Her research is directed towards understanding microbial and viral interactions through large-scale metagenomic, single cell/virion genomic and cultivation based approaches. She led the experimental design and implementation of the first single virion isolation and genomic characterization and is currently using these techniques to evaluate samples from the natural environment. Through community level analyses of microbial and virioplankton consortia and culture-based virus/host dynamics, in particular eukaryotic phytoplankton host/virus, she is investigating the influence of viruses on host function, ecosystem performance, community-level diversity and the evolution of hosts.