Xuefeng (Nick) Peng

Xuefeng (Nick) Peng is an Assistant Professor at the School of Earth, Ocean & Environment, University of South Carolina, within the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on microbial interactions in marine environments, integrating methods from microbial ecology, geochemistry, and computational biology. He leads the Marine Microbial Ecology Lab, exploring how microorganisms shape and respond to environmental changes.

His work spans biogeochemical cycles, climate change impacts, and coastal processes. Notable research includes studies on marine fungi, nitrogen cycling in ocean basins, and microbial adaptations in extreme environments like oxygen minimum zones. Peng’s lab collaborates on field expeditions (e.g., eastern tropical South Pacific cruises) and public outreach, such as educational programs at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden.

Recent publications highlight topics like nitrogen dynamics in Santa Barbara Basin sediments and genomic insights into marine microbial communities. His team emphasizes equity, inclusion, and diversity in scientific publishing through initiatives like updates to JGR: Biogeosciences policies.

Peng advises a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students, including Qingtiantian Nong and Juliana Doering. His lab partners with organizations such as the Baruch Marine Field Lab and NOAA for fieldwork and educational outreach. Collaborations include genomic analyses of microbial consortia in goat gut microbiomes and studies on airborne mycobiomes during dust storms.