Microbial communities drive matter and energy transformations through distributed networks of metabolite exchange that can be reprogrammed through viral infection.  In this light, microorganisms function as information processing units implementing a distributed genetic algorithm manifested in biologically driven redox reactions on a planetary scale. There are an estimated 10^30 bacteria and archaea on the planet encoding over 10^33 individual genes. Navigating this complexity requires the use of diverse scalable computational tools and a deep appreciation for the visual display of scientific information. Learn how we process and interact with information at different levels of biological organization.

Working Groups: Cyano, Lung Microbiome, and Pathways