Taylor Priest

My research

Microorganisms are the most abundant and diverse living entities on the planet, thriving in every imaginable environment—from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to arid deserts. Over billions of years, they have evolved remarkable adaptations that allow them to flourish in these varied ecosystems, shaping the world as we know it.

My research delves into the fascinating adaptations of microbial life and the eco-evolutionary processes that drive them. I’m captivated by the intricate relationships microbes have with their environments and each other, and my work seeks to uncover the underlying mechanisms that underpin their diversity and evolution.

Some of the key questions that inspire my research and guide my investigations include:

1) What is the diversity of microbial life across Earth’s diverse ecosystems and what are the processes that structure diversity over space and time?

2) What are the physiological and molecular adaptations that distinguish ecologically distinct microbes?

3) What are the ecological or evolutionary drivers of adaptation and diversification?

My journey

From an early age, I was captivated by the diversity of natural ecosystems on our planet and the astonishing diversity of wildlife that inhabits them. My fascination was fuelled by countless hours spent watching nature documentaries and reading books about wildlife. This deep-rooted curiosity eventually led me to Plymouth University, where I pursued a degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography. While I enjoyed exploring intertidal zones and studying the larger creatures of the oceans, it was the lectures on microbiology that truly ignited my imagination.

With the urge to know more, I moved to the Max Planck Institute in Bremen to study a master’s degree in Marine Microbiology. From the moment I began, I realised that I had only scratched the surface of the microbial world. Those 18 months were nothing short of transformative: a steep but exhilarating learning curve that opened my eyes to the incredible complexity of microbial life across Earth’s oceans. It was during this time that my focus crystallised, and I knew microbial ecology was my true calling.

Building on this passion, I embarked on a PhD in the Molecular Ecology department at the same institute. My research was centred around ecologically characterising microbial life that exists at the interface between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Over 3.5 years, I gained invaluable skills, tackled challenging questions, and grew not just as a scientist but as a person. It was a journey filled with both triumphs and obstacles, but each step deepened my commitment to understanding the microbial world and strengthened my passion for research.

More recently, I moved to the Microbiome Research Lab at ETH Zurich as a Postdoctoral researcher. Now, my research has expanded beyond the bounds of the oceans and is focused on understanding how the extant diversity of microorganisms we see across Earth’s biomes have adapted and evolved over time.