Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory

Dr. Matt Wallenstein recieves grant to evaluate whether arctic soil microbes are factors in climate change

The behavior of trillions of tiny microorganisms in the cold, dark soils of the Arctic may tell scientists how climate change will impact the fragile soils of this vast region.

Two Colorado State University scientists in separate colleges - Matthew Wallenstein in the Warner College of Natural Resources and Ken Reardon in the College of Engineering - are working with Josh Schimel from the University of California-Santa Barbara and Michael Weintraub from the University of Toledo on the research, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. As part of the $904,623 grant, the Colorado State scientists will study proteins in the cells of the soil's microorganisms - a brand-new field of research known as soil proteomics.

External Link (Today@Colorado State)