Associate ProfessorCraig Herbold

Craig Herbold is a microbial ecologist with research that focuses on the structure, function, and evolution of microbial communities in natural and engineered systems. His work integrates genome-centric metagenomics, population genomics, and phylogenetics to investigate the relationship of microorganisms with their environment.

A common tool used in Dr. Herbold’s research is the reconstruction and analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). These are used to examine the taxonomy, diversity and ecological roles of uncultivated microbial lineages, including Patescibacteria. His studies span a wide range of ecosystems—from wastewater treatment plants and marine environments to the human gut microbiome. Despite his heavy use of MAGs, Dr. Herbold is aware of the methodological challenges associated with them, particularly their limitations in accurately representing individual organisms. His work aims to improve the robustness of ecological and evolutionary inferences drawn from these types of data constrcuts.

In addition to his core research, Dr. Herbold contributes to interdisciplinary efforts in astrobiology, offering microbial ecological perspectives on the search for life beyond Earth. His publications reflect a commitment to uncovering the hidden dynamics of microbial life and advancing our understanding of microbial evolution and function across diverse habitats.