Schmidt Lab

My laboratory group has been investigating the structure, function and dynamics of microbial communities in natural exosystems for over 20 years, most recently focusing on microbial communities in the human GI tract. We helped pioneer the methods for culture-independent metagenomic analyses and continue to refine and apply these methods to track mirobial populations in nature. In 2015, I initiated the Michigan Microbiome project with the goal of elucidating principles underlying the structure, function, and dynamics of the human microbiome. The ultimate goal of this project is to manage microbiomes to benefit human health. My laboratory has also developed and applied methods for cultivation of bacteria under alternative atmospheres, including low oxygen environments found in the gut mucosa.