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Ecosystems

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Natural Ecosystems

Biophysical processes in the fate of organic carbons in a watershed // Credit: Blair Lab

Research Topics

River corridor carbon & material cycles • fate & speciation of metals microbial ecology of soils & waters • hydrology-microbial ecology interactions • wetlands • metal-microbe interactions • aquatic system connectivity • Great Lakes • coral reefs • arid ecosystems

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Engineered Ecosystems

Degradation mechanisms of plastics to nanoplastics and bioavailable carbons by wastewater bacteria // Credit: Aristilde LabResearch Topics

Contaminated sediments (metal, organic, pathogens) • environmental biotechnology for treatment & resource recovery • wetland restoration • green infrastructure • urban waterways • microbial electrochemical systems • microbial ecology at the food-energy-water nexus • microbial systems for a circular bioeconomy

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Microbial Processes

Recycling of phosphorus from biopolymers by enzymes secreted by plants and fungi // Credit: Aristilde LabResearch Topics

Agricultural carbon cycle • biogeochemical cycling of C, N, P • aquatic foodweb structure & function • periphyton structure & function • metabolomics of carbon cycle • phosphorus recycling • microbial metabolism of engineered processes • carbon and nutrient recovery

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Biofilms & Biological Interfaces

Credit: G. Wells

Research Topics

Biofilm reactors • anti-biofilm agents • biofilm structure-mechanical property • flow-biofilm interactions • bioinspired & bio-sourced materials for structural use -function relationships • antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance • biofilm reactors

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Microbiome in Living and Built Systems

Survival of a Bacillus species from a microbial community exposed to painted drywall; vegetative state (left), sporulation state (top right), in antimicrobial swab (bottom right) // Credit: Hartmann Lab


Research Topics

Built environment microbiome • gut & lung microbiome • soil microbiome • human • microbiome bacteriophage therapy • ocean microbiome • wastewater microbiome

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Ecological Health

Healthy but endangered staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, in Belize // Credit: Marcelino Lab

Research Topics

Biotransformation of contaminant compounds • fate & impact of persistent organic chemicals • bioaccumulation & biomagnification of contaminants • water security • river system management • urban biodiversity • climate change impacts • health of coral reefs

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