Research
Microbial ecosystem services in a changing Arctic
I'm an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Arctic Marine Microbial Ecosystem Services at the University of Manitoba, where I lead the Cryomics Lab.
We study how bacteria, archaea, algae, protists, fungi, and viruses live, evolve, and function in ice and ice-associated environments — and the roles they play in supporting the health of northern people and communities. Combining field work, long-read DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics, the lab has collected and sequenced more than 2,000 environmental DNA samples across Arctic and freshwater systems. We use them to find oil-degrading microbes in sea ice, track the evolution of cold adaptation, detect harmful algal blooms and sewage in Lake Winnipeg, and survey microbial life in Hudson Bay, James Bay, and Foxe Basin — much of it through community-based monitoring built with Inuit, First Nations, and Métis partners.