Welcome to the home page of Corien Bakermans. I am a microbiologist interested in determining what adaptations microorganisms have evolved to live at low temperatures and how these adaptations are relevant to ecological success and ecosystem processes.

Contact me:

Corien Bakermans, PhD

Assistant Professor of Microbiology

Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Pennsylvania State University Altoona

3000 Ivyside Park

Altoona, PA 16601

(814) 940-3313

email 

Extremophiles in general are my passion as they take me into the field and also allow reductionist work in the laboratory.  I am particularly fascinated by how microorganisms approach the thermodynamic constraints of low-temperature environments.  Low-temperature environments (such as sea ice, glacial ice, the deep sea, and permafrost) are inhabited by a variety of cold-adapted organisms from microorganisms to fish and plants, but are clearly dominated by microorganisms in terms of species diversity and biomass.  Yet, microbiologists have only begun to realize the potential for bacteria to actively survive, and even reproduce, in cold environments at temperatures as low as -20°C.  Whether or not bacteria are active enough to actually reproduce in these or other low-temperature environments remains to be conclusively demonstrated.  Few studies have examined the physiological adaptations of microorganisms at low temperatures and even fewer studies have examined the growth of microorganisms at temperatures below -1.7°C (the freezing point of seawater).  Clearly large gaps in our knowledge persist about the activities and processes of microbial communities at low temperatures and in the environment.