Research summary
Subsurface habitats lie invisible beneath our feet, teeming with highly charged microbial life. Dr. Cassandre Lazar, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Aquatic Genomics, is researching the ecology of subsurface microorganisms.
Lazar and her research team are extracting and sequencing the DNA of microorganisms that live in subterranean rocks and water with a view to establishing correlations between surface and subsurface aquatic microbial communities. Because of their connections with the surface, groundwater aquifers are especially vulnerable to changes in surface conditions (such as rain, snow or contamination). Lazar is examining how underground microbial communities respond to surface fluctuations. This research will help protect aquifers and the essential habitats they represent.