Elizabeth Costello

Email: costelle@colorado.edu

Research Statement

My research is driven by basic questions about the biology of bacteria and archaea in natural environments such as soil or sediment. The following questions are of greatest interest to me: (1) how widespread and diverse are novel, uncultured groups and what controls seasonal and spatial distributions, (2) what phenotypes are expressed by novel, ubiquitous, uncultured microorganisms (or consortia of microorganisms), (3) what is the genetic and functional diversity within populations defined by related 16S rDNA sequences in the environment, (4) at what level does selection work to shape genomes in populations undergoing frequent lateral transfer, (5) what unique principles characterize microbial evolution, (6) what is the extent and structure of genomic diversity compared to the extent and structure of functional diversity in microbial communities and, (7) how does geochemistry shape microbial diversity and vice versa?

Currently, I use a combination of molecular, ecological, microscopic, and culturing methods to address questions 1 and 2 regarding novel groups of bacterial 16S rDNA genes found in an alpine tundra wet meadow soil at spring snow melt.

To download the Curriculum Vitae as a .doc file, click here.

Education

University of Colorado Ph.D. candidate, Biology

1999-Present

Cornell University B.S., Biology

1995-1999

Marine Biological Laboratory Microbial Diversity course

2003

Positions

Graduate Research Assistant

University of Colorado

2001-2003

Graduate Teaching Assistant

University of Colorado

1999-2000

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Cornell University

1996-1999

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

Cornell University

1998-1999

Honors and Awards

Marine Biological Laboratory John and Elisabeth Buck Scholarship

2003

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Departmental Grant

2002, 2003

Beverly Sears Graduate Student Research Grant

2002

NSF Predoctoral Fellowship, Honorable Mention

2000

GE Undergraduate Future Researchers Grant

1999

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates

1998

Professional Society

American Society for Microbiology

Abstracts

E. K. Costello and S. K. Schmidt (2003). Alpine Tundra Soil at Spring Snow Melt Harbors Novel and Abundant Groups of Chloroflexi Bacteria. American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C.


S. K. Schmidt, A. P. Martin, C. W. Schadt, D. A. Lipson, A. F. Meyer, E. K. Costello, D. R. Nemergut, D. K. Oline, A. E. West, and J. L. Metcalf (2002). Profound Seasonal Changes in Microbial Diversity and Function in an Alpine Ecosystem. Microbial Observatories/LExEn Principle Investigators’ Workshop. Arlington, VA.

Y. M. Nelson, L. W. Lion, E. K. Costello, P. G. Koster van Groos, M. L. Shuler (1999). Influence of Mineral Formation Mechanisms on the Trace Metal Absorption Properties of Iron and Manganese Oxides. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting. Santa Fe, NM.

Liz at work 

Last Updated: 06/24/03