I’m a microbial ecologist interested in the contribution of microbiomes and viral communities to biogeochemical cycles. I’ve worked in both marine and soil environments and studied a variety of pathways with which microbes and viruses affect their habitat, such as extracellular proteases, light harvesting mechanisms and oil degradation. I believe that soil viruses can have a tremendous effect on carbon sequestration by releasing microbial organic matter that binds to minerals.