Postdoctoral Research Associate

Email: Maria.Hamilton.uga.edu

I am incredibly interested in studying microbial interactions in the context of ocean biogeochemistry. The work that I did for my PhD at UC Santa Cruz primarily focused on algal aspects of marine microbial ecology, and my dissertation was on the ecology and physiology of polar phytoplankton. I examined algal diversity in an Antarctic fjord and performed experiments to assess the transcriptomic response of a polar species of the green alga, Micromonas, to future climate change conditions (i.e. increased CO2 and reduced nutrient availability) and investigate the survivability of these tiny photosynthesizers in the deep sea. I am excited to now approach marine microbial ecology questions from a more bacterial perspective. For my postdoctoral work here in the Moran Lab, I am performing laboratory experiments that will help to characterize metabolite exchange between different types of phytoplankton and bacteria.

I love spending time in and on the sea in both a recreational and research capacity. In my free time, I also enjoy doing outdoorsy things (hiking, biking, bouldering, swimming etc.), as well as reading, craft projects, and cooking food for friends.