Our fascination is the multitude of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, protists, and viruses, that live and function together as a community. We explore microbial diversity, evolution, and biogeography to elucidate the ecological roles of microorganisms and microbiomes in support of complex ecosystems or animal hosts. Our research has taken us to the oceans, sandy beaches, and hindguts of termites. And from there, we conduct field work, and use molecular, microscopy, cultivation, and bioinformatics methods to investigate microbial ecology and evolution. Currently, our research is focused on the microbiomes of agricultural soils, and the interactions between protists and zooplankton in coastal marine ecosystems.
Visit our Research page to find out more about current projects and opportunities in the Tai lab.
Interested in graduate or undergraduate research opportunities? Contact Dr. Tai with your CV and university transcript.
