Marine Molecular Ecology summer course debuts at ASU BIOS

A New Summer Course Introduces Inaugural Cohort to Molecular Research and Microbial Oceanography Techniques

In July, a group of 13 international undergraduate and graduate students traveled to the ASU BIOS campus to participate in the first-ever Marine Molecular Ecology (MME) Summer Course. Participants learned how to utilize molecular and genomic approaches to address and discuss complex scientific questions, focusing on microbial communities in Bermuda’s mangrove ecosystems.  

The inaugural cohort graduated from the program with improved knowledge of microbial life in Bermuda, a comprehensive suite of molecular laboratory skills, hands-on experience in environmental sampling, experimental incubations, DNA extraction and sequencing, and a strong foundation in research and experimental design.  

“We wanted to give students hands-on experience across the entire research pipeline, from collecting and manipulating samples through molecular work, bioinformatics, and statistical analyses – all within an ASU BIOS-style, field-intensive program,” said Brett Jameson, PhD, a Co-Instructor for the course and Research Fellow at ASU BIOS. “We taught them a core set of tools that, as a biologist, you need to have in one form or another. These skills are used in research across the life sciences, including biomedical and health research, conservation, ecosystem monitoring, and microbial ecology.”

Students completed four interconnected research projects exploring how Bermuda’s coastal and mangrove ecosystems may respond to a changing climate, including increasingly severe storms and shifting weather patterns.  

“All of the experiments we did were trying to mimic a current concern you might have in Bermuda,” said Sheryl Murdock, PhD, Co-Instructor for the course and Assistant Research Scientist at ASU. “We put a lot of effort into walking them through the rationale for each of the four experiments, why it was a relevant question given the world we live in today.”

Analyzed under both ambient temperature and a climate warming scenario, students looked at questions including: how anoxic conditions impact microbial communities within sediment, what happens to microbes after storms shake up layers of sediment, and how influxes of freshwater and nutrients impact microbial communities within mangrove ecosystems.  

Guiding students through the full research process in only three weeks was no easy feat. Instructors wove conceptual lectures on ecological, biological, and molecular principles, data collection lessons across sampling and sequencing methods and data analysis workshops using RStudio and QIIME, all while continually underscoring ways to think like a scientist and implementing research design principles.  

“We introduced them to a pretty wide array of tools that are super powerful and used across the board. But the main thing we were trying to drive home is that the question comes first, and you use that to inform and decide which tools you should be using. We also wanted to emphasize the importance of context- environmental context, biological context, ecological context in interpreting your results,” said Sheryl Murdock.

 

The intent is that future courses will build a continuous database of the microbial ecosystems in Bermuda, with each new cohort of students analyzing the data collected the year prior. In time, this dataset would provide an extensive foundation for understanding the microbial communities within Bermuda’s coastal environments, all stemming from analysis and experimentation conducted entirely by MME students.  

For the students, this type of hands-on instruction proved to be a unique asset as they embark on their future scientific careers. By centering the course on the ASU BIOS campus, participants had direct access to world-class research facilities, interacted and learned from scientists across different disciplines, and saw their coursework come to life by collecting samples in the waters just outside the classroom.

“I loved my time at BIOS! My instructors were incredible, and my classmates were so nice. My new knowledge using R and QIIME will look very good on my resume/CV. I also really loved the fieldwork and the fun field trips. I will definitely recommend this class to anyone interested,” said Becca, a participant in MME 2026.

Overall, the course was a resounding success, highlighting the importance of a land-based, data-intensive program focused primarily on the molecular theory, tools, and experience critical to pursuing advanced research in biology.  

“The final day was their oral presentations. And after all of the groups went, Sheryl and I were chatting and just grinning ear to ear because each one of them sounded like microbial ecologists, like microbial oceanographers, said Brett Jameson. “The improvement in their scientific vocabulary, their analytical toolkit and lab toolkits, it's always really cool to see just how much you can achieve in such a short period of time.”

“This new course is a very welcome addition to our catalog, and Brett and Sheryl did an excellent job designing it and pulling together compelling content that provided participants with a very productive and valuable learning experience,” said Andrew Peters, PhD, ASU BIOS Director of Education for University Programs. “We are looking forward to continuing this course and building on its great success.”

The success of Marine Molecular Ecology (MME) is another example of how the ASU BIOS team continues to push the boundaries of scientific inquiry, research excellence, and educational programming on both a local and global level.  

Learn more about ASU BIOS university programs at https://bios.asu.edu/education/courses-university-students