I am interested in understanding the evolution of energy metabolism in microbes at multiple scales, from the interactions of organisms with their physical environment down to the modifications of individual bioenergetic protein complexes. I focus on organisms that are important sources and sinks of methane on Earth. Much of my previous work was conducted on uncultured organisms in complex environments, allowing us to understand broadly which biogeochemical processes are carried out by which organisms. My work in the Nayak lab at UC Berkeley will focus on the genetic manipulation and physiological studies to produce more mechanistic understanding of energy metabolism in understudied organisms within the Archaea.