My research seeks to understand general principles of metabolic evolution, self-organization of ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles, and the co-evolution of Earth and the biosphere. In particular I work on developing new frameworks and tools for characterizing patterns in metabolic diversity, with the goal of identifying large-scale tradeoffs and forces that shape all levels of the biosphere, from deep time to today.
Within this broader view, my work currently follows two main lines of inquiry. The first focuses on microbial macroevolution and Earth history, where I reconstruct the ancient evolution of metabolic networks to understand how they shaped, and were shaped by, major planetary transitions. The second focuses on modern marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles, where I seek to understand how metabolic diversity differentiates along large-scale environmental gradients.
Going forward, I am excited to translate these same perspectives on metabolic self-organization and co-evolution to a new frontier: the study of human health and disease.
Affiliations & Contact
Research Scientist III
Institutional PI, NSF STC ‘Chemical Currencies of a Microbial Planet’
Department of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Adjunct Scientist
The Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Laboratory
email: braakman-AT-mit.edu
twitter: rogier_braakman
bluesky: rogierbraakman.bsky.social
Rogier Braakman 