Using modern microbial ecosystems to unlock Earth’s past, present, and future
Trinity Hamilton is an environmental and molecular microbiologist. Her research examines microbial photosynthesis and global biogeochemical cycles throughout Earth’s history. Her research combines genomic, functional, and evolutionary studies of complex microbial ecosystems to answer outstanding questions in microbial ecology and evolution in the face of changing environmental conditions, and has been applied to places ranging from Yellowstone hot springs to Minnesota lakes to Greenland glaciers. Hamilton’s research has informed outstanding questions regarding the physiology of Earth’s oldest phototrophs and the contribution of these organisms to biogeochemical cycling in Earth’s past, present, and future.