph.D. 2008)
Johanna Rinta-Kanto Biogeography and genetic diversity of toxin producing cyanobacteria in a Laurentian Great Lake (PhD. 2006)
Leo Poorvin The role of viruses in Fe cycling in the World's oceans (Ph.D. 2005)
Julie L. Higgins Virus dynamics in high nutrient - low chlorophyll marine surface waters (M.Sc. 2005)
Cécile E. Mioni Using a bioluminescent bacterial bioreporter to assess iron bioavailability in the ocean (Ph.D. 2004)
Melanie Eldridge The effects of Fe on plankton in HNLC regions of the world's oceans (Ph.D. 2004)
Amanda L. Dean The dynamics, distribution, and activity of viruses in Lake Erie (M.Sc. 2004)
Shannon Pedigo-Eftland The effects of iron on growth and physiology of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (M.Sc. 2004)
Johanna Rinta-Kanto The effects of viral size class enrichments on microbial communities in marine systems (M.Sc. 2001)

Former postdoctoral researchers

Dr Anthony Ouellette, currently at Jacksonville University
Dr Renhui Li, currently at the Institute of Hydrology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

since Oct 2004	send comments
*updated 11/11/2009*