Sheri Floge

Sheri Floge is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Wake Forest University, where she leads a research group focused on marine microbial ecology and its role in ocean biogeochemical cycles. Her work bridges field observations and laboratory experiments to understand how microbes and viruses interact and influence carbon and nitrogen cycling in marine ecosystems.

Her research interests include marine microbial interactions, viral manipulation of host metabolism, microbial biogeochemistry, and the use of imaging, molecular, and computational biology tools. She emphasizes student-led research, fostering critical thinking, inclusivity, and teamwork in her mentorship.

The recent publications (2019–2024) reflect a strong trend in studying phage-host dynamics, particularly how viral infection alters microbial behavior and chemical signaling, influencing broader ecosystem functions such as carbon cycling and predator-prey interactions. Techniques like microfluidics and transcriptomics are central to her approach.

• Metabolites from phage-infected Synechococcus attract heterotrophic bacteria (2024, Nature Microbiology)
• Development of microfluidic tools for high-throughput chemotaxis assays (2024, Bio-protocol; 2023, eLife)
• Protist impacts on cyanovirocell metabolism (2022, ISME Communications)
• Role of viruses in deterring grazing and altering gene expression in Emiliania huxleyi (2016)
• Standardized ecosystems (EcoFABs) for microbiome research (2019, Nature Methods)

Sheri Floge actively mentors graduate students, including Jonathan Moon (MS, 2023), Reza, and Archana Cherukat (PhD students). Her lab receives research support enabling student-driven projects and participation in national meetings such as the Ocean Sciences Meeting. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects involving biogeochemical modeling, remote sensing, and synthetic ecosystems.

The Floge Lab maintains active research in marine microbial ecology, with ongoing work on chemical signaling in virus-infected microbes and the ecological consequences of viral lysis in oceanic systems.