Biographical Sketch

Education

• B.A. (Honors) Individualized Major, Liberal Arts, Maryville College, TN, 1988
• Ph.D. Marine-Estuarine Environmental Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 1999

Postdoctoral Training

• Department of Biology Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Maryland, College Park, 06/1999-08/2001  



Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History

Tenure Track Appointments

• Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 2006-  

Visiting and Temporary Appointments

• Adjunct Research Scientist, J. Craig Venter Institute, 2006-2010  
• Adjunct Research Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, 2001-2004  
• Adjunct Teaching Faculty, Department of Biology, Hood College, Frederick, MD, 2002-2003   

Other Employment

• International Marine Science Policy Advisor, AAAS Science and Diplomacy Fellow), U.S. Department of State, Office of Oceans Affairs, 2001-2003  



Description of Research

Summary Statement of Research Interests

Dr. Heidelberg’s group researches the genetic, biochemical, and metabolic properties of naturally occurring prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial assemblages by pairing contemporary genomic technologies with more traditional lab and field approaches. The knowledge gained through genomic approaches provides the basis to evaluate microbial diversity and the fundamental physiological and ecological principles governing the activities and interactions of microbial taxa in studied habitats. Understanding these interactions and their resultant biogeochemical activities is an exciting avenue of research given that much of the energy flow and elemental cycling is not only conducted by microorganisms, but dictated by their trophic interactions. Current research programs focus on microbial consortia from hypersaline environments, a variety of marine environments, and soil communities.

Research Keywords

Marine and environmental microbiology and ecology; Microbial diversity, including microbial eukaryotes; Environmental genomics; Effects of ocean acidification on microbial assemblages.



Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions

• Wrigley Institute of Marine Studies, Resident Faculty,http://wrigley.usc.edu/

Other Research

• Collaborator: Heidelberg, JF and S Williamson. Environmental Genome Shotgun Sequencing: Ocean Microbial Populations off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, 2006-  
• Mele, P, B. Cocks, D Hartman, KB Heidelberg, A. Oxley, M. Brownstein, JC Venter. Biosphere Genomics for Agricultural Systems: Accelerating the Development of DNA-based Tools for Health using a Biome Sequencing Approach. Department of Primary Industries, State of Victoria, Australia. (Co-I through J. Craig Venter Institute)., 2006-  
• R/V Atlantis and DSV Alvin Extremophile Deep Sea Cruise; NSF Collaborative Research: Protistan Abundance, Diversity and community assemblage associated with hydrothermal vent communities, Guyamas and East Pacific Rise. , Fall 2008   
• Kjelleberg, S, P Steinberg, T. Thomas, A. Halpern, KB Heidelberg, JC Venter. Environmental Genomics and Novel Bioactives from Microbial Communities on Living Marine Surfaces. Australian Research Council. (Co-I through J. Craig Institute)., 2006-2008  
• R/V Nathaniel B Palmer Antarctica cruise (Jan/Feb 2008) NSF Collaborative Research: Do Crustacean Zooplankton Play a Pivotal Role in Structuring Heterotrophic Plankton Communities? , Spring 2008   
• R/V Atlantis and DSV Alvin Extremophyle Deep Sea Cruise (Oct 2007) NSF Collaborative Research: Protistan Abundance, Diversity and community assemblage associated with hydrothermal vent communities, Guaymas and East Pacific Rise. , Fall 2007   
• R/V Albatross. NOAA ECOMON Gulf of Maine. Evaluation of microbial and zooplankton community assemblage and teacher training (Aug 2006). , Fall 2006   



Publications

Abstract

• Emerson, J. B., Thomas, B. C., Andrade, K., Allen, E. E., Heidelberg, K. B., Banfield, J. F. (2011). Genomic reconstruction tracks persistant and transient novel halovirus populations in Lake Tyrrell, Victoria, AUS. Am. Soc. Microbial Annual Meeting 21-24 May 2011.

Journal Article

• Koid, A. E., Nelson, W. C., Mraz, A., Heidelberg, K. B. (2012). Comparative analysis of eukaryotic marine microbial assemblages from 18S rRNA gene or gene transcript clone libraries using different methods of extraction. Appl. Env. Microbiol..
• Heidelberg, K. B. (2011). Octocorals and ocean acidification studies at Catalina. Ocean Bights: The Magazine of the Catalina Marine Society. Vol. 2, pp. 3-5.
• Narasingarao, P., Podell, S., Ugalde, J. A., Brochier-Armanet, C., Emmerson, J. B., Brocks, J. J., Heidelberg, K. B., Banfield, J. F., Allen, E. E. (2011). De Novo Metagenomic Assembly Reveals Abundant Novel Archaea in Hypersaline Microbial Communities. ISME J.. pp. 1-13. Link to Jounal article
• Heidelberg, K. B., Gilbert, J. A., Joint, I. (2010). Marine genomics: at the interface of marine microbial ecology and biodiscovery. Microbial Biotechnology. doi:10.1111/j.1751-7915.2010.00193.x
• Thomas, T., Rusch, D., Damaere, M. Z., Young, P. Y., Lewis, M., Halpern, A., Heidelberg, K. B., Egan, S., Steinberg, P. D., Kjelleberg, S. (2010). Functional genomic signatures of sponge bacteria reveal unique and shared features of symbiosis. ISME J. (Epub) PubMed Web Address
• Heidelberg, K. B., Bythell, J., Oneill, K. L., Sebens, K. P. (2009). Vertical Distribution and Diel Patterns of Zooplankton over a Florida Coral Reef. J. Plank. Res. Journal
• Caron, D. A., Gast, R. J., Countway, P. D., Heidelberg, K. B. (2009). Microbial Eukaryote Ecology: Questions of Diversity and Biogeography. Microbe. Vol. 4 (2), pp. 71-77.
• Caron, D. A., Worden, A. Z., Countway, P. D., Demir, E., Heidelberg, K. B. (2009). Protists are Microbes Too: A Perspective. Int. Soc. Microbial Ecol.. Vol. 3, pp. 4-12. PubMed Web Address
• Williamson, S., Rusch, D., Yooseph, S., Halpern, A., Heidelberg, K., Glass, J., Andrews-Pfannkoch, C., Fadrosh, D., Miller, C., Sutton, G., Frazier, M., Venter, J. C. (2008). The Sorcerer II Global Ocean Sampling Expedition: Metagenomic Characterization of Viruses within Aquatic Microbial Samples. PLoS ONE. Vol. 3 (1), pp. e1456. PubMed Web Address
• Yooseph, S., Sutton, G., Rusch, D. B., Halpern, A. L., Williamson, S. J., Remington, K., Eisen, J. A., Heidelberg, K. B., Manning, G., Li, W., Jaroszewski, L., Cieplak, P., Miller, C. S., Li, H., Mashiyama, S. T., Joachimiak, M. P., van Belle, C., Chandonia, J., Soergel, D. A., Zhai, Y., Natarajan, K., Lee, S., Raphael, B. J., Bafna, V., Friedman, R., Brenner, S. E., Godzik, A., Eisenberg, D., Dixon, J. E., Taylor, S. S., Strausberg, R. L., Frazier, M., Venter, J. C. (2007). The Sorcerer II Global Ocean Sampling Expedition: Expanding the Universe of Protein Families (Cover). PLoS Biology. Vol. 5, pp. e16. PubMed Web Address
• Rusch, D. B., Halpern, A. L., Sutton, G., Heidelberg, K. B., Williamson, S., Yooseph, S., Wu, D., Eisen, J. A., Hoffman, J. M., Remington, K., Beeson, K., Tran, B., Smith, H., Baden-Tillson, H., Stewart, C., Thorpe, J., Freeman, J., Andrews-Pfannkoch, C., Venter, J. E., Li, K., Kravitz, S., Heidelberg, J. F., Utterback, T., Rogers, Y., Falcon, L. I., Souza, V., Bonilla-Rosso, G., Eguiarte, L. E., Karl, D. M., Sathyendranath, S., Platt, T., Bermingham, E., Gallardo, V., Tamayo-Castillo, G., Ferrari, M. R., Strausberg, R. L., Nealson, K., Friedman, R., Frazier, M., Venter, J. C. (2007). The Sorcerer II Global Ocean Sampling Expedition: Northwest Atlantic through Eastern Tropical Pacific (Cover). PLoS Biology. Vol. 5, pp. e77. PubMed Web Address
• Remington, K. A., Heidelberg, K. B., Venter, J. C. (2005). Taking Metagenomic Studies in Context. Trends Microbiol. Vol. 13, pp. 404. PubMed Web Address
• Heidelberg, K. B., Heidelberg, J. F. (2005). Marine Environmental Genomics: New Secretes from a Mysterious Ocean. Marine Technology Society Journal. Vol. 39 (3), pp. 94-98.
• Heidelberg, K. B., Sebens, K. P., Purcell, J. E. (2004). Composition and Sources of Near Reef Zooplankton on a Jamaican Forereef, with Implications for Coral Feeding. Coral Reefs. Vol. 23, pp. 263-276.
• Heidelberg, J. F., Heidelberg, K. B., Colwell, R. R. (2002). Bacteria of the gamma-Subclass Proteobacteria Associated with Zooplankton in Chesapeake Bay. Appl. Env. Microbiol.. Vol. 68, pp. 5498-5507. PubMed Web Address
• Heidelberg, J. F., Heidelberg, K. B., Colwell, R. R. (2002). Seasonality of Chesapeake Bay Bacterioplankton Species. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.. Vol. 68 (11), pp. 5488-5497. PubMed Web Address
• Kreps, T., Purcell, J. E., Heidelberg, K. B. (1997). Escape of the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi from the Scyphomedusa Predator Chrysaora quinquecirrha. Mar. Biol.. Vol. 128, pp. 441-446.
• Heidelberg, K. B., Sebens, K. P., Purcell, J. E. (1997). Effects of Prey Escape Behavior and Water Flow on Prey Capture by the Scleractinian Coral, Meandrina meandrites. Proc. 8th Int Coral Reef Symp.. Vol. 2, pp. 1081-1086.
• Ford, M. D., Costello, J. H., Heidelberg, K. B., Purcell, J. E. (1997). Swimming and Feeding by the Scyphomedusa, Chrysaora quinquecirrha. Mar. Biol.. Vol. 129, pp. 355-362.

Other

• Heidelberg, K. B. (2008). NSF Sponsored Interactive Outreach for a Deep Sea Hydrothermal vent cruise using DSV Alvin (participation by 23 elem. schools). Website
• Heidelberg, K. B. (2008). Antarctica Research Expedition (Jan/Feb 2008) Interactive Educational Outreach (14 elementary. website
• Heidelberg, K. B. (1999). Effects of water flow and zooplankton prey behavior on scleractinian coral heterotrophy. University of Maryland.

Proceedings

• Mele, P., Sawbridge, T., Hayden, H., Methe, B., Stockwell, T., Pfannkoch, C., Lewis, M., Tanenbaum, D., Rusch, D., Heidelberg, K. (2010). How does surface soil geomorphology and land-use influence the soil microbial ecosystems in south eastern Australia? Insights gained from DNA sequencing of the soil metagenome. pp. 12-15. Brisbane. 2010 19th World Congress of Soil Sci., Soil Solutions for a Changing World.. PDF

Technical Report

• Heidelberg, K. B., Allen, A., Stepanauskas, R., Yildiz, F., Murray, A., Sullivan, M., Yakimov, M. (2009). Marine Molecular Microbiology - The Great Questions. European Commission. Joint EC-US CIESM Workshop on Marine Genomics At the Interface of Marine Microbial Ecology and Biotechnological Applications

Working Paper

• Edgcomb, V. P., Biddle, J., Caron, D. A., Heidelberg, K. B., Countway, P. D., Teske, A. (2009). New Frontiers: The Evaluation of Eukaryotic Populations in the Deep Marine Subsurface: Scientific Goals and Approaches for Future Ocean Drilling Projects. INVEST. INVEST IODP Renewal Meeting, University of Bremen



Multimedia Scholarship and Creative Works

• Radio Interview, Seti Institute Science Friday Radio Program. DNA: The Nucleotide is Turning, 2006-2007   
• Discovery Channel Documentary, Science Advisor "Cracking the Ocean Code", 2004-2005   
• Article, Research featured in National Geographic Adventure Magazine, 2002-2003   
• Article, Research featured on CNN.com, Nature Section, 1999-2000   
• Documentary, Research featured in Jason VII: Adapting to a Changing Sea, 1995-1996   
• Interactive Outreach Website, NOAA Sponsored Outreach for Aquarius Underwater Habitat Saturation Research Mission: http://www.uncw.edu/aquarius/, 2000-2001   
• Article and Training/Outreach Video, The Machine that Goes Ping: Article and web-based video http://uscnews.usc.edu/science_technology/the_machine_that_goes_ping.html, 2008-2009   
• Magazine, Research featured in USC Trojan Family Magazine Article, "Blurring the Lines Between Earth and Life", 2008-2009   
• Newspaper/web article, Ventura County Star highlighted a satellite Q&A with high school students from aboard the submersible Alvin. Education outreach part of 2008 hydrothermal vent cruise. Story included a photo of Heidelberg and colleagues on Alvin. http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/nov/25/high-school-kids-ask-deep-sea-questions/ , 2008-2009   



Service to the Profession

Editorships and Editorial Boards

• Editorial Board, Microbiome, 01/2012-  
• Associate Editor, Frontiers in Aquatic Microbiology, 06/2010-  

Professional Memberships

• International Society of Microbial Ecology, 2004-  



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