Jacob Palmer

Jacob Palmer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Binghamton University. His research focuses on microbial ecology, bacterial warfare mechanisms, and microbiome dynamics, particularly in the human gut. He employs molecular biology, protein biochemistry, evolutionary modeling, and experimental ecology to study bacterial combat strategies and their environmental interactions.

Education includes a BS in Biological Sciences from Purdue University (2012), a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth (2019), and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, UK (2019–2023).

His lab investigates how microbes interact with predators (e.g., bacteriophage) and competitors, emphasizing the evolutionary arms race in bacterial defense systems. Recent work includes engineering probiotics to combat pathogens and developing antimicrobial strategies against drug-resistant bacteria.

Key research themes include horizontal gene transfer dynamics, microcin-based antibiotics, and microbial community interactions. The lab actively explores novel environments and employs synthetic biology approaches to address unmet clinical and industrial needs.