Welcome to the Zhang Geomicrobiology and Biogeochemistry Lab
The Zhang laboratory seeks to understand microbial nutrient and energy transfer in past and present environments. Our interdisciplinary approach, which draws inspiration from culture-based microbiology, molecular microbial ecology, and stable isotope geochemistry, is imbued by strong consideration of microbial metabolism at cellular and community scales and involves research in both laboratory and field settings.
Metalloproteins are a central theme in our research as they catalyze nearly all energy transfers in biology. Despite their importance, much remains to be understood about what controls metalloprotein activity in the environment. This fundamentally limits our ability to address changes in climate, elemental cycling, and the energy landscape. We believe that viewing metalloprotein activity in the context of broader metabolic fluxes within and between cells will aid in resolving long-standing questions in microbial biogeochemistry.
Opportunities for microbe lovers at both graduate and post-doc levels are available! Postdoc positions are available for benthic N2 fixation, methane,and alternative nitrogenase related projects. Undergrads interested in gaining research experience should take a look at summer internships in the Zhang lab funded by the The High Meadows Environmental Institute (see https://environment.princeton.edu/education/internships/ )
Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Contact Information:
Princeton University, Department of Geosciences, M47 Guyot Hall, Princeton NJ 08544
Phone: (609) 258-2489
E-mail: [email protected]
Publications Links:
Laboratory News
Congratulations to Professor Xinning Zhang who has been promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences and the High Meadows Environmental Institute, effective July 1, 2025.
Princeton geoscientists Xinning Zhang and Ashley Maloney have discovered that a geology technique shows promise in detecting cancer-like cells. If their preliminary results bear out, they may have identified a new signature for cancer, which could mean earlier diagnosis and better outcomes. Their work appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Xinning Zhang and former research fellow Ashley Maloney, along with other scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, for the first time, uncovered the atomic fingerprints of cancer. The discovery offers an exciting opportunity for early cancer diagnosis, potentially improving survival outcomes for thousands of patients.
Katja's recent publication, "Carbon substrate re-orders relative growth of a bacterium using Mo-, V-, or Fe-nitrogenase for nitrogen fixation" just received international press from a group of grad students…
