Research Areas:

• Microbial nitrogen and carbon metabolism
• Integrated -omic analyses
• Biocementation

Techniques:

• DNA and RNA-sequencing
• Genome mining
• Transcriptomic data analysis
• Bacterial culture

Project Description:

My research focuses on understanding how certain bacteria remove nitrogen from the environment through a process called heterotrophic nitrification – aerobic denitrification (HNAD). These bacteria are unique because they can convert soluble inorganic nitrogen into nitrogen gas under oxygen-rich conditions, a capability that traditional nitrifiers and denitrifiers do not have. 

I use a combination of physiological characterization, whole genome sequencing, and -omic gene expression analyses to uncover how these organisms regulate their metabolism, what genes and pathways are involved, and how we can leverage them to reduce nitrogen pollution. The long-term goal of this work is to design microbial-based solutions for nitrogen removal that can enhance the sustainability of agricultural and engineered systems (biocementation, wastewater treatment). 

Students who participate in this work will gain experience in multi-factor experimental design, RNA sequencing workflow, and transcriptomic data analyses to uncover nitrogen and carbon metabolic pathways in novel bacterial isolates.