Morgan Sobol

Courses

Bacterial Genomics (BIO 4432/5432) 
Advanced Genomics and Bioinformatics (BIO 7361C) 
Microbial Ecology (BIO 4446/7410)

Research Interests

In the Sobol Lab, we investigate the biological, ecological, and environmental drivers shaping the evolution of microbial life and its metabolisms. Our research integrates computational and experimental approaches to address our questions. Computationally, we analyze phylogenomic relationships between microorganisms, their genomes, and their environments to reconstruct evolutionary patterns and uncover the processes driving molecular innovation. Experimentally, we test our computational predictions and explore gene-phenotype relationships under different conditions using model microorganisms. Through this work, we also aim to discover novel genes and link them to their functions. Much of our current research focuses on the nitrogen cycle, with an emphasis on nitrogen fixation—a fundamental metabolism for life. By understanding how microorganisms, their genes, and Earth have coevolved over billions of years, we seek to uncover the history of life, predict its responses to environmental change, and assess the potential for life to exist beyond Earth.

Selected Publications

Sobol, M.S, Rucker, H.R., Libby, E., Kaçar, B., Anbar, A.D. (2024). Ecological resource competition as a driver of metallome evolution. bioRxiv. 

Jones C.L.C.*, Camps-Castella J.*, Smykala M.*, Sobol M.S.* & Inomura K.* (2024). Seeing through the gray box: an integrated approach to physiological modeling of phytoplankton stoichiometry. Front. Ecol. Evol. 12:1505025. 

Rivier, A.J., Myers, K.S., Garcia, A.K., Sobol, M.S., & Kaçar, B. (2023). Regulatory response to a hybrid ancestral nitrogenase in Azotobacter vinelandii. Microbiol. Spectr. e02815-23. 

Wiegand, S., Sobol, M.S., Schnepp-Pesch, L.K., Yan, G., Iqbal, S., Vollmers, J., Müller, J.A. & Kaster, A.K. (2023). Taxonomic Re-Classification and Expansion of the Phylum Chloroflexota Based on over 5000 Genomes and Metagenome-Assembled Genomes. Microorganisms, 11(10), p.2612. 

Sobol, M. S., Hoshino, T., Futagami, T., Kadooka, C., Inagaki, F. & Reese, B. K. (2023). Genome characterization of two novel deep-sea sediment fungi, Penicillium pacificagyrus sp. nov. and Penicillium pacificasedimenti sp. nov., from South Pacific Gyre subsurface sediments, highlights survivability. BMC Genomics. 24(1), 1-17.  

Sobol, M. S. & Kaster, A.-K. (2023). Back to the basics: A simplified improvement to multiple displacement amplification for microbial single-cell genomics. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 24, 4270.  

Kiel Reese, B.*, Sobol, M. S.*, Bowles, M. W. & Hinrichs, K.-U. (2021). Redefining the Subsurface Biosphere: Characterization of Fungi Isolated From Energy-Limited Marine Deep Subsurface Sediment. Front. Fungal Biol. 0, 49.  

Kaster, A. K.* & Sobol, M. S.* (2020). Microbial single-cell omics: the crux of the matter. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 104, 8209–8220.  

*denotes equal contribution 

Complete list at: Google Scholar