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My name is Ben Peterson, I am a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in the Environmental Chemistry and Technology program in Dr. Trina McMahon's lab. Broadly, I am interested in applying the ever-expanding tools of microbial ecology to natural systems to better understand how microbial communities mediate and link biogeochemical cycling.
I am currently studying the microbial mediation of mercury methylation in freshwater systems. To do this, I integrate metagenomic sequencing data with more traditional biogeochemical measurements and functional assays for microbial activity. See my research page for more information. I received my bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the State University of New York at Geneseo, where I studied the myrosinase-glucosinolate secondary metabolite systems in Brassica rapa. I then worked as a post-bacchalaureate student and later as a contractor at the National Institute of Aging, studying the impact of exercise on the integration of adult-born neurons into existing circuits. I am also a member of the MTR Magic Key Art Collective. I primarily do videography and am currently working on a public broadcast TV show that is filmed in virtual reality. I love rock climbing. |