Leavitt Lab

Research Overview

We conduct experiments to unravel the fundamental microbiological and environmental (physicochemical) controls that drive Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Much of our experimental infrastructure is custom designed/built to our applications.  

On-going Projects

​Bulk C and H isotopic fractionations during methane production by C-P lyase.

• Led by: L. Taenzer (M.S. student) & W. Leavitt (PI)

• Collaborators: P. Carini (ASU), A. Masterson (Northwestern)

• Funding: Dartmouth Vice Provost for Research SEED

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Clumped isotope signals of methane from non-traditional sources.​

• Led by: W. Leavitt (PI) & L. Taenzer (M.S. student)

• Collaborators: D. Rumble III (Carnegie), E. Young & J. Labidi (UCLA)

• Funding: Dartmouth Vice-provost for Research

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The H-isotopic compositions of thermoacidophile GDGTs in response to energy and the environment. 

• Led by: W. Leavitt (PI), Y. Weber & A. Pearson (Harvard)

• Collaborators: S. Kopf (CU Boulder), A. Zhou (Dartmouth), & F. Elling (Harvard)

• Funding: American Chemical Society

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Thermoacidophile GDGT variance as a function of energy availability. 

• Led by: A. Zhou (M.S. student), A. Cobban (Undergrad), W. Leavitt (PI)

• Collaborators: E. Boyd & M .Amenabar (Montana State Univ.), A. Pearson, F. Elling & Y. Weber (Harvard)

• Funding: American Chemical Society, Dartmouth College

Mechanisms of GDGT cyclization in Sulfolobus islandicus.

• Led by: B. Chiu (Research Asst./Lab Mgr.), A. Zhou (M.S. Student), W. Leavitt (PI)

• Collaborators: C. Zhang & R. Whitaker (Univ. Illinois), A. Pearson, F. Elling & Y. Weber (Harvard)

• Funding: Dartmouth College, NASA_NAI, DOE-JGI CSP

Present Funding