Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Jennifer Sneed

Biologist

I am a research biologist at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce, FL. My research is focused on understanding the roles that microbes play in the ecological interactions of other marine organisms, specifically chemically mediated interactions. I use state-of-the-art microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry, and bioinformatics techniques in combination with field based assays to understand ecological interactions in the marine environment. I am particularly interested in the role of microbial communities in the recruitment processes of invertebrate larvae and assessing how environmental changes will impact these interactions.  I am also interested in understanding the chemical cues involved in structuring host microbiomes and how those microbiomes affect their host’s health and ecology.

Education
  • Ph.D. Natural Sciences - Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
  • M.S. Biology - University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
  • B.S. Biology - Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri
Research Interests

Marine Chemical and Microbial Ecology, Host-Microbiome Interactions, Coral Reef Ecology

Publications
Dataset
Computer Program or Software
Journal Article
Book Chapter
  • Sneed, Jennifer M. and Puglisi, Melany P. 2018. "The Role of Natural Products in Structuring Microbial Communities of Marine Algae." In Chemical Ecology: The Ecological Impacts of Marine Natural Products. Puglisi, Melany P. and Becerro, Mikel A., editors. Boca Raton: CRC Press. (https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429453465)