Norton - Research
Dr. Jenny Norton’s research focuses on understanding key organisms in the nitrogen and carbon cycles of terrestrial systems on many different levels - from individual genes to ecosystem processes. Key areas of research interest include:
- Ecology of nitrification and genomics of ammonia oxidizing bacteria.
- Microbial carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils.
- DNA probes for enzymatic functions.
- Microbial / plant interactions in waste management.
- Role of microbial community structure in biogeochemistry and bioremediation.
Currently funded projects in these areas include (click on links below for proposal abstracts):
- Functional Genomics and Ecology of Nitrifying Bacteria:
- Improving the understanding of the genomics of nitrifiers, characterizing the processes in agricultural and wildland systems, and delineation of limiting factors for nitrification in water delivery/wastewater treatment systems. (UAES)
- Development of a Research Coordination Network to organize activities of researchers in this field and to disseminate results. (NSF)
- Genome sequencing for Nitrosomonas sp. AL212 and Isolate IS-79, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria adapted for growth at low ammonia concentrations. (JGI)
- Functional and Molecular Diversity in Nitrogen Cycle Enzymes Under Contrasting Agricultural Management Systems (USDA):
- Describing functional diversity in the root-zone of microbial communities responsible for selected N transformations in agroecosystems under contrasting nitrogen management.
- Recovering and characterizing novel bacterial and fungal genes encoding key enzymatic functions in N transformations.
- Delineation of the role of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers in soil nitrification.
- Below Ground Feedbacks in Plant Communities in Western Rangelands:
- Delineating positive feedbacks from cheatgrass-induced changes in nutrient cycling, and developing management strategies to speed reestablishment of perennial plant species on cheatgrass-dominated rangelands (USDA).
- Determining plant-soil feedbacks in the shrub steppe ecosystem - collaboration with investigators to characterize microbial communities using next-generation sequencing of phylogenetic and functional genes extracted from soils (see A. Kumultiski).