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Laibin Huang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Biology

Courses Taught

BIOL 4640 - General Microbiology

Education

Ph.D., University of Florida

Research Interests

I am a microbiologist, and my studies have focused on “Microbial Ecology” using the combination of classical techniques (qPCR, amplicon sequence, isotopes), state-of-the-art omics (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics) and bioinformatic tools (high-performance computing, python, snakemake, R program).

With the vast functional and metabolic diversity, microorganisms are integral to all the earth’s ecosystems; however, they change constantly throughout the time and space. Meanwhile, the intensive human activities and global climate changes pose great challenges to and complications for the understanding of their dynamics and the quantification of their roles in contributing to ecosystem functions and health. Hence, my research has aimed to explore the roles that microorganisms play in adapting to and mitigation of the global changes.

To be specific, my research is in the interface among Microbial Ecology, Bioinformatics and Environmental/Soil Science in the changing world, and spans two directions including:

(1) community/restoration ecology--assembly of soil microbiome in the diverse ecosystems and their response (resistance and resilience) to the changing environments;

(2) microbial evolution and diversification--evolution and diversification of microbiome related to nitrifiers and denitrifiers, and their controls on global nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the links to soil fertility and health.

Labs and Facilities

Huang lab website (https://seahuanglaibin.wixsite.com/sluhuang) 

Publications and Media Placements

Recent publications (5 years):

Google Scholar page or CV for a full publication list: 

Huang, L., Soares, R.A., Wright, A., Corrêa, R.S., Silva, L., Rodrigues, J.L.M. (2023). Regeneration of the soil microbiome is directly associated with carbon accumulation in a biodiversity hotspot. (Under review)

Huang, L., Levintal Elad, Christian B. Erikson. Coyotl Adolfo, Dahlke Helen E., Horwath William R, Rodrigues Jorge L. Mazza. 2023. Molecular and dual-isotopic profiling of the microbial controls on nitrogen leaching in agricultural soils under managed aquifer recharge. Environmental Science & Technology. 2023, 57, 30, 11084–11095

Zhao J., Huang L., Chakrabarti S., Cooper J., Choi E., Ganan C., Tochinsky B., Triplett E., Daroub S.H., Martens-Habbena W. 2023. Nutrient acquisition strategies drive coexistence patterns among globally predominant archaeal lineages in soil. ISME J. 2023, 17, 1839-1850.

Levintal, E., Huang, L., García, C. P., Coyotl, A., Fidelibus, M. W., ... Rodrigues, J. L. & Dahlke, H. E., 2023. Nitrogen Fate During Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge: Linking Plant Response, Hydrologic, and Geochemical Processes. Science of the Total Environment, 864:161206

Huang, L., Bai, J., Wang J., Zhang G., Wang W., Wang X., Zhang L., Wang Y., Liu X., and Cui B. 2022. Different stochastic processes regulate bacterial and fungal community assembly in estuarine wetland soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 167: 108586.

Zhang, G., Bai, J., Tebbe, C.C., Huang, L., Jia, J., Wang, W., Wang, X., Yu, L. and Zhao, Q., 2022. Plant invasion reconstructs soil microbial assembly and functionality in coastal salt marshes. Molecular Ecology, 31:4478–4494.

Yu, L., Bai, J., Huang, L., Zhang, G., Wang, W., Wang, X., and Yu, Z. 2022. Carbon-rich substrates altered microbial communities with indication of carbon metabolism functional shifting in a degraded salt marsh of the Yellow River Delta, China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 331, 129898.

Zhang, G., Bai, J., Tebbe, C.C., Huang, L., Jia, J., Wang, W., Wang, X., Zhao, Q., Wen, L., Kong, F. and Xi, M., 2022. Habitat-specific responses of soil organic matter decomposition to Spartina alterniflora invasion along China's coast. Ecological Applications, e2741.

Huang, L., Chakrabarti, S., Cooper, J., Perez, A., John, S., Daroub, S., and Martens-Habbena, W. 2021. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are integral to nitrogen cycling in a highly fertile agricultural soil. ISME Communications, 1(1), 1-12.

Huang, L., Bea, H., Young, C., Pain, A., Martin, J.B., and Ogram, A. 2021. Campylobacterota dominate the microbial communities in a tropical karst subterranean estuary, with implications for cycling and export of nitrogen to coastal waters. Environmental Microbiology, 23(11), 6749–6763.

Huang, L., Zhang G., Bai J., Xia Z., Wang W., Jia J., Wang X., Liu X., and Cui B. 2021. Desalinization via freshwater restoration highly improved microbial diversity, co-occurrence patterns and functions in coastal wetland soils. Science of the Total Environment, 765: 142769.

Yu, M., Su, W., Huang, L., Parikh, S.J., Tang, C., Dahlgren, R.A., and Xu, J. 2021. Bacterial community structure and putative nitrogen-cycling functional traits along a charosphere gradient under waterlogged conditions. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 162, 108420.

Wang, L., Chen, H., Wu, J., Huang, L., Brookesa, P., Rodriguesc, J., Xu, J., and Liu, X. 2021. Effects of magnetic biochar-microbe composite on Cd remediation and microbial responses in paddy soil. Journal of hazardous materials, 44: 125494.

Zhang, G.L., Bai, J., Tebbe, C.C., Huang, L., Jia, J., Wang, W., Wang, X., Yu, L., and Zhao, Q. 2020. Spartina alterniflora invasions reduce soil fungal diversity and simplify co-occurrence networks in a salt marsh ecosystem. Science of The Total Environment, 143667.

Huang, L., Bai, J., Wen, X., Zhang, G., Zhang, C., Cui, B. and Liu, X. 2020. Microbial resistance and resilience in response to environmental changes under the higher intensity of human activities than global average level. Global Change Biology, 26: 2377-2389.

Behnke, G. D., Zabaloy, M. C., Riggins, C. W., Rodríguez-Zas, S., Huang, L., and Villamil, M. B. 2020. Acidification in corn monocultures favor fungi, ammonia oxidizing bacteria, and nirK-denitrifier groups. Science of The Total Environment, 720(10):137514.

Huang, L., Riggins C. W., Rodríguez-Zas S., Zabaloy M. C., and Villamil M. B. 2019. Long-term N fertilization imbalances potential N acquisition and transformations by soil microbes. Science of the Total Environment, 691: 562-571.

Pain, A., Martin, J.B., Young, C.R., Huang, L., and Valle-Levison, A. 2019. Organic carbon quantity and quality across salinity gradients in conduit-versus diffuse flow-dominated subterranean estuaries. Limnology & Oceanography, 64(3): 1368-1402.

Bae, H., Huang, L., White, J., Wang, J., Delaune, R., and Ogram, A. 2018. Response of microbial populations regulating nutrient biogeochemical cycles to oiling of coastal saltmarshes from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Environmental pollution, 241, 136-147.