Assistant Professor
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography
10 Ocean Science Circle
Savannah, Ga. 31411
Office: (912) 598-2333
Fax: (912) 598-2310
Email: Julia.Diaz@skio.uga.edu
Education:
B.S. Biology, University of Georgia 2006
Ph.D. Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology 2011
Research Interests:
Research in the Diaz lab explores the interface between marine microbiology and geochemistry. We conduct our research through a combination of lab-based experiments and field work in diverse ocean settings, including tropical reefs and polar seas. Many of our projects focus on phytoplankton, microscopic plantlike organisms that form the base of marine food webs, regulate the global climate, and produce half the oxygen on the planet. We study how these vital organisms obtain the chemical nutrients they need from seawater (such as phosphorus) and how they transform chemical elements into forms that can be harmful or beneficial to life (such as reactive oxygen species). To understand these biogeochemical processes at a fundamental level, we use proteomic and other molecular techniques to identify and track key enzymes and enzyme functions.