Congratulations to JGI research scientist Simon Roux, who is among the Berkeley Lab scientists awarded significant funding for research through the DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program (ECRP). A total of 76 ERCP recipients were selected this year. The scientists are each expected to receive grants of up to $2.5 million over five years to cover salary and research expenses.
Roux studies viral diversity in the environment, and the impacts of virus-host interactions on individual microbial and ecosystem processes. His award is for his work in “Characterizing Virus-Driven Alterations of Microbial Metabolism in Model Soil Ecosystems.” The project will use a combination of experimental approaches and large-scale data analysis to better characterize how viruses infect soil microbes and influence how soil ecosystems function. Specifically, the project will attempt to identify the mechanisms used by soil viruses to take over and reprogram their host cell during infection, evaluate how these infection dynamics change with soil location and condition, and measure how these viral infections eventually alter global element and nutrient cycling. Learn more in the Berkeley Lab news release.
