Current


 

Laura Camilleri

Dr. Laura Camilleri

Post-doctoral Research Associate

Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail: laura.camilleri@montana.edu

Research Project:

Optimization of a robust biofilm-biomat reactor for conversion of NASA mission-relevant feedstocks to products.  Fungal mycelial networks form dense biomats with many characteristics that are desirable for making food products.  My research focuses on enhancing the physiology of and understanding phenotypic variations within the biomat.  To better understand the fungal biofilm, I utilize microelectrodes for O2 profiles, confocal microscopy and other imaging techniques for 3D structures, and HPLC for organic acid detection.

Lee McGill

S. Lee McGill

Ph.D Candidate

Dept. of Microbiology & Cell Biology

Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail: stacy.mcgill1@montana.edu

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

Dissecting the physiology of clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Concepts of interest: interspecies interactions on metabolic and structural scales, emergent properties of multispecies biofilms, and geometric constraints on metabolic activities.  Using the physiological data that I acquire, in silico genome scale metabolic pathway models can be fine tuned to give better insights into potential treatments of multispecies biofilm infections.

Adrienne Arnold

Adrienne Arnold

Master's Student

Dept. of Microbiology & Cell Biology

Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail: adrienne.arnold@montana.edu

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

I use metabolic modeling to investigate the effects of cultivation stresses on two types of organisms: methanotrophs and green microalgae. My focus is on the role of carbon storage compounds as energy reserves for use when nutrients are limited.

Martina Du

Martina Du

Undergraduate Student

Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

E-mail: martinadu@montana.edu

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

My project involves studying the amino acid economics between mutant strains of Escherichia coli by examining cross feeding within engineered cocultures. Gathering data on the economies of various bacterial consortia can help control growth rates, optimize production, create catalysts, and to understand microbial exchanges in the environment. 

 

Charles Holcomb

Charles Holcomb

Undergraduate Student

Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail: charlesholcomb@montana.edu

Research Project:

My research involves studying the growth conditions of alkali-tolerant algae for the optimization of lipid production for biofuels. This data will help improve and support an in silico metabolic model of the algae that can be used to guide future experiments.

Rachel Anderson

Rachel Anderson

Undergraduate Student

Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail: rachel.anderson19@montana. edu

Research Project:

I work underneath PhD candidate Lee McGill, on his project on biofilm antibiotic tolerance. Antibiotic resistance has become widespread, and our hope is to help lay the framework for alternatives to this medical treatment through studying the metabolism of common bacteria found in chronic wounds. By testing microorganisms in simpler systems in the lab, we hope to gain an understanding on the behavior of these microorganisms in much more complicated natural systems.

 

Former

 


 

HeeJoon Park

Dr. Heejoon Park

Assistant Professor of Engineering

North Alabama University

 

 

E-mail: Heejoon.park@montana.edu

Publications

Research Project:

As a Post-doctoral Research Associate in the Dept. of Chemical and biological Engineering, Center for Biofilm Engineering:

Development of Robust Microbial Communities through Engineered Biofilms
Summary : The major goal of this project is the rational design and control of robust microbial biofilms using engineering approaches including synthetic biology, in silico modeling and applied chemical gradients to modulate
microbial phenotypes. The model consortia biofilm for demonstrating the emergent property of enhanced
community functioning is designed to deconstruct waste cellulosic material and produce useful chemicals such
as isobutanol and methane.
Albert Tafur Rangel

Dr. Albert Tafur Rangel

Ph.D. in 2020 Engineering
Universidad de Los Andes. 
Magister in computational biology. 
B.Sc in Microbiology
 
 

E-mail:

Research Project:

My research is focused in optimize the bioconversion of glycerol to succinic acid by (1) prediction of metabolic engineering targets in E. coli using COBRA models and (2) integrating metabolic modeling and upstream-downstream processing in order to determine the effects of metabolic engineering on downstream processing from an energy, mass, cost perspective. 

Ashley Beck

Dr. Ashley Beck

Assistant Professor of Biology

Carrol College

 

Ph.D Microbiology & Immunology

Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:

Research Project:

My research examines metabolic pathways via (1) metabolic modeling with resource allocation-based analysis, implemented in a thermophilic cyanobacterial system, and (2) engineering synthetic Escherichia coli consortia to understand metabolic exchange and organic acid detoxification in the context of ecological theory.

Taylor Bloom

Taylor Blossom

Undergraduate

Schwartzman Scholar

E-mail:

Research Project:

 

Marketa Hulkova

Dr. Markéta Hůlková

PhD 2019

E-mail:

Research Project:

Interspecies interactions can enhance Pseudomonas aeruginosa tolerance to surfaces functionalized with silver nanoparticles (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111027)

Kris Hunt

Dr. Kristopher Hunt

Post Doctoral Research Associate

University of Washington, Seattle

E-mail:
Additional Info: Publications

Research Project:

My projects involve the production of fuels and chemicals from renewable feedstocks by novel fungi and recombinant bacteria. The strategy is to use modeling to identify optimal modifications, genetic engineering to produce the modifications, and culturing techniques/reactor design to influence regulation in favor of metabolic flux toward desired products.

Zackary Jay

Dr. Zackary Jay

Research Scientist MSU

E-mail:

Research Project:

Thermodynamic analysis of bifurcating hydrogenases

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2019.148087

Heidi Schoen

Dr. Heidi Schoen

Ph.D 2017
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

My project also involves alternative fuels and specialty chemicals created by endophytic fungal species. I characterize fungal growth, metabolites and hydrocarbon production in liquid cultures. I am also working on optimizing hydrocarbon production from fungal fermentation in solid state reactors utilizing solid state feed stocks.

Alissa Bleem

Alissa Bleem

Post doctoral researcher NREL

E-mail:

Research Project:

I collaborate with Hans Bernstein to study systems of engineered Escherichia coli mutants, and my goal is to develop theoretical and experimental methods for analyzing the kinetics of acetic acid inhibition in these organisms. A theoretical model of our system is currently under development as a collaborative effort with members of the mathematics department.

James Folsom

Dr. James Folsom

Post-doctoral Research Associate
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: James Folsom personal page iconPersonal page LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

Protein expression of carbon, iron, and nitrogen limited E. coli grown in chemostats at 0.1-0.4/h. Metabolic modeling to compare with proteomic data collected from Chemostat cultures. Construction of Microsoft HPC Cluster for genome scale elementary flux mode calculation.

Florence Mus

Dr. Florence Mus

Post-doctoral Research Associate
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin Publications

Research Project:

Lipid-Derived Biofuels: Determination of factors that control triglyceride accumulation in microalgae.

Olusegun Oshota

Dr. Olusegun Oshota

Post-doctoral Research Associate
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin Publications

Reed Taffs

Reed Taffs

Ph.D Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin Publications

Research Project:

I refine, analyze, and experimentally validate network models, focused on the effects of nitrogen-limitation on E. coli metabolism. Previously, my work focused on thermoacidophilic Archaea and thermophilic/phototrophic mat communities.

Natasha Mallette

Dr. Natasha Mallette

Ph. D Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin Publications

Research Project:

Study Ascocoryne sarcoides, an endophytic filamentous fungus which produces volatile hydrocarbons. Evaluate different growth substrates and environmental conditions for growth and hydrocarbon production. Current work includes determining growth and hydrocarbon production on cellulosic substrates using NMR, PTR-MS, HS-SPME GC/MS and HPLC. This project has applications in renewable biofuel production.

Hans Bernstein

Dr. Hans Bernstein

Ph. D Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin Publications

Research Project:

My research focuses on the investigation of natural and engineered microbial communities. Also, numerical modeling of reaction network systems and biofilm reaction/diffusion phenomena. This research has potential applications for bioprocess and environmental engineering.

Jean-Paul Toussaint

Jean-Paul Toussaint

Undergraduate
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: Publications

Research Project:

Lipid-Derived Biofuels: Determination of factors that control triglyceride accumulation in microalgae.

Elle Pankratz

Elle Pankratz

Undergraduate
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

Assist Natasha Malette with the Gliocladium roseum project.

Patrick Tate

Patrick Tate

Undergraduate
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

Assisted Hans Bernstein with microbial community engineering and investigation.

Steve Paulson

Steven Paulson

Undergraduate
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

Assist Hans Bernstein with microbial community engineering and investigation.

Kiera McNelis

Kiera McNelis

Undergraduate
BS Chemical Engineering 2012
Center for Biofilm Engineering

Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Research Project:

In collaboration with Trevor Zuroff's work, I am investigating quorum sensing in Escheria coli k-12, Staphylococcus epidermis, and Staphylococcus aureus by testing various antibiotic challenges, temperatures, and nutritional environments to better understand cell-to-cell communication in biofilms.

Trevor Zuroff

Trevor Zuroff

Undergraduate
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Center for Biofilm Engineering

E-mail:
Additional Info: Personal Site

Research Project:

I am examining the effect of quorum sensing gene knockouts of Escherichia coli K-12 biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and architecture. Many parameters are being explored including various temperatures, antibiotics, nutritional environments and shear forces. The goal is to gain a better understanding of bacterial cell-cell communication in order to attempt to control behavior. I am also developing and optimizing packed bed reactor systems to be used in biological plastic production using engineered microorganisms.

Aaron Hedegaard

Aaron Hedegaard

Undergraduate
BS Chemical and Biological Engineering 2008
Center for Biofilm Engineering

Jenna Lloyd-Randolfi

Jenna Lloyd-Randolfi

Visiting Undergraduate Summer 2008
B.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland
M.S. Chemical and Biological Engineering
KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

E-mail:
Additional Info: LinkedIn IconLinkedin

Lourdes Jimenez

Lourdes Jimenez

Visiting Ph.D Student
Department of Microbiology