Department of Biology

Program

Evolution, Ecology & Behavior

Research Areas

• Ecology
• Evolution
• Genomics and Bioinformatics
• Microbial Cell Biology and Environmental Responses
• Microbial Interactions and Pathogenesis

Education

Ph.D., Dartmouth College

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Brown University

Research Description

Microorganisms are the most abundant and diverse life forms on Earth. They attain high population densities, have fast reproductive rates, and evolve rapidly to changes in their environment. Moreover, microbes carry out important functions, including nutrient cycling, trace gas flux, and carbon sequestration, which are important for the stability of natural and managed ecosystems.

We study the ecology and evolution of microbial communities. We are interested in the biotic and abiotic factors that generate and maintain microbial biodiversity. In turn, we seek to understand the implications of microbial diversity for ecosystem functioning. We conduct research in terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and use a variety of tools including molecular biology, simulation modeling, laboratory experiments, field surveys, and whole ecosystem manipulations in natural and managed ecosystems.

Select Publications

Shade A, Peter H, Allison S, Baho D, Berga M, Bürgmann H, Huber D, Langenheder S, Lennon JT, Martiny JBH, Matulich K, Schmidt TM, Handelsman J (2012) Fundamentals of microbial community resistance and resilience. Frontiers in Aquatic Microbiology. 3: 417  [article]

Lau JA, Lennon JT (2012) Rapid responses of soil microorganisms improve plant fitness in novel environments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109: 14058–14062  [article]

Lennon JT, Aanderud ZA, Lehmkuhl BK, Schoolmaster DR (2012) Mapping the niche space of soil microorganisms using taxonomy and traits. Ecology.  [article]

Lennon JT, Aanderud ZA, Lehmkuhl BK, Schoolmaster DR (2012) Mapping the niche space of soil microorganisms using taxonomy and traits. Ecology 93: 1867–1879  [article]

Fierer N, Lennon JT (2011) The generation and maintenance of diversity in microbial communities. American Journal of Botany 98: 439-448  [article]

Lennon JT, Jones SE (2011) Microbial seed banks: ecological and evolutionary implications of dormancy. Nature Reviews Microbiology 9:119-130  [article]

Lau JA, Lennon JT (2011) Evolutionary ecology of plant-microbe interactions: soil microbial structure alters natural selection on plant traits. New Phytologist 192:215-224  [article]

Hall EK , Singer GA, Kainz MJ, Lennon JT (2010) Evidence for temperature acclimation in bacteria: an empirical test of a hypothesized membrane-mediated trade-off. Functional Ecology 24: 898-908  [article]

Jones SE, Lennon JT (2010) Dormancy contributes to the maintenance of microbial diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107: 5881-5886  [article]

Lennon JT, Martiny JBH (2008) Rapid evolution buffers ecosystem impacts of viruses in a microbial food web. Ecology Letters 11:1177-1188  [article]

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