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.