Matthew Saxton

Matthew Saxton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Miami University, with affiliations in the Cell, Molecular and Structural Biology Graduate Program and Microbiology. He holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (2011). His research focuses on microbial responses to environmental changes in aquatic systems, combining classical microbiological techniques with high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing. Key areas include microbial partnerships with cable bacteria, impacts of terrestrial chemicals on harmful algal blooms, and sulfur-oxidizing bacterial ecology.

His research projects are supported by grants from the USGS/Ohio Water Resources Center and the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Current studies examine microbial community dynamics in wet stormwater retention basins and agricultural runoff effects on cyanobacterial blooms. Saxton also investigates the biogeochemical roles of cable bacteria in sediment nutrient cycles.

• Education: Ph.D. Microbiology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (2011)
• Labs: Saxton Lab (specializing in microbial ecology and aquatic systems)
• Teaching: Courses include Medical Microbiology (MBI 161), Microorganisms & Human Disease (MBI 111), and Human Health Biotechnology (BSC 416).

His publications span topics like microbial succession in marine sediments, methane oxidation dynamics post-Deepwater Horizon, and glyphosate's impact on phytoplankton communities. Research emphasizes aquatic microbial community resilience to anthropogenic and natural stressors.