Drinking water microbiome
Tap water contains a diverse microbiome to which we are exposed many times a day. The structure of this drinking water microbiome is shaped by diverse factors including the source water, treatment processes, and characteristics of water distribution systems and building plumbing. We are interested in identifying the major factors that shape the drinking water microbiome. We aspire to being able to design a desireable drinking water microbiome that is not only pathogen-free but is probiotic, and can ensure the high quality of water throughout distribution and plumbing systems.
Microbial community management
The assembly of microbial communities is governed by four major processes: dispersal, selection, drift and diversification. We are interested in what drives the assembly of microbial communities in engineered environments. Developing an understanding of the interaction between the ecological processes that drive community assembly and the design and operation of engineered systems will enable us to better manage microbial communities in biological treatment which could lead to improved functionality, increased stability in the face of disturbance, and increased sustainability of engineered processes.
Biological contaminant treatment
Biological processes for contaminant treatment tend to be less energy intensive and disruptive to the environment compared to chemical and physical methods, and often result in the complete mineralization of contaminants. We are interested in microbial processes involved in the biodegradation and/or treatment of diverse contaminants that are common in water and the atmosphere and anthropogenic pollutants including manganese and other metals/ metalloids, reactive nitrogen and organic contaminants like methane, hydrocarbons and pesticides.
Aeromicrobiology
Although we know that microbes are present in the atmosphere, we know very little about their viability and activity. We are interested in determining the role that microbes play in biotransformation within the atmosphere. In particular, we're focused on the biological transformation of volatile pollutants including organics and inorganics ranging from methane and hydrocarbons to nitrous oxide and hydrogen sulfide.