Dr. Alison Buchan

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Major Research Interests

Our research is driven by a desire to understand the roles of microbes in natural environments.  Major objectives include linking microbial taxa to critical ecosystem processes, exploring functional gene diversity and its relation to community structure and biogeochemical processes, and identifying novel enzymes and/or catabolic pathways.

Much of our work focuses on the Roseobacter clade, an abundant, broadly distributed and biogeochemically relevant group of heterotrophic marine bacteria.  Aspects of Roseobacter biology that are of particular interest to us include catabolism of plant-derived compounds, attachment and colonization of surfaces, and geographical distributions.  In addition, we have recently begun to examine viruses that infect this important clade.  Finally, we have initiated a project to explore the role of sensory mechanisms in defining rhizosphere microbial communities in terrestrial systems.

 

Dr. Alison Buchan

Associate Professor
Ph.D., 2001
University of Georgia

M409 Walters Life Sciences Knoxville, Tennessee
37996-0845

Phone: 865-974-5234
Fax: 865-974-4007
abuchan@utk.edu