Molecular biology PhD student Nicolaus Jakowec ’20 is fascinated by microbes. After focusing on virology as an undergraduate, he is now working alongside biological scientist Steven Finkel to uncover microbes’ fundamental metabolic processes — and is already making important breakthroughs.

What aspect of microbes do you focus on?

I study the metabolism and resilience of bacteria — how they store energy and carbon to survive during periods of stress, including starvation. I’m also trying to understand why they might choose to burn excess calories.

How does this work relate to the gut microbiome?

There’s an assumption that microbes in the gut are never starving as long as we’re eating regularly. But in fact, there is a lot of competition between bacteria for nutrients, even in the gut. I’m interested in how cells rewire their pathways in response to these moments of stress. It’s basic science, but understanding these metabolic pathways could have relevance for all sorts of conditions potentially linked to a disrupted gut microbiome.

What do you find most fascinating about your research?

It’s amazing to try to recreate an environment like the gut in the lab. We’re asking fundamental questions and drawing on a lot of interdisciplinary methods, tools and technologies to answer them. —T.W.