We live in a microbial world. There are 7 million times more microbes on Earth than there are stars in the visible universe. The ability to evolve diverse chemical capabilities allows these organisms to grow and survive in varied habitats and to interact in complex microbial communities (microbiomes). Though these assemblages are critical for the health of many environments and organisms, including humans, we currently lack a molecular understanding of how they function.
The overarching goal of research in the Balskus Lab is to transform our understanding of microbes and microbiomes by pioneering approaches that integrate microbiology and chemistry. We explore many exciting questions at the interface of these fields. How can we connect key metabolic activities occurring in these communities to specific microbes, genes, and enzymes? How can we discover the functions encoded by the vast amount of uncharacterized genetic information present in microbiome sequencing data? How can we illuminate the biological consequences of microbial metabolism in complex habitats? How can we selectively perturb individual activities in microbial communities, and could this have therapeutic benefit in the context of the human microbiome? By uncovering the molecular basis for microbial interactions, our work will not only reveal fundamental insights into microbiomes, but also provide innovative solutions to problems facing medicine, agriculture, and the environment.
Our lab is committed to providing an inclusive learning environment for all members and the broader scientific community. The scientific institutions we are a part of have and continue to systemically disadvantage women; immigrants; and Black, Latinx, Native American, working class, and LGBTQ+ scientists. We are committed to combating these systems and biases. We are dedicated to fostering each researcher’s intellectual and personal development to the highest degree. We strive to develop a group in which all individuals are valued, respected, and heard without judgment or prejudice, and we welcome scientists of all identities, abilities, and backgrounds. We recognize that achieving these goals will require ongoing work, individually and collectively. The success of our research program is not solely measured in publication rates, awards, and grants; but on our ability to nurture scientific excellence and personal wellbeing in a diverse group of individuals.
Join our team! Here you’ll find a list of open positions in the group with details on how to apply.
Lab News
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RT @dreyfusfndn: Mark your calendars! May 31 - June 1, @NYASciences is hosting a conference on the "Chemical Biology of the Microbi… https://t.co/Ywwt4y07Ge
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RT @HarvardMSI: Registration is now live! Get your tickets to the 20th anniversary Microbial Sciences Symposium through the Harvard… https://t.co/CK8JXW3P4h
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RT @leao_lab: Our story on the #biosynthesis of nocuolin A is now online: https://t.co/zEYVJe5BfO. Still much more to discover ab… https://t.co/yodPedB9o6
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RT @HarvardMSI: Save the date! Epic 20th anniversary program coming your way on Saturday, April 29th. https://t.co/F9L313wRyo
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RT @drraajmehta: Today we report in @NatureMedicine how gut microbial metabolism of 5-ASA may predict response to the drug, which is… https://t.co/NQh14PjYx0
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RT @SethMBloomMDPhD: So deeply appreciative of many mentors, supporters, and colleagues, especially @kwonlab, also @bostonvaginadoc… https://t.co/pW9phhMFQy
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RT @malonekn: Loved the intro to @BalskusLab research (and awesome human gut drawing) by @minwoo_bae during @HarvardMSI chalk tal… https://t.co/r3rst2jbWw
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RT @ActinoBase: David Hopwood has very kindly let us make the Streptomyces manual (aka "the Streptomyces bible") available as a fre… https://t.co/7Ruf8mMS0S
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RT @J_A_C_S: Mechanistic Studies of a Skatole-Forming Glycyl Radical Enzyme Suggest Reaction Initiation via Hydrogen Atom Transf… https://t.co/TaeyXqoK8A