Sean Bay

Dr. Sean Bay is a Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow at La Trobe University's Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology in Melbourne, Australia. He leads The Bay Group research laboratory, focusing on environmental microbiology with an emphasis on how soil bacteria utilize atmospheric trace gases to survive in energy-limited ecosystems such as deserts, glaciers, and caves. Dr. Bay earned his PhD from Monash University in 2020 under Professor Chris Greening and subsequently held a postdoctoral position with Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future before establishing his independent research group at La Trobe in 2023.

Dr. Bay's research interests center on microbial ecology in extreme environments, particularly investigating how microbes utilize atmospheric trace gases such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane. His work integrates culture-independent techniques with biogeochemical measurements, supported by contemporary statistics and ecological theory. His research program is structured around three main themes: Biodiversity & Function, examining microbial persistence in energy-deprived environments; Soil Fertility & Health, investigating the structural and functional basis of microbial biodiversity in soils; and Climate Change & Global Cycles, exploring the microbial role in driving global biogeochemical cycles and regulating greenhouse gases.

Analysis of Dr. Bay's publication record reveals a strong and consistent focus on microbial metabolism in extreme environments, particularly examining atmospheric trace gas utilization across diverse ecosystems including deserts, caves, glaciers, and Antarctic environments. His work demonstrates how microorganisms have evolved metabolic flexibility to survive in energy-limited conditions, with significant implications for understanding global biogeochemical cycles and climate change processes.

• ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) for 'Cave microbial metabolism as a missing biogeochemical sink' (2023-2026)

Dr. Bay actively supervises research students and has developed the 'Microbiome of Life' subject. His research is supported by competitive grants, including his DECRA fellowship which funds research on cave microbial metabolism as a biogeochemical sink. He collaborates with numerous researchers across Australia and internationally, as evidenced by his extensive publication record with diverse co-authors spanning multiple institutions.

Dr. Bay heads The Bay Group at La Trobe University, which focuses on Environmental Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, and Microbial Ecology. The lab employs various techniques including microbial biodiversity and functional studies, gas chromatography of atmospheric trace gases, microbial activity studies, radioisotope studies, nutrient budgets, soil physicochemistry, and GIS spatial mapping. The group is currently seeking PhD, MSc, and BSc students to join their research on microbial processes in extreme environments, with translational opportunities in microbial biodiversity monitoring, atmospheric gas monitoring, nutrient and carbon monitoring, and soil fertility assessment.