We conduct research at the intersection of environmental microbiology with soil and water quality, focusing on two broad areas. The first area is relationships between microbial community structure and ecological functions such as nutrient cycling. The second area relates to microbial transport and water quality, with a specific focus on the fate and transport of pathogens and fecal indicators at the watershed scale. By combining new methods in environmental genomics with traditional culture-based techniques we seek to gain new insights into these important dynamics in a variety of habitats. We also strive to develop highly collaborative and interdisciplinary projects, working with a variety of colleagues from ecology, engineering, agriculture, chemistry, and public health.

Brian Badgley is an Associate Professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech.