We use molecular techniques to do interesting projects. For example, Karla Reed, a M.S. student, created a transgenic strain of nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans) that fluoresced when exposed to pollutants. The purpose was to create a live reporter of aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants in the environment. If someone wanted to see whether a body of water is polluted, collect some water and drop in some worms. If the worms start glowing - the water is polluted. Karla created glowing worms (see a picture) but the worms glowed too readily. It turns out that physical handling of the worms caused enough stress for them to start glowing. It was a LOT of work and Karla was able to learn a bunch of molecular techniques. Karla graduated in 2007.

We now work most intensely in the area of marine environmental microbiology. We work on molecular techniques to determine whether entric pathogens are present in coast waters. We also study molecular markers of fecal pollution.

Keerthy Chandrasekar developed a quantitative method to detect Salmonella in environmental waters. She developed a real-time PCR probe, determined the best method to isolate genomic DNA from environmental water samples and determined whether Salmonella is in coastal waters. View her posters from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 ASM conferences.

Xunyan Ye worked on methods to quantify norovirus in the environmental. Her main contribution was her findings on the effectiveness of different virus concentration methods from recreational waters. View her posters from the 2008 and 2010 ASM conferences.

Keerthy and Yan both graduated with M.S. degrees in 2008. Yan is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in my lab.

YiJie (Daniel) Deng is a 2nd year Ph.D. student studying salt marsh microbial communities. His interest lies in the area of nutrient cycling and microbes that degrade detritus.

Kimberley Lewis is a new M.S. student studying persistence of fecal indicator bacteria in coastal waters. Does their presence indicate recent pollution events or do they simply persist in the natural environment.

We also do work with marine invertebrates. For example, Dawn Loggans, a M.S. student who graduated in 2008, compared the bacterial composition in the guts of the intertidal mussel Geukensia demissa and the oyster Crassostrea virginica. Although living within a few feet of each other, it is believed that only mussels ingest detrital material. Dawn confirmed her hypothesis that the gut bacterial community differed between the two bivalve species. View her poster from the 2008 ASM Conference.