UW-Madison Dept of Bacteriology
Jo Handelsman
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor
Chair, Department of Bacteriology
6159 Microbial Sciences Building
1550 Linden Drive
(608) 263-8783
joh@bact.wisc.edu
Research Focus
Research in the Handelsman lab focuses on understanding the structure and function of microbial communities. We use three model systems in which to investigate this question. We are examining the interaction of Bacillus cereus with its host plant and the microbial community in which it functions; we are using a new methodology, termed 'metagenomics,' to examine the genomes of uncultured microorganisms in soil communities; and we are using the gypsy moth midgut as a wholly contained ecosystem to model the interaction of a microbial community with its host. We are particularly interested in the rold of antibiotics and signal molecules in community structure and function.