Upcoming events
If you are a highly motivated prospective grad student or postdoc candidate, please contact Roland by email. Prospective graduate students interested in microbiology, astrobiology, ecology, molecular biology, and biochemistry are encouraged to apply to both the Chem-Biochem and Molecular Biosciences Program.
Recent events
Hatzenpichler Environmental Microbiology Lab
99% of microbes cannot be grown in the lab. We seek to understand what this "uncultured majority" is doing and how its activity shapes Earth's biogeochemical cycles and life on our planet.
Nov 16-29, Research cruise with R/V Atlantis and HOV Alvin
Read about our deep-sea research
Video: Alvin retrieves samples during dive 4999, AT42-05
Nov 5, our proposal Ecophysiology of uncultured archaea in geothermal features of Yellowstone
National Park is selected for funding by the NASA Exobiology program. Read the abstract
Nov 1, Roland joins the Editorial Board of The ISME Journal
Oct 31, Synthetic Biology Program proposal Optimization of Methylamine Conversion to Methane
via Synthetic Biology accepted by the JGI. We are excited to work with PI Tim McDermott and Co-PIs
Brian Bothner and Hans-Peter Grossart on this project!
Oct 28-31, Roland at NSF workshop Microbial Systematics for the Next Decade. Hood River, OR
Oct 21, General Cycle User proposal Tracking substrate uptake and mRNA expression of aerobic
methane-producing bacteria in pelagic waters of Yellowstone Lake accepted by EMSL.
We are looking forward to continue working with PI Tim McDermott on this exciting project!
Oct 1, Dr. Zackary Jay joins the lab as research scientist in bioinformatics. Welcome Zack!
Sep 26, new grant by the NASA Early Career Fellowship Start-up Program is awarded
Development and application of novel bioorthogonal labeling approaches for studying microbial
metabolic activity at environmental extremes
Aug 27, two new grad student rotators join the lab, Anthony Kohtz and George Schaible. Welcome to the lab!
Aug 12-17, Nick, Viola and Roland present research results at the International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME), Leipzig, Germany
Aug 21, Roland gives seminar at Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Hamburg, Germany
Aug 2, New grant by the NSF Systems and Synthetic Biology program is awarded.
Collaborative Research: Next generation physiology: a systems-level understanding of microbes driving
carbon cycling in marine sediments. We are looking forward to dive into the deep-sea with the teams
of Brett Baker (UT Austin) and Andreas Teske (UNC Chapel Hill).
Jul 18, Mackenzie, who is leading our efforts to sample microbial dark matter in geothermal features in Yellowstone, sampled her 100th hot spring! All it took was a 12 mi hike in sun, rain, and hail & avoiding a herd of 50 bison. Congrats!
Apr 27, Nick's application for a Montana Academy of Sciences 2018 Student Research Grant is funded. Congrats Nick!
Apr 27, Roland at workshop on Engineering the Microbiome, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Feb 26-Mar 2, Mackenzie & Nick attend Microbial Genomics and Metagenomics Workshops at the JGI
Apr 15-18, Roland at conference on New Opportunities to Study Origins of the Eukaryotic Cell, HHMI-Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA
Apr 5, Roland gives seminar at BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
Jan 9, the lab's got a brand-new toy! A Sony SH800S fluorescence activated cell sorter
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Jan 1st 2017, the Hatzenpichler lab opens in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Bldg of MSU
Mar 11, Roland introduces MSU's new Raman microscope in the TBI seminar: A new Confocal Raman microscope with cell-sorting ability at MSU: What to do with it and how to get seed funding for using it. Location: Plant Biosci Bldg 108.
The Raman was acquired through support by the NSF MRI program and the Murdock Charitable Trust and is located in the CBE. Roland serves as PI for the new instrument.
Mar 19, Roland gives John Lawrence Seminar at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
Jul 14-19, Roland chairs session Insights into microbial species interaction at the GRC AEM, South Hadley, MA