The Geaux Viral Lab studies marine viral ecology around the globe to understand the roles viruses play in shaping the world we live in. Though viruses are smaller than a wavelength of light, they are the most abundant biological entities in the ocean (over 200 million viruses per mouthful of seawater!) and affect all aspects of ocean life, primarily by infecting the numerous living microorganisms that inhabit the oceans. We investigate these marine viruses using metagenomic sequencing and microscopy, combined with field sampling, to understand what types of viruses are in the ocean and how they impact microbial ecology and biogeochemical cycles.

The Geaux Viral Lab is in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where we enjoy working with wonderful colleagues, eating amazing food, and attending Mardi Gras festivities.