Jamie S. Foster

Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida

B.S. (1992) University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
M.S. (1996) University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Ph.D. (2000) University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI

For more details on Jamie Foster's research and educational activities please go to: http://jamiefosterscience.com/

Teaching Interest

Astrobiology - Topics discussed in this class will include the origin and evolution of life on Earth, the search for life elsewhere in the solar system, and the future of human space exploration.

General Area

Environmental microbiology, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, microbial ecology.

Description of Research

General Area:

The overall objective of my research program is to examine the formation and ecology of lithifying microbial communities known as microbialites.

My research interests can be summarized into three main questions:

1. What mechanisms do microbes use to initiate these complex symbioses?

2. How do microbes living in complex symbiotic communities adapt and respond to a changing climate (e.g. elevated carbon dioxide, lower pH) and environmental stress (e.g. UV radiation, desiccation, and oxidative stress)?

3. What molecular and biochemical mechanisms are required by microbes to tolerate and grow in space and Mars-like ecosystems?

By examining how microbes interact amongst themselves and their environment, I believed that a greater understanding can be obtained of how complex microbial communities may have originated and evolved throughout Earth’s history. Microbialitic mats, a model for early Earth ecosystems, are complex community structures that contain a diverse array of microbes and are under constant exposure to external and internal stresses. My research attempts to elucidate the required genetic and biochemical mechanisms by which microbialitic mats communities are initiated, established and maintained.

Selected Publications

Reid, P., J.S. Foster, G. Radtke, S. Golubic (2010) Modern marine stromatolites of Little Darby Island, Exuma Archipelago, Bahamas: environmental setting, accretion mechanisms and role of euendoliths. In: Stromatolites – Kalkowsky-Symposium, (Reitner, J; Thrauth, M.H.; Stüwe, K.; Yuen, D., Eds.) Springer, Berlin in press.

Foster, J.S., and S.J. Green (2010) Microbial diversity in modern marine stromatolites. In: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology: Stromatolites (Tewari, V. ed) Springer, in press.

Myshrall, K.L., J.M. Mobberley, S.J. Green, P.T. Visscher, S.A. Havemann, R.P.
Reid and J.S. Foster (2010) Biogeochemical cycling and microbial diversity in the modern marine thrombolites of Highborne Cay, Bahamas. Geobiology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2010.00245.x

Foster, J.S. and J.M. Mobberley (2010) Past, present, and future: microbial mats as models for astrobiological research. In: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology: Microbial Mats: Modern and Ancient Microorganisms in Stratified Systems. (J. Seckbach and A. Oren, eds.) Springer, pp. 563-582

Foster, J.S., S.J. Green, S.R. Ahrendt, S. Golubic, R.P. Reid, K.L. Hetherington, and L. Bebout. (2009) Molecular and morphological characterization of cyanobacterial diversity in the marine stromatolites of Highborne Cay, Bahamas. ISME Journal 3:573-587.

Foster, J.S., S.A. Havemann, A.K. Singh, and L.A. Sherman (2009) Role of mrgA in peroxide and light stress in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. FEMS Microbiology Letters 293:298-304.

Foster, J.S., and Drew, J.C. (2009). Astrobiology undergraduate education: students' knowledge and perceptions of the field. Astrobiology 9:325-333.

Stolz, J.F., R.P. Reid, P.T. Visscher, A.W. Decho, R.S. Norman, R.J. Aspden, E.M. Bowlin, J. Franks, J.S. Foster, D.M. Paterson, K.M. Przekop, G.J.C. Underwood, and L. Prufert-Bebout (2009) The microbial communities of the modern marine stromatolites at Highborne Cay, Bahamas. Atoll Research Bulletin 567:1-24.

Havemann, S. A. and J. S. Foster (2008) A comparative characterization of the microbial diversity in an artificial microbialite model and a natural stromatolite. Applied Environmental Microbiology 74: 7410-7421.

Foster, Jamie S. and Stephanie A. Havemann (2008) The basics of educational podcasting: enhancing the student learning experience. University of Florida, IFAS-EDIS publication MB004

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