a woman in glasses and a sweater stands in front of orange plants

Epulopiscium spp. are the largest known heterotrophic bacteria. Individual, cigar-shaped cells can reach lengths in excess of 600 µm; large enough to be seen with the naked eye.

man in lab coat working at lab bench

We use genomic and molecular tools to examine microbial diversity in soils. We seek to understand the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that regulate microbial diversity and its impacts on soil processes.

Aisha Burton in red and black dress

We are interested in studying how small proteins regulate bacterial stress responses in E. coli and B. subtilis.

a man in a blue shirt sits in a lab

We study how bacteria build and maintain a healthy cell envelope and resist killing by antibiotics.

a woman in a blue sweater and purple scarf sits behind a desk

The Feaga lab started at Cornell University in October of 2020. We use a variety of approaches (genetics, biochemistry, NGS) to study how bacteria maintain protein synthesis under stress.

kelley in lab

We study regulatory pathways that control spore formation in the antibiotic-producing bacterial genus Streptomyces

a closeup of a smiling man in an orange shirt

There are 3 main foci in my laboratory: biodegradation, biofiltration, and biofilms.

John Helman

Our laboratory studies Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive soil bacterium and genetic model system. We are interested in the global patterns of transcriptional control and the mechanisms of the corresponding regulatory proteins and pathways.

two women stand in front of a table of plants

We study host-microbe interactions at the intersection of evolution, ecology and microbiology.

an Hewson standing in water in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Team Aquatic Virus was formed in 2009 in the Department of Microbiology at Cornell. The lab’s research focus is broadly on aquatic microbiology, with several research themes: aquatic virology, marine diseases, and microbial biogeochemistry as a driver of metazoan ecology.

Lisa-Marie in gray sweather

The Nisbett lab is interested in determining the mechanisms of pathogenesis of clinically significant yet critically understudied bacterial pathogens such as nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).

a man with a beard stands in front of a gray wall

We are generally interested in genomic stability and chromosome evolution, especially how these are impacted by mobile DNA elements.

Marian Schmidt headshot

We study how aquatic environments influence the ecology of bacterial communities and the evolution of bacterial populations, predominantly in estuaries and freshwater lakes.

a man with a blue checkered shirt and gray hair stands in front of a gray wall

Our work is directed to understanding how Agrobacterium tumefaciens perceives its plant hosts.