Andreas Teske is a biochemist by training, but became fascinated by the microbial world of the oceans and focused his Ph.D. research on the ecology and diversity of marine bacteria that catalyze the sulfur cycle. After completing his Ph.D. at Bremen University and the Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology in Germany in 1995, he spent his postdoc years at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and stayed on as Assistant Scientist. Andreas Teske joined the UNC Marine Sciences faculty in 2002. His research interests include the microbiology of the deep marine subsurface, and microbial ecosystems of petroleum seeps and hydrothermal vents. In search of novel extreme marine microorganisms, he and his students are participating in a wide range of research cruises.