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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: October 4, 2012
Dr. Joshua Weitz (Associate Professor, School of Biology) has been awarded a grant from the Program in Biological Oceanography on "Understanding the Effects of Complex Phage-Bacteria Infection Networks on Ocean Ecosystems". The award provides over $470,000 over 4 years to study the interaction between viruses and bacteria in ocean ecosystems.
Bacteria and their viruses (phages) make up two of the most abundant and genetically diverse groups of organisms in the oceans. The extent of this diversity has become increasingly apparent with the advent of environmental sequencing. However, the ongoing discovery of new taxonomic diversity has, thus far, out-paced gains in quantifying the function of and interactions among phages and bacteria. In this proposal, Weitz will develop a theoretical framework for characterizing the effect of complex phage-bacteria interactions on microbial ecosystem structure and function.
As part of this grant, Weitz will also help train quantitative biologists interested in microbial systems. The training will include the development of a new course, opportunities for undergraduate research, and opportunities for hands-on laboratory experience for modelers in collaboration with the viral ecology laboratories of Matt Sullivan (U of Arizona) and Steven Wilhelm (UT-Knoxville).
