Penny Chisholm

Penny Chisholm is an Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), holding appointments in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering within the School of Science. Her research focuses on marine microbial ecology, particularly the study of Prochlorococcus, the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth, which plays a crucial role in global carbon cycling and oxygen production.

Her educational background includes:

• B.A. from Skidmore College (1969)
• Master's degree from Cornell University (1970)
• Ph.D. from S.U.N.Y. Albany (1974)

Chisholm's research explores the ecology, evolution, and comparative genomics of marine cyanobacteria and their viruses. Her work has revealed how these microscopic organisms form complex communities that drive global ocean processes. She investigates how Prochlorococcus adapts across environmental gradients and how these adaptations shape marine ecosystems on a planetary scale, with significant implications for understanding climate change and ocean health.

Her publication record shows a progression from foundational discoveries about Prochlorococcus to increasingly sophisticated genomic analyses that reveal extraordinary diversity within what was once thought to be a homogeneous population. Recent work focuses on genetic exchange mechanisms, nutrient utilization strategies, and how these microbes colonized the open ocean, connecting molecular mechanisms to global biogeochemical cycles.

Dr. Chisholm has received numerous prestigious awards:

• Franklin Institute Laureate in Earth and Environmental Science (2022)
• Crafoord Prize in Biosciences (2019)
• National Medal of Science (2013)
• Agassiz Medal from the National Academy of Sciences (2010)
• Elected to the National Academy of Sciences (2003)
• Guggenheim Fellowship (1997-1998)

Chisholm has been a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Investigator in Marine Science from 2004-2012, supporting her groundbreaking research. She has also co-authored a series of children's books called 'The Sunlight Series' that explain how sunlight drives Earth's systems, including 'Ocean Sunlight' which won the AAAS Prize for Excellence in Science Books. Her TED talk 'The tiny creature that secretly powers the planet' has reached over 1.5 million viewers.

The Chisholm Laboratory at MIT is a leading center for research on marine cyanobacteria. The lab employs cross-scale systems biology approaches, studying everything from genetic diversity to ecosystem function. Their research has important implications for understanding climate change, ocean carbon cycling, and the fundamental principles that govern life at planetary scales.