{"id":231943,"date":"2026-04-08T12:18:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T22:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=231943"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:01:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T00:01:20","slug":"edward-delong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/08\/edward-delong\/","title":{"rendered":"Pioneering marine microbiologist elected to European fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Phytoplankton. (Photo credit: NOAA<\/abbr> MESA Project)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Mānoa<\/span> Professor Emeritus of oceanography<\/a> and pioneering marine microbiologist Edward DeLong<\/a>, was elected<\/a> as a Fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology. The recognition celebrates outstanding scientific achievement and leadership in microbiology.<\/p>\n

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Edward DeLong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DeLong is considered a trailblazer in the field of metagenomics—the study of all genetic material from all organisms in a particular environment—whose research has transformed understanding of the ocean’s microbial life. His work advanced innovative gene cloning and sequencing, allowing scientists to study complex marine microbial communities and their role in the environment without the use of traditional microbial cultures.<\/p>\n

“I was thrilled to hear the news about Ed’s election to the European Academy of Microbiology, a well-earned honor,” said David Karl, UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> oceanography professor,DeLong\u2019s long-time colleague and co-director of both the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education and the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology<\/a>. “Ed and other newly elected members represent the second golden age of microbiology, one centered on microbial oceanography and ecology.”<\/p>\n

Scientific breakthroughs<\/h2>\n

Early in DeLong\u2019s career, he used methodologies developed by his postdoctoral research advisor Norm Pace to identify microbes “in the wild.” Together they discovered two new lineages of a major microbial group called Archaea (previously not thought to live in seawater) were abundant everywhere—from Station ALOHA<\/a> in the Pacific Ocean to Antarctica, and from the sea surface to the seafloor.<\/p>\n

Later, new methods that DeLong\u2019s group adapted from the Human Genome project to study microbial ecology led to the discovery that most bacteria in the upper ocean can use sunlight to generate biochemical energy using proteins called opsins. This finding revealed a widespread, previously unknown solar energy-gathering mechanism in the ocean, with significant implications for the global carbon and energy cycles.<\/p>\n

“To be recognized and honored by world-renowned microbiologists of the European Union was unexpected, and very humbling,” DeLong said. “I believe that scientific disciplines like microbiology should have no geographic or cultural boundaries—yet in today\u2019s political landscape there are increasing challenges to free and open international collaborations. To me, this makes recognition by the European Academy of Microbiology all the more potent of an honor.”<\/p>\n

For more information, see the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Edward DeLong is considered a trailblazer in the field of metagenomics, the study of all genetic material from all organisms in a particular environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":231948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[257,598,1050,148,107,92,9],"class_list":["post-231943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-center-for-microbial-oceanography-research-and-education","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-genetics","tag-microbiology","tag-oceanography","tag-school-of-ocean-and-earth-science-and-technology","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t