Welcome to the Hug Research Group

Our group is focused on the diversity and function of microbial communities in contaminated sites. We study these environments, asking questions: how do organisms adapt to the harsh conditions at contaminated sites? How and when did the ability to degrade a man-made product evolve? Can we use that ability for remediation? In what ways are microbial communities more than the sum of their parts, and how do these microbial interactions drive global cycles? We strive to answer these questions using a mixture of total community approaches (metagenomics and other ‘omics), bioinformatics, and wet-lab microbiology techniques.

We are always happy to hear from talented, self-motivated students with solid communication skills and an interest in environmental microbiology. If you are interested in joining our group, please read the Department of Biology graduate program information, check out our Lab Expectations document to see if our group is a good fit, and then contact Dr. Hug.