Title: Investigating viral impact on nitrogen cycling through phage-host interactions in soil microcosms
Department: Biology
Description: Bacteria are an extremely important part of the nitrogen cycle. By converting nitrogen into compounds like nitrate and nitrite, bacteria provide plants and other primary producers with nutrients they need to survive. Meanwhile, viruses that infect bacteria - bacteriophages - are known to alter bacterial metabolism. Thus, it is likely that viruses may affect aspects of the nitrogen cycle that their hosts participate in. However, the direct impact of viruses on the soil nitrogen cycle is completely unknown. Through a series of microcosms simulating virus-host interactions in soils, this project will study the potential effects of bacteriophages on nitrogen cycling. Changes in microcosm nitrate concentrations over time, measured through spectrophotometry, will indicate the putative impact of bacteriophages on the nitrogen cycle through their interactions with their hosts. Ultimately, insight into these interactions could change current understanding of nutrient cycling and soil microbial ecology.
Hometown: Great Falls, Virginia
Advisor: Kurt Williamson
Each William & Mary Honors Fellowships donation supports the whole Charles Center Honors Fellowships Fund. Donations inspired by specific research projects are distributed by the Charles Center in a way that benefits this project and others. To learn more about Honors Fellowships, please visit our website.