She is nationally recognized for her research in microbial proteomics, specifically for developing and applying new mass spectrometry-based technologies for the characterization of environmental microbes and microbial communities.

Research Interests:
Relative quantitative determination of changes in protein abundance
Determination of protein localization and the determination of temporal changes in protein expression patterns
These applications have elucidated important biological processes that play integral roles in microbially mediated bioenergy production, bioremediation, and carbon sequestration. Additionally, the comparison of proteomic data across a variety of microorganisms has allowed the determination of proteins that are necessary for life and those that define the lifestyle of a class of microbes. Such insights will have impact on understanding microbial function across the “Tree of Life” as well as in the emerging field of synthetic biology.