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On this day, June 10, 2020, I am participating in #ShutDownAcademia #ShutDownSTEM as part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. One of the most important first steps I am taking is to post a lab values statement. I have a brief statement in the “lab expectations” document that I distribute to new students about respecting each other.ContinueContinue reading “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”

The Meyer lab in Fall 2019 in front of the DNA sculpture at UF’s Genetics Institute. Left to right: Stephanie Miller (Computer Scientist), DeVante Dawson (PhD student), Julie Meyer (PI), Monica Schul (undergrad intern), Jessica Tittl (Biological Scientist), Rachel Howard (PhD student), Anya Brown (postdoc). Not pictured: Amelia Langford (volunteer, BSc Microbiology). This fall theContinueContinue reading “Lots of new faces in the lab”

This summer, I started the next chapter of my academic life by accepting a tenure-track position in the Soil and Water Sciences Department at the University of Florida. I have been at UF for 5 years, but I am excited to now be able to actively recruit students and post-docs for my lab. I’ve workedContinueContinue reading “Official start of the Meyer Microbial Ecology lab at University of Florida”

This summer, deep sea scientists started comparing their collections of shrunken Styrofoam cups on Twitter and it ended up turning into this fun article by Mindy Weisberger at LiveScience: https://www.livescience.com/62782-styrofoam-cups-deep-sea-shrunkencupoff.html

Chasing Coral is the award-winning film that documents coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. It is available on Netflix and is being screened at cities all across the United States. Recently, a screening of the film was held here in Gainesville at the First Magnitude Brewing Company, followed by a Q&A session with severalContinueContinue reading “Chasing Coral”

I recently went on my very first science dive in the Florida Keys. This was a pretty big deal to me, since the process of preparing for this started about a year and a half ago. I’m a marine microbiologist, but spent the early part of my career studying the deep sea and ironically, IContinueContinue reading “Diving for Science”

Just about a year ago, my cell phone rang while I was visiting family and friends in Maryland. The caller id said New York City.  In my mind this is pronounced the way the cowboys did it in those old Pace picante commercials, as if the words itself were distasteful, even though this is notContinueContinue reading “New York City ?!?!”

Recently I traveled “home” to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and found myself taking pictures of crabpots and enjoying the sulfide smell of the salt marshes. I laugh at myself for acting like a tourist (well, the picture-taking part anyway, I don’t think the tourists are going home and telling their friends “You have justContinueContinue reading “Life on the water”

This is the first post for the blog MeyerMicrobes. My goal is to share my research and my passion for understanding the ocean and its microbial inhabitants.