Wei Li, Postdoctoral Researcher

Wei's research focuses on microbial ecology in polar regions including subglacial systems (i.e. Greenland Ice Sheet, Antarctic Subglacial Lake Mercer and West Antarctic ice streams) and Antarctic inland fresh-water lakes (i.e. various perennially-ice covered McMurdo Dry Valley lakes). He uses culture-dependent and –independent approaches (i.e. genome and environmental sequencing, cell sorting, light and electron microscopies, etc.) to address the phylogenetic and metabolic biodiversity, biogeochemical transformation of major nutrients and elements and roles of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms and the microbe-microbe and microbe-environment interactions in these unique environments. He is also trying to get the insights of how the climate related environmental changes will affect these ecosystems. 

Below are some microscopy images taken by Wei of a green alga Brachiomonas spp. that was isolated from Lake Bonney.

 Wei Microbe Images


--This project is funded by NSF Division of Polar Programs (PLR) Antarctic Integrated Systems Science.