Our Team

ferran@asu.edu

Ferran Garcia-Pichel joined the faculty of Arizona State University in 2002. He and his collaborators study the roles, adaptations, and impacts of microbes in natural environments from desert soils to shallow marine waters. Microbes play roles of ecological importance, including the formation and destruction of minerals, the prevention of soil erosion, or biogeochemical cycling of nutrients. His current foci (microbial adaptations) involve studying mechanisms carbonate dissolution, production of sunscreen compounds, and the microbial ability to produce hydrogen from water. Applied research includes developing strategies for the sustainable recovery of degraded arid lands and searching for novel microbial capacities and products for use in biomedicine and technology.

ttcao1@asu.edu

Thuong’s research examines aeolian microbes in atmospheric water (clouds and fog). Aeolian microbes can inhabit existing water droplets, or by acting as nucleation sites for water droplet formation, creating their own habitat. One question she is considering is the the aeolian microbe’s source of food, which includes formaldehyde that can be produced abiotically in the atmosphere. Her work examines formaldehyde biodegradation pathways and carbon utilization rates.  Thuong’s work is helping to better characterize microbial community compositions in the air and aqueous phases. Before joining the lab, Thuong received her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

fwarsopt@asu.edu

Fin joined the lab in the fall of 2021. Her research examines microbial interactions in biological soil crusts. Biocrusts are dominated by cyanobacteria, some of which form resource-trading mutualisms with other soil bacteria; she aims to characterize these symbioses and uncover their impacts. Fin received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in French language from the University of Manchester, England. Her undergraduate thesis project applied chemical paleontology to learn about Neanderthal diet. She also spent a year at INRA in Toulouse, France, studying the experimental evolution of rhizobial bacteria.

amhered3@asu.edu

Ana joined the lab in the fall 2021. At ASU’s Center for Bio-mediated & Bio-inspired Geotechnics she is looking at biological soil crust agrivoltaics – growing crops or other plants underneath solar panels. In addition to generating electricity, the panels provide some shade, which many desert plants need to become established. Ana is also looking at urea addition as a nitrogen source for soil crust cyanobacteria, which are not able to fix nitrogen. Before joining the lab, Ana received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and microbiology at the University del Valle in Guatemala

bscott40@asu.edu
https://news.asu.edu/20231121-solutions-secret-web-life-our-soil

Brian joined the lab from the University of Maryland, where he studied wetland microbiology, biogeochemistry and mitigation practices. He is interested the microbial edaphology of ecosystem restoration. Most restoration efforts focus on vegetation, or sometimes fauna. Dr. Scott wants to improve restoration efforts by understanding how microbes in soil support a healthy ecosystem: restoration from the ground up. His current project at ASU will restore biocrusts on fallow farmland to evaluate the effect on dust pollution. In a former life, he was a professional Environmental Engineer in Arizona and Texas.

acairoba@asu.edu 

www.linkedin.com/in/ariadna-cairo

skoger@asu.edu

Sarah Koger joined the lab in Fall 2023 after working as a research assistant at Moulay Ismail University in Morocco. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Brigham Young University and is from Springville, Utah.

mlsanc10@asu.edu

Mary joined the lab in Fall 2024 after working as a researcher at the Great Salt Lake Institute and the University of Utah. She’s interested in studying microbial communities in extreme environments and how they respond to environmental changes. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah studying Finance and Pre-Professional Health.

captaincy10720@gmail.com

Jonathan joined the lab in Fall 2024. His background is in ecosystem ecology and nitrogen cycling. His project focuses on effects of different pulse durations on microbes’ ability to produce nitrogen and phosphorus.

pkut1@asu.edu