My trainees and I are basically microbial journalists working in the following areas:
Microbial Physiology: How do microbes make a living? How do they harvest resources and energy from their surroundings to grow? If they have different strategies for getting resources/energy, how do they decide which one to use and when?
Microbial Ecology: Who is where at what time? What are they doing? How do microbes affect the environment?
Applied Microbiology: Can we use microbes to solve problems by making useful products in different ways?
We use a suite of techniques ranging from classical microbial cultivation (think mad scientist laboratory with a...unique...smell) to cutting edge 'omics technologies (e.g. machines that go "bing" -Monty Python) to answer these questions. Ultimately, I hope the work my trainees and I do helps us understand the world a bit better and perhaps leaves it in better shape than it is today.
I've been fortunate to be supported by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and the Keck Foundation. Have a look around the site to learn more about us and our work.
e-mail: tehanson@udel.edu
Phone: (302) 831-3404
