Carini Microbial Systems Ecology Lab

Extreme Environments, Extraordinary Microbes

Welcome to the Carini Lab at the University of Arizona. We study how microbes survive where water, nutrients, or energy are scarce, using the tools of systems biology, ecology, and evolution. Our work spans marine and terrestrial settings, from desiccated soils to ocean sediments.

From Isolation to Integration

We pair high-throughput cultivation of environmental microbes with analyses at every scale, from genes to ecosystems. We start by isolating microbes from their natural habitats and use their genomes to predict what they can do. Comparing the genomes of closely related strains then reveals how each is adapted to its environment, and we connect those laboratory findings back to the ecosystems the microbes came from. Current projects examine RNA stability in desiccated soil bacteria, protein-degrading microbes in ocean sediments, and California's belowground microbial biodiversity.

From Discovery to Application

Most microbial lineages on Earth have never been grown in a laboratory, so much of what we know about them is inferred from DNA alone. Our work brings new lineages into culture, where we can measure what they do instead of predicting it from their genomes. We apply the same approach to two questions with practical stakes: how soil microbes tolerate drying, which may inform agricultural practices in drought-prone regions, and how protein-degrading microbes in ocean sediments break down organic matter, which could contribute to environmental restoration technologies. Cultivation also reaches deep into the tree of life. Our lab works with the archaeal lineage that gave rise to complex life, including animals, plants, and fungi. Each microbe we isolate is a chance to learn something we could not have predicted from its genome alone.

Scientific Impact and Media Presence

Our research has been recognized with an NSF CAREER Award and the Simons Early Career Investigator in Marine Microbial Ecology and Evolution Award. Our Asgard archaea work is part of a September 2026 Nature news feature on culturing these microbes, "These bizarre, much-coveted microbes are revealing the origins of complex life". Our work on soil microbes has been featured in the Arizona Republic with a focus on Tucson soils, and on the Matters Microbial podcast. Below, "Making of a Metalhead Scientist" follows former student Brenna as her love of heavy metal and her scientific curiosity shaped her career.

The UnCultured Newsletter

Follow our "UnCultured" newsletter at uncultured.carinilab.com where we share insights on science, academia, and self-improvement. From challenging the status quo of academic traditions like recommendation letters, to exploring work-life boundaries in research, to behind-the-scenes looks at our latest publications, UnCultured offers an authentic window into scientific life and our "loosely held strong convictions" about building a more balanced and effective research community.