Conference Chair

Dr. Lars Angenent, Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University

Dr. Angenent's research interests include microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) that use whole bacteria to generate an electric current. The Angenent Lab uses bacteria in these systems to generate either electricity (microbial fuel cells [MFCs]) or chemicals (microbial electrolysis cells [MECs]) from organic materials in wastes. In addition, The Angenent Lab is involved in the development of biosensors and biocomputing devices based on METs. Finally, The Angenent Lab uses METs as research tools to study the interactions between different populations within microbial communities. In addition to METs, The Angenent Lab is interested in the carboxylate platform to produce methane and carboxylates with anaerobic digesters and anaerobic fermentors; and to understand how to shape undefined mixed cultures of microbes by using genomics in combination with ecology theory. The Angenent Lab also uses the syngas platform for the production of liquid fuels, bioaerosols to mitigate potential pathogens in indoor environments, software resources for high-throughput sequencing projects with microbial systems, and micro- and photo-bioreactors to study and improve bioprocessing kinetics.

Conference Co-Chairs

Dr. Bruce Logan, Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Logan's main area of research interest is in the Sustainability of the Water Infrastructure. Energy demands of the water infrastructure use 5% of our electricity generation in the US. Thus, the areas of most active research in the Logan laboratory for ensuring water sustainability are in BioEnergy, or methods of producing electricity or energy carriers such as hydrogen from biomass. Specific research topics include bioelectricity using microbial fuel cells and biohydrogen production using microbial electrolysis cells (MECs or BEAMR) or by fermentation. Other main interest areas are in water treatment using biological processes to target specific chemicals such as perchlorate, and the general study of bacterial adhesion for the purposes of bioaugmentation for remediation of contaminated aquifers.

Dr. Ashley Franks, Senior Lecturer/Laboratory Head, Department of Microbiology, La Trobe University

Dr. Franks' research interests lie in the area of environmental microbiology, the study of the composition and physiology of microbial communites in the environment. An understanding of these natural processes is fundamental for comprehension of ecosystem function and application to biotechnology, bioremediation, and bioenergy. In the environment, microbes are commonly found aggregated to each other and/or a surface in what is referred to as a biofilm. Forming biofilms enable microbes to perform unique physiological processes. Our challenge is to understand the microbial biofilms, their function in nature and how these functions can benefit us. In particular, bacterial biofilms that can promote the growth of plants or transfer electrons extracellularly are a focus. Fundamental to applied applications is a basic understanding of the microbial processes, interactions, and evolution in the biofilm mode of life.

Graduate Affairs Coordinators

Devin Doud, Cornell University

Elliot Friedman, Cornell University

Michaela TerAvest, Cornell University

Questions? Send them to: naismet [at] gmail.com