The Evans Lab studies how microscopic organisms - bacteria, fungi, and archaea - function and respond to their environment. We are interested in how microbes respond to disturbances and stress, and what factors alter the diversity of microbial communities, as well as the ecosystem functions that microbes carry out, like cycling nutrients and facilitating plant growth. We assess these processes using a combination of ecosystem and theoretical modeling, field manipulations, and biogeochemical and molecular methods in the laboratory. Since microbes are essentially everywhere, knowledge of how these tiny organisms operate can help us better predict ecosystem responses to global change, optimize ecosystem services, and understand the importance of microbes for the many larger organisms they are associated with. 

See Research for more detailed description of our projects, Photos to see what doing our science looks like, and Communication for descriptions for non-scientists. And of course, People, for the fun group that makes it happen. 

Contact information

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Email: evanssa6@msu.edu

Physical location:
Kellogg Biological Station
Academic 329 (lab)
Stack 243 (molecular lab)
Academic Building 341 (Office)
Michigan State University
3700 E. Gull Lake Dr.
Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA
Sarah tweets (sometimes)

Lab News

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August 2019 updates
  • Tayler presented at Rhizosphere 5, her first oral presentation at a conference! 
  • KBS hosted the Eminent Ecology Series. The lab had a great time interacting with Diana Wall, Kelly Zamudio, Eric Seabloom and Elizabeth Borer.
  • Sarah collaborated on the art piece "Fog of Dawn" as part of the Science Galley Detroit's Depth exhibit. 
  • Undergrads Ethan, Hope and Andrew presented at the KBS poster symposium. Great work everyone!
  • Lab Alum Shannon Carvey accepted a Master's program position at the University of New Brunswick with Dr. Heather Major. 
  • Robert, Jennifer and 2018 REU Esbeiry Cordova attended ESA. It was a decomposition filled week as Jennifer presented work on wood decomposition from her dissertation and Esbeiry shared her findings on fungal decay of litter from the Namib. Esbeiry also was a panelist at ESA's Diversity Luncheon. 

June 2019 updates
  • Corinn Rutkoski transitioned from lab tech to PhD student and is starting summer sampling after winning a LTER fellowship.
  • Emily Burgess joins the lab as research tech! She is a recent graduate of Grinnell college. 
  • Sarah, Lukas, Heather and Kevin (alum) publish "Dispersal alters soil microbial community response to drought" in Environmental Microbiology.
  • Heather Kittredge won 1st place in the student poster contest at the Soil Ecology Conference. Robert Logan won 2nd place for his presentation at MSU's EEBB Reserach Symposium. Congrats!
  • Sarah attended the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center's All Scientist Meeting.
  • 4 summer undergrads have joined the lab. Welcome Hope, Ethan, Andrew, and Harry (back again!)
  • Summer sampling is underway for many lab members including Jennifer and Corinn's new LTER projects and Robert's last sampling trip to Namibia!

March 2019 updates
  • Evans Lab undergrads present at the MSU Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum. Kisanet Gebresilase wins first place for her poster!
  • Jennifer Jones joins the lab as a postdoc. She comes from Katy Heath and Jim Dalling's lab at University of Illinois
  • Tayler Chicoine attends the Switchgrass Microbiome Symposium in California. 

August 2018 updates
  • 8 Evans lab undergraduates present at the KBS poster symposium. Thank you for all your hard work (mentors and mentees)
  • Everyone scatters for conferences! Robert and Lukas to ESA, Heather to Evolution, and Tayler to ISME.
  • MMPRNT (led by Holly and Corinn) completes all-sites trip, and jammin on another great field season
  • Persis Fitzpatrick-Evans joins the lab

May 2018:
  • WELCOME to Holly (new lab manager/MMPRNT coordinator), and a clan of great summer undergrads! See People or photos from our summer kickoff BBQ to meet these folks!
  • MMPRNT kicked off the field season and have so far endured near-freezing temps, thunderstorms, and 95 degree days. See MMPRNT website for updates. 
  • Congrats to Robert on his MSU Hensley Fellowship!

Mar 2018: Lots of updates!
Jan 2018: Happy new year! This month, we had to say goodbye to Kevin, a charter member of the Evans Lab and just a great person to have around. Thank you, and you will be missed. With Kevin's departure we have been brushing up on lab organization and everyone has been great at contributing to this.

Congrats and good luck to Steve as he interviews for grad schools this season, and congratulations to both Steve and Heather on paper submissions

Belated congrats to Robert Logan, PhD Candidate, for passing his comps in December (and presenting at AGU immediately after). 

Nov 2017: Sarah heads to University of Michigan for a seminar in their EEB department. 

Oct 2017: Welcome to Corinn Rutkoski who started this month as a new lab technician on the MMPRNT project (after surviving her first day of taking soil cores in the rain). Shannon Carvey and YJ Su have also been making amazing progress on MMPRNT samples this fall. Thanks

Sarah gives a talk at the local (Chief Noonday) chapter of the North Country Trail Association

Sept 2017: Sarah and Robert tag-team for a talk on their Namib Desert work at the African Studies Center seminar series. Great questions from a diversity audience and good to see old friends and previous lab members!

June 2017: Summer projects and fieldwork kickoff! Check out new People. Sarah heads to Soil Ecology Society meeting/Soil Health Summit. 

We are working with Bethany Bohlen (KBS) this summer to create a video about the MMPRNT switchgrass-N project. Stay tuned for a box office hit! 

Julia Ferguson graciously designed a beautiful lab logo for us! We will soon cover the website (and ALL things) with it.

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