Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward is a microbiology researcher at Bowling Green State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, leading the Aquatic MicroBiomes Lab. His work focuses on microbial community dynamics in natural and engineered aquatic systems, including the Great Lakes, coastal oceans, and algal cultivation ponds.

• Education: Ph.D., Duke University
• Contact: chrward@bgsu.edu

Research interests include:

• Microbial ecology and interspecies interactions
• Phytoplankton-heterotroph relationships
• Cyanobacterial bloom dynamics
• Application of genomics and bioinformatics to aquatic systems
• Ecological theory for sustainable biotech solutions

Recent publications highlight trends in:

• Environmental drivers of microbial community shifts
• Microbiome roles in biofuel production and water quality
• Interdisciplinary approaches combining fieldwork, culturing, and omics

The Aquatic MicroBiomes Lab collaborates across disciplines to address challenges in algal biofuels, aquaculture, and mammalian health through microbial ecology studies.