Kendra Maas

She/Her

I’m a lesbian and I’m a microbial ecologist. //

I want to understand the microbes (primarily bacteria, with a side of fungi and archaea) that exist all around and in us. Primarily I focus on the community structure of microbes—where do microbes live, and what other microbes do they like or avoid? I started out wanting to be a microbial naturalist in Yellowstone—I wanted to identify microbes in the wild the way that big-thing naturalists can talk about plants and animals. Some day that may be possible. I like gardening and hiking with my wife and our son. I’m also a big fan of open science and making science accessible regardless of socioeconomic status.