Katie Klier is a Freshwater and Marine Sciences PHD student in the Anantharaman lab. Her research areas are Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, and Ecology. Check out her spotlight post for more information about her research, hobbies, and experiences at UW-Madison.
1. Explain your research so that your grandparent or a 5-year old would understand it?
I study hydrothermal vents, which are basically like little volcanos at the bottom of the ocean. The vents release extremely hot water that’s filled with tons of chemicals. We know that tiny microorganisms (like bacteria and viruses) use these chemicals for food and energy, but we don’t know very much about those communities of tiny organisms or why they might be important to the rest of the ocean. So, my research aims to investigate these microbes to understand more about who they are and what they do. To do this, we look at their DNA and use that as a blueprint to begin answering some of these questions.
2. What inspired you to pursue that research?
As a kid, I loved the ocean and I really wanted to be a marine biologist. I think I diverged from that dream a bit when I learned that marine biology wasn’t just hanging out with dolphins all the time. During college, however, I became fascinated in the intersection between ecological research and the emerging molecular biological techniques, like genome sequencing, that are fueling biomedical discoveries. The genomics techniques that I use to study marine microbes allows me to merge those two fields, and although there are very few dolphins involved in what I do, my research still provides me with amazing opportunities to explore and learn about the ocean.
3. What are your hobbies or interests outside of school?
I love animals, so when the weather is nice, I like to volunteer at the animal shelter and take the dogs for walks. I also enjoy trying to convince my friends and family to adopt the dogs. Other than that, I playing relaxing video games and trying all the different coffee shops in town.
4. What are your favorite places/things to do in Madison?
I really like to visit Batch Bakehouse for pastries on Sunday mornings. There’s also several outdoor areas I like to visit like Pheasent Branch and Olbrich Botanical Gardens. In the evenings I like to grab a drink with friends at Youngblood or The Blue Moon.
5. What is a pleasant surprise you’ve encountered while being a graduate student here?
I’ve gotten some opportunities to visit/do research in some amazing places like The Galapagos, the Gulf of California, and Cape Town. I’m always surprised to find people anywhere who are familiar with UW in some way or form and comment on some of the amazing research we do here.
6. What is your dream job?
I really like the range of experiences and work styles my current research provides. Sometimes its intense field work out at sea, sometimes I’m in the lab mentoring undergrads, and sometimes I can just work at my computer at a coffee shop in Madison. So, I think my dream job would be something that allows me to continue to conduct research in multiple ways and to collaborate frequently with others, whether that be in industry, a non-profit, government, or elsewhere.