Student Researchers
- Elias Lopez Dalla Nora ‘27
- Carter Harris ‘26
- Suwanee Li ‘27
- Luca Odio ‘27
- Allie Vu ‘29
- Azzy Zeigler ‘27
External Collaborators
Ben Schmandt and Ray Jones (Broad Institute); Chris Brigham (UMass Dartmouth); Andrew Brousseau (Black Earth Compost)
Research Objectives
There is a vast, diverse world of microbes in the environment that enable the recycling of nutrients and are vital for ecosystem functioning. Our work focuses on understanding the physiology and metabolism of environmental microbes for advancing basic science understanding and informing solutions for sustainability challenges.
Impact
Our current projects:
1) Study of a phototrophic microbial community that degrades the bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Study of this unique microbial community enables insights into metabolic capabilities relevant to closed-loop processes for plastic.
2) Tracking the fate of different plastic types through an industrial compost system. The comparative tracking of conventional plastics and compostable materials through an industrial composting system informs evaluation of environmental outcomes in compost-based waste management.