index.qmd

---
title: "Phyllosphere Microbial Ecology @ USF"
image: files/stomata.jpg
about:
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  links:
    - icon: mastodon
      text: Mastodon
      href: https://ecoevo.social/@naupaka
    - icon: github
      text: Lab Github
      href: https://github.com/ZimmermanLab
    - icon: github
      text: Personal Github
      href: https://github.com/naupaka
    - text: "{{< ai google-scholar >}} Google Scholar"
      href: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ejJECSQAAAAJ
    - text: "{{< ai orcid >}} ORCID"
      href: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2168-6390
---

::: {#hero-heading}

Welcome to the website for the Zimmerman Lab at the [University of San Francisco](https://www.usfca.edu/). Our research focuses on understanding the ecology and evolution of plant-associated microbes, with a special affection for foliar endophytic fungi.

The lab is led by [Dr. Naupaka Zimmerman](people/naupaka_zimmerman/index.qmd) and is made up of [many other wonderful folks](people/index.qmd), including undergraduate researchers, Master's students, and sometimes even high school students or other visiting researchers.

We use a range of approaches in our [research](projects/index.qmd) on plant-associated microbial communities. We often start with field work locally in the Bay Area, at [NEON Field Sites](https://www.neonscience.org/field-sites) across the country, or at USF's [Star Route Farms](https://www.usfca.edu/faculty-research/star-route-farms). After culturing and isolating microbes, we use manipulative greenhouse and growth-chamber studies, culture- and molecular-based lab work, bright field and electron microscopy, and finally a good amount of computational and bioinformatic analyses to probe microbial community composition and function.

Information about joining the lab is [available here](join.qmd). Note that while USF does not have any PhD programs, we do have a thesis-based [MS in Biology](https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/programs/graduate/biology) program. 

:::