Arpita Bose's lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using an interdisciplinary approach. She seeks to generate new ways of addressing issues such as the energy crisis, pollution, biofouling, and sustainability.
"First things first — this is a microbial world"
This statement is absolutely correct in so many ways. The fact that our bodies have way more microbial cells than human cells might hit home the most. Microbes existed way before our ancestors appeared on this planet. They can perform many interesting microbial metabolisms.
These microbial capabilities might appear strange and exotic to us mostly because we think of our planet as being the same as it is now. But our planet is always evolving; it has seen things that we can't imagine. Our planet's oldest friends are microbes and they have co-evolved. On today's Earth we see sneak peeks of this ancient and ongoing friendship in places that resemble its older forms such as in Yellowstone National Park (see left Mammoth Hot Springs with thick microbial mats, Summer 2014). Using geochemical & molecular tools along with -omic information we are starting to predict how microbes are shaping our planet today, and also shedding light on what they might have been doing in the past.
Why is it important to acquire this knowledge? Microbes drive the engines that move important elements around the Earth. Thus, understanding how microbes continue to shape this planet helps us prepare for changes that are similar to the ones that the Earth has already experienced. Also, microbial capabilities discovered and understood along the way will provide new ideas to address issues such as the energy crisis, pollution, biofouling, and sustainability.