Microbes: What are they and what can they do? with Dr. Srijak Bhatnagar

On this episode of Arctic Minded, Julia talks with Dr. Srijak Bhatnagar about small, often overlooked, key organisms in the environment: microbes. These “unsung heroes” play many roles in ecosystem services, yet we have only started the scratch the surface in learning all these organisms have to offer. Historically, microbes have received negative attention for their part in disease and illness, however from producing oxygen to their ability to degrade oil, they play an essential role in sustaining our environment. Listen to learn more about these invisible organisms and what they are capable of.  

Srijak is an Assistant Professor of Microbial Ecology and Computational Biology at Athabasca University. His expertise in interpreting DNA sequencing data allows him to study microbes in various environments, including the Arctic Ocean. His research program focuses on studying ecosystems from a microbial perspective and leveraging microbes for a sustainable environment, with an emphasis on monitoring and remediation. He has been working on generating microbial baseline data to map the microbial biogeography of Canada’s Arctic Ocean and the microbial response to Arctic Oil Spills. Since his first introduction to microbes during high school in India, he has found his passion in studying these “invisible” unsung heroes and becoming a microbe superfan. Aside from research,  he is also a passionate science communicator and works with the Arctic Institute of North America to increase the awareness and uptake of DNA-based knowledge in Arctic policy and decision-making.