University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Vincent Denef

Vincent Denef

  • Assistant Professor
    Ph.D. Applied Biological Sciences, LabMET, Universiteit Gent, Belgium, 2005
Denef Lab

Contact information

  • University of Michigan
    1141 Kraus Natural Science Building
    830 North University
    Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048
  • Phone: (734) 764-6481
  • Fax: (734) 763-0544
  • Email: vdenef@umich.edu

Microbial Ecology - EEB 446

A greater focus on the microbial component of the biosphere is warranted, since "microbes run the world." If we are to build comprehensive and predictive models for ecosystems important to environmental and human health, we need a better understanding of how microbial communities assemble and operate. This course will cover the ecology of microbes by highlighting their interactions with each other and the environment, and will present the latest insights into their role in ecosystems ranging from thawing permafrost to the human gastrointestinal tract. Ecological and evolutionary concepts and tools used in microbial research, including novel "omics" techniques, will be introduced. The course also aims at uncovering how concepts developed in plant and animal ecology do and do not translate to the microbial world.

Read more in the LSA course guide