Microbes are - by definition - diminutive organisms, yet they play a critical role in our quest to answer some of science’s most fundamental questions: How did biology begin, billions of years ago? Could life exist beyond Earth, in the martian subsurface or the watery realms of the “ocean worlds”? How do microbial communities shape our planet’s fundamental processes, from climate regulation to elemental cycles that establish habitability for the rest of us?
The Marlow Lab, housed in the Biology Department at Boston University, works at the intersection of environmental microbiology and geobiology to contribute to these foundational questions. From active volcanoes to coastal salt marshes and deep-sea methane seeps, we probe the capabilities and biogeochemical roles of extreme microbial life using metabolic activity-based methods and in-place mineralogical analyses. By developing new tools to study the ways in which microbial communities and their environments interact, we seek to enhance our understanding of how biology is structured, building from an energetic context to inter-organism interactions, cell-specific activity profiles, and emergent functions.
To meet current and former lab members, visit our [People] page.
To learn more about the lab’s current research projects and facilities, please see the [Research] page.
Elsewhere on this site, you'll find the [Publications] lab members have contributed to, as well as the [Scientific Expeditions] we’ve participated in.
The Marlow Lab strongly believes in sharing our research findings, exploratory mindset, and rigorous evidence-based mentality with a wide range of societal sectors. Dr. Marlow’s work as a science writer has reached global audiences, and can be found [here]. His public lectures and media appearances can be found [here]. You can also find details about the lab’s role in [Ocean Policy] and details about the [Ad Astra Academy] educational organization, of which Dr. Marlow is founder and executive director.
We are building a diverse team of creative scholars driven to learn more about complex microbial communities through innovative research. If this sounds like you, learn more about how you might [Join the Lab].
Thanks for visiting the Marlow Lab’s website! Have a look around, and get in touch with any comments or questions.
March 16-18, 2023: Signatures of Life in the Universe Scialogs Meeting // Tucson, AZ
March 27-31, 2023: Keck Institute for Space Studies “Targeting Microhabitats for Life Detection” workshop #2 co-convener // Pasadena, CA
November 16, 2022: Geology Seminar, California State University, Fullerton // Online
November 15, 2022: Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Seminar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution // Woods Hole, MA
November 8-10, 2022: NSF Ideas Lab; Emerging Technologies to Advance Underwater Sciences // Airlie, VA
September 19-23, 2022: Keck Institute for Space Studies “Targeting Microhabitats for Life Detection” workshop #1 co-convener // Pasadena, CA
August 15-26, 2022: United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, Part 5 // New York CIty, NY
July 27 - August 18, 2022: Alvin Science Verification Cruise // Puerto Rico Trench, Mid-Cayman Spreading Center
July 22-24, 2022: Ad Astra Academy Puerto Rico // San Juan, PR
July 2-8, 2022: Fagradalsfjall Microbial Observatory Expedition // Reykjanes, Iceland
June 9-12, 2022: Signatures of Life in the Universe Scialogs Meeting // Tucson, AZ
May 24-26, 2022: Department of Energy Environmental Systems Science Meeting // Online
May 18-20, 2022: Tracing Monsoon, Ocean Currents, and Diagenetic Carbon Redistribution workshop // Vienna, Austria
March 28-30, 2022: National Ocean Exploration Forum // Austin, Texas
March 21-25, 2022: International Seabed Authority Council Meeting // Kingston, Jamaica
March 7-11, 2022: United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, Part 4 // New York CIty, NY
September 12-17, 2021: Deep Sea Biology Symposium, Session Convener // Online
June 10-11, 2021: Signatures of Life in the Universe Scialogs Meeting // Online
May - June, 2021: DeepGreen Benthic Campaign Environmental Assessment // Clarion Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean