Biological Sciences Seminar Series

Friday, October 18, 2019 from 3:30pm - 4:30pm in CPSB Rm 120

Dr. Joel E. Kostka presents The Sphagnum Phytobiome: A Team of Ecosystem Engineers in Resource Limited Peatlands

Peatlands store approximately one-third of all global soil carbon and are climatically sensitive. This talk focuses on the microbiome of peat moss plants, Sphagnum spp., which often dominate primary production in northern peatlands. Sphagnum phytobiomes (microbiome + plant host + surrounding environment) are ecosystem engineers that play a major role in the carbon and nitrogen cycles of climatically sensitive northern ecosystems. Our ongoing research employs cutting-edge approaches (metatranscriptomics, Chip-SIP) to investigate the metabolically active microbial populations that mediate nitrogen fixation and methanotrophy. While nitrogen-fixing microbiome members are dominated by cyanobacteria of the Nostocales, multiple lines of evidence indicate that members of the Rhizobiales play a key role in coupling nitrogen fixation to methanotrophy and biogeochemical field data show that N fixation comprises a major N source for nutrient-poor peatlands.

Joel E. Kostka is Professor and Associate Chair for Research in the Schools of Biological Sciences and Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology. B.S. in Biology(1985), Western Illinois University; M.S. in Marine Biology(1988), College of Charleston; Ph.D. in Marine Science(1993), University of Delaware. He was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin(1994-1995) and a visiting scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany(1995-1996). His research group specializes in characterizing the role of microorganisms in ecosystem functioning, especially in the context of bioremediation and climate change. Currently, Dr. Kostka serves as a Distinguished Lecturer for the American Society for Microbiology as well as Chair Elect for the Gordon Research Conference in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. He is a member of the American Academy of Microbiology.