Dr. Annette Rowe’s research group focuses on the isolation and characterization of microorganisms capable of using electrons from redox-active solid-phase surfaces.

In the lab and in the field, this involves using electrochemical techniques paired with traditional microbiological approaches to both enrich and isolate novel taxa capable of extracellular electron uptake, as well as understand the mechanisms behind these processes. Research projects active in the laboratory, span the study of model systems for investigating electron uptake (such as Shewanella and Methanosarcina) in addition to novel isolates from marine and high pH systems. This research is funded by the US NSF, DOE, Air Force Office of Scientific Research and NASA. The ultimate goal of understanding these systems is to identify or engineer microbial platforms for electrosynthesis.