Current Projects
Current projects are both theoretical and experimental and include:
See these pages for project details
We Are Funded
Some of our funding sources include NASA, the NSF, and the ASTROBi Foundation.
Lab Members
Jay Nadeau
Jay Nadeau
Principal Investigator
Jay is a Professor of Physics (PSU, 2017-present)
Carl Snyder
Carl Snyder
PhD student
Carl is a PhD student working on electrokinesis, or the response of microbial motility to electric fields.
Jackie Acres
Jackie Acres
PhD student
Jackie is a PhD student studying the response of microorganisms to simulated microgravity.
Nikki Johnston
Nikki Johnston
PhD Student
Nikki is a physics PhD student who is developing microscopy tools and techniques for imaging of complex microbial behavior.
Mae Dubay
Mae Dubay
MS student
Mae is a Master's student (graduation date Summer 2022) working on microscope designs for extremely hot temperatures and space flight.
Lukas Scott-Mendoza
Lukas Scott-Mendoza
MS student
Lukas is a Master's student developing a deep-UV microscope for microbial imaging.
Contact Form
Please contact us here with questions or comments.
Home of the motility database
A server containing test datasets of raw holograms of motile microorganisms. Reconstruction and processing software are all available open source as Fiji plugins. Please contact us for more information if you are interested in these data.
An open archive of videos of microbial motility in three dimensions for scientists, educators, and the public.
What role does microbial motility play in aquatic environments: oceans, lakes, and inside the pores of sea ice?
When microbes lose the ability to swim, what will make them swim again–temperature, amino acids, sugars? How long does it take to go from motile to non-motile?
Is microbial motility substantially different in extremely cold and nutrient poor environments (such as the Arctic) than in more temperate environments (such as off Scripps pier)?
Can we build a microscope to look for microbial motility on an icy moon of Jupiter or Saturn? How can motility be a biosignature that complements biochemical biosignatures of life on other planets?
RESEARCH FACILITIES
Biology Lab
Biology Lab
The wetlab contains facilities for cell culture, chemical synthesis, and basic molecular biology. A separate culture room is used for sterile isolation of bacteria.
Optics Lab
Optics Lab
The optics lab contains several custom microscopes, including holographic microscopes for laboratory and field use, lightfield microscopes, and a deep UV fluorescence microscope.
Advanced Microscopy
Advanced Microscopy
Advanced microscopy (confocal, two-photon, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy) is performed at the OHSU Advanced Light Microscopy Core (https://www.ohsu.edu/advanced-light-microscopy-core)