Asa studies how microbes contribute to the functioning of larger organisms. For his dissertation, he uses the digestive microbiome of the carnivorous California pitcher plant as a model for understanding how microbiomes function and how we can manipulate them. Asa seeks to use knowledge of natural history to identify understudied, non-model organisms that open doors for answering critical questions. In doing so, he hopes to find solutions to human challenges and to highlight the importance of deeply understanding biodiversity.