What Can Slimy Rocks in the Deep Sea Tell Us about Microbial Survival Strategies at High Temperatures? Matt Schrenk

Matt Schrenk is an assistant professor of microbiology at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Most of his research has focused upon the growth of microorganisms on mineral surfaces, in communities known as biofilms. He is particularly interested in the ecological and evolutionary roles of biofilms in some of the highest temperature ecosystems on Earth - at the deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Schrenk participated in the recovery of the largest sulfide chimney structures to date from the Juan de Fuca Ridge in 1998 and later had the opportunity to conduct the first microbiological analyses of the newly discovered carbonate towers from the Lost City Field in 2001. He received his B.Sc. in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Ph.D. in Oceanography with a certificate in astrobiology from the University of Washington.