Claudia K. Gunsch

Journal article Journal of Aerosol Science · September 1, 2026 Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) pose a significant public health risk. Hospital sinks and associated plumbing are one likely source. This study investigates bioaerosol emissions from sink P-traps during faucet operation to assess their potential ro ... Full text Cite

Engineering microbial consortia for distributed signal processing.

Journal article Nat Commun · July 18, 2026 A central goal in biology is to infer input signals from measurable readouts. Engineered biosensors are usually built to respond selectively to single inputs, so crosstalk between sensors must be removed through laborious, context-specific orthogonalizatio ... Full text Link to item Cite

Draft genome sequence of Elizabeth River PAH-degrading fungal isolates <i>Trichoderma deliquescens</i> and <i>Aureobasidium</i> sp.

Journal article Microbiology resource announcements · May 2026 Here, we report the draft genome sequences of Trichoderma deliquescens and Aureobasidium sp., fungi isolated from sediments of the Elizabeth River. Genomes assembled from Nanopore sequencing revealed genes encoding enzymes implicated in polyc ... Full text Cite

Rethinking Microbiome of the Built Environment (MoBE) Management: From Pathogen-Centric Control to Microbiome-Informed Engineering.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · May 2026 Full text Cite

Material matters: a framework for integrating surface properties into built environment microbiome research.

Journal article Applied and environmental microbiology · March 2026 The built environment (BE), where we spend the majority of our time, contains a variety of surfaces with distinct properties. Our understanding of how these surfaces shape the microbiome of the BE (MoBE) is underdeveloped and limits the ability to develop ... Full text Cite

Efficacy of a foamed disinfectant in reducing pathogen contamination in renovated inpatient in-room sinks: a randomized controlled trial.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · January 2026 BACKGROUND: Hospital sinks are reservoirs for epidemiologically important pathogens (EIPs), yet practical, effective strategies for sustained decontamination are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 30 in-room sinks (15 intervent ... Full text Link to item Cite

Towards the responsible development of microbiome engineering in the built environment

Journal article Journal of Responsible Innovation · January 1, 2026 This Perspective calls for a transdisciplinary framework for the responsible advancement of Microbiome Engineering of the Built Environment (MEoBE). Acknowledging MEoBE's potential to improve public health, we highlight the need for early core practices an ... Full text Cite

Isolation, characterization, and mycostimulation of fungi for the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at a superfund site.

Journal article Biodegradation · January 2025 Mycoremediation is a biological treatment approach that relies on fungi to transform environmental pollutants into intermediates with lower environmental burden. Basidiomycetes have commonly been used as the target fungal phylum for bioaugmentation in myco ... Full text Cite

Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor (Glp1r) Deficiency Does Not Appreciably Alter Airway Inflammation or Gut-Lung Microbiome Axis in a Mouse Model of Obese Allergic Airways Disease and Bariatric Surgery.

Journal article J Asthma Allergy · 2025 PURPOSE: High body mass index (≥30 kg/m2) is associated with asthma severity, and nearly 40% of asthma patients exhibit obesity. Furthermore, over 40% of patients with obesity and asthma that receive bariatric surgery no longer require asthma medication. I ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Evaluation of Pesticides on Detritus-Inhabiting and Root-Associated Fungi in Aquatic Habitats and Potential Implications.

Journal article Diversity · May 2024 Pesticide contamination of aquatic ecosystems poses a significant threat to humans and can adversely affect fungal-driven processes in these understudied habitats. Here, we investigated the effects of four pesticides on detritus-inhabiting and plant root-a ... Full text Cite

Soil exposure modulates the immune response to an influenza challenge in a mouse model.

Journal article Sci Total Environ · April 20, 2024 There is increasing evidence that early life microbial exposure aids in immune system maturation, more recently known as the "old friends" hypothesis. To test this hypothesis, 4-week-old mice were exposed to soils of increasing microbial diversity for four ... Full text Link to item Cite

The effect of bacterial growth strategies on plasmid transfer and naphthalene degradation for bioremediation.

Journal article Environmental technology & innovation · November 2022 Mobilizable plasmids are extra-chromosomal, circular DNA that have contributed to the rapid evolution of bacterial genomes and have been used in environmental, biotechnological, and medicinal applications. Degradative plasmids with genetic capabilities to ... Full text Cite

Complete Genome Sequence of NAH7-Harboring Pseudomonas putida Strain G7.

Journal article Microbiology resource announcements · October 2022 Pseudomonas putida G7 (111) is an aerobic bacterial species discovered in soil known to harbor the naphthalene-degrading NAH7 plasmid. Here, we report the genome sequence of G7. The genome was assembled by Nanopore sequencing and consisted of a chromosome ... Full text Cite

Predictive values of time-dense SARS-CoV-2 wastewater analysis in university campus buildings.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · August 2022 Wastewater-based SARS-CoV-2 surveillance on college campuses has the ability to detect individual clinical COVID-19 cases at the building-level. High concordance of wastewater results and clinical cases has been observed when calculated over a time window ... Full text Cite

Evaluation of developing maize microbiomes and associations among nitrogen cyclers and key fungal taxa.

Journal article Microbiology (Reading, England) · March 2022 More sustainable approaches to agriculture are urgently needed to protect existing resources and optimize crop yields and to provide food for a growing global human population. More sustainable agricultural practices that utilize plant-microbe relationship ... Full text Cite

Alterations of endophytic microbial community function in Spartina alterniflora as a result of crude oil exposure.

Journal article Biodegradation · February 2022 The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster remains one of the largest oil spills in history. This event caused significant damage to coastal ecosystems, the full extent of which has yet to be fully determined. Crude oil contains toxic heavy metals and substances ... Full text Cite

Identifying bioaugmentation candidates for bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in contaminated estuarine sediment of the Elizabeth River, VA, USA.

Journal article Applied microbiology and biotechnology · February 2022 Estuarine sediments near former creosoting facilities along the Elizabeth River (Virginia, USA) are contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, we interrogated the bacterial community of the Elizabeth River with both culture-bas ... Full text Cite

Evaluation of the mycobiome of ballast water and implications for fungal pathogen distribution

Journal article Aquatic Microbial Ecology · January 1, 2022 Marine transport has the potential to alter the geographic range of microorganisms through ballast water movement. Recent culture-independent studies investigated the bacteriome of ballast water, but no prior studies have examined the mycobiome. Here were ... Full text Cite

Decay of oil residues in the soil is enhanced by the presence of Spartina alterniflora, with no additional effect from microbiome manipulation

Journal article Frontiers in Soil Science · January 1, 2022 Recent work has suggested that the phytoremediation potential of S. alterniflora may be linked to a selection by the plant for oil-degrading microbial communities in the soil, in combination with enhanced delivery of oxygen and plant enzymes to the soil. I ... Full text Cite

Properties affecting transfer and expression of degradative plasmids for the purpose of bioremediation.

Journal article Biodegradation · August 2021 Plasmids, circular DNA that exist and replicate outside of the host chromosome, have been important in the spread of non-essential genes as well as the rapid evolution of prokaryotes. Recent advances in environmental engineering have aimed to utilize the m ... Full text Cite

The role of gut microbial community and metabolomic shifts in adaptive resistance of Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · July 2021 Altered gut microbiomes may play a role in rapid evolution to anthropogenic change but remain poorly understood. Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) in the Elizabeth River, VA have evolved resistance to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pr ... Full text Cite

Fungal Planet description sheets: 1182-1283.

Journal article Persoonia · June 2021 Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Algeria, Phaeoacremonium adelophialidum from Vitis vinifera.Antarctica, Comoclathris antarctica from soil. Australia, ... Full text Cite

The Gut/Lung Microbiome Axis in Obesity, Asthma, and Bariatric Surgery: A Literature Review.

Journal article Obesity (Silver Spring) · April 2021 Mounting evidence suggests that obesity, parameters of metabolic syndrome, and asthma are significantly associated. Interestingly, these conditions are also associated with microbiome dysbiosis, notably in the airway microbiome for patients with asthma and ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

The environment shapes swine lung bacterial communities.

Journal article Sci Total Environ · March 1, 2021 Previous studies of the lung microbiome have focused on characterizing the community and attempts to understand the role of community membership concerning disease or exposures such as cigarette smoke. However, we still lack an understanding of two critica ... Full text Link to item Cite

Exposures to Semivolatile Organic Compounds in Indoor Environments and Associations with the Gut Microbiomes of Children

Journal article Environmental Science and Technology Letters · January 12, 2021 Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are widely detected in many indoor environments due to their frequent use in building materials, textiles, furniture, electronics, and other consumer products. Biomarkers of SVOC exposures have been consistently measu ... Full text Cite

Investigating the mycobiome of the Holcomb Creosote Superfund Site.

Journal article Chemosphere · August 2020 Even though many fungi are known to degrade a range of organic chemicals and may be advantageous for targeting hydrophobic chemicals with low bioavailability due to their ability to secrete extracellular enzymes, fungi are not commonly leveraged in the con ... Full text Cite

A novel PCR-clamping assay reducing plant host DNA amplification significantly improves prokaryotic endo-microbiome community characterization.

Journal article FEMS microbiology ecology · July 2020 Due to the sequence homology between the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and plant chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA, the taxonomic characterization of plant microbiome using amplicon-based high throughput sequencing often results in the overwhelming presence of p ... Full text Cite

Long-Term Effects of Copper Nanopesticides on Soil and Sediment Community Diversity in Two Outdoor Mesocosm Experiments.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · July 2020 The use of novel pesticides containing nanomaterials (nanopesticides) is growing and is considered a promising approach to reduce the impacts of agriculture on the environment and human health. However, the environmental effects of these novel agrochemical ... Full text Cite

Applications and Implications of Emerging Biotechnologies in Environmental Engineering

Journal article Journal of Environmental Engineering United States · June 1, 2020 Adopting and adapting emerging biotechnologies presents promise and challenges to the environmental engineer. Emerging biotreatment technologies that employ synthetic biology approaches, genetic engineering, and nanotechnologies present unique risk, reliab ... Full text Cite

Modeling bacteriophage-induced inactivation of Escherichia coli utilizing particle aggregation kinetics.

Journal article Water research · March 2020 Targeted inactivation of bacteria using bacteriophages has been proposed in applications ranging from bioengineering and biofuel production to medical treatments. The ability to differentiate between desirable and undesirable organisms, such as in targetin ... Full text Cite

Higher normalized concentrations of tetracycline resistance found in ballast and harbor water compared to ocean water.

Journal article Marine pollution bulletin · February 2020 Although ballast water is a known vector for the global transport of microorganisms, the Ballast Water Management Convention only sets limits for indicator organisms and does not consider antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Herein, we examined the concentr ... Full text Cite

Impacts of silver-coated antimicrobial screen covers on the cell-phone microbiome of resident physicians.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · December 2019 An antimicrobial screen was applied to the cell phones of 26 resident physicians to determine its effects on the phone microbiome and its potential to serve as a selective agent for antibiotic or silver resistance genes. No increase of these genes was obse ... Full text Link to item Cite

Microbiome composition and implications for ballast water classification using machine learning.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · November 2019 Ballast water is a vector for global translocation of microorganisms, and should be monitored to protect human and environmental health. This study utilizes high throughput sequencing (HTS) and machine learning to examine the bacterial and fungal microbiom ... Full text Cite

Examining the behavior of crop-derived antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic sludge batch reactors under thermophilic conditions.

Journal article Biotechnology and bioengineering · November 2019 The consumption of transgenic crops and their by-products has become increasingly common in the United States. Yet, uncertainty remains regarding the fate and behavior of DNA within food matrices once it exits the digestive track and enters into wastewater ... Full text Cite

Installation and use of ballast water treatment systems – Implications for compliance and enforcement

Journal article Ocean and Coastal Management · November 1, 2019 The International Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention entered into force in September 2017. In the convention, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) required two options: ballast water exchange (BWE) standard D-1, and ballast water performanc ... Full text Cite

A comparative study of gut microbiomes in captive nocturnal strepsirrhines.

Journal article Am J Primatol · October 2019 Feeding strategy and diet are increasingly recognized for their roles in governing primate gut microbiome (GMB) composition. Whereas feeding strategy reflects evolutionary adaptations to a host's environment, diet is a more proximate measure of food intake ... Full text Link to item Cite

A new framework for approaching precision bioremediation of PAH contaminated soils.

Journal article Journal of hazardous materials · October 2019 Bioremediation is a sustainable treatment strategy which remains challenging to implement especially in heterogeneous environments such as soil and sediment. Herein, we present a novel precision bioremediation framework that integrates amplicon based metag ... Full text Cite

Chlorpyrifos degradation via photoreactive TiO₂ nanoparticles: Assessing the impact of a multi-component degradation scenario.

Journal article Journal of hazardous materials · June 2019 High concentrations of pesticides enter surface waters following agricultural application, raising environmental and human health concerns. The use of photoreactive nanoparticles has shown promise for contaminant degradation and surface water remediation. ... Full text Cite

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria on personal devices in hospital intensive care units: Molecular approaches to quantifying and describing changes in the bacterial community of personal mobile devices.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · June 2019 Bacterial community composition and presence of antibiotic resistance genes (mecA, tetK, and vanA) on personal mobile devices (PMDs) of nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) were evaluated. Antibiotic resistance genes on PMDs decreased at the end of the sh ... Full text Link to item Cite

Acetate promotes microbial reductive debromination of tetrabromobisphenol A during the startup phase of anaerobic wastewater sludge bioreactors.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · March 2019 The detection of increasing concentrations of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in wastewater treatment plants is raising concerns as TBBPA has been identified as a potentially toxic flame retardant. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of ... Full text Cite

Metabarcoding and machine learning analysis of environmental DNA in ballast water arriving to hub ports.

Journal article Environment international · March 2019 While ballast water has long been linked to the global transport of invasive species, little is known about its microbiome. Herein, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabarcoding to perform the most comprehensive microbiological survey of ballast water ... Full text Cite

Conserved Microbial Toxicity Responses for Acute and Chronic Silver Nanoparticle Treatments in Wetland Mesocosms.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · March 2019 Most studies of bacterial exposure to environmental contaminants focus on acute treatments; however, the impacts of single, high-dose exposures on microbial communities may not readily be extended to the more likely scenario of chronic, low-dose contaminan ... Full text Cite

Evaluating the mycostimulation potential of select carbon amendments for the degradation of a model PAH by an ascomycete strain enriched from a superfund site.

Journal article Biodegradation · October 2018 Although ecological flexibility has been well documented in fungi, it remains unclear how this flexibility can be exploited for pollutant degradation, especially in the Ascomycota phylum. In this work, we assess three mycostimulation amendments for their a ... Full text Cite

Analyzing trends in ballasting behavior of vessels arriving to the United States from 2004 to 2017.

Journal article Marine pollution bulletin · October 2018 Maritime shipping transports over 90% of global goods. Ballast water, used to provide vessel stability, has been associated with the introduction of marine invasive species. Thus, understanding ballasting trends is imperative to protecting human and enviro ... Full text Cite

Evaluating the role of total organic carbon in predicting the treatment efficacy of biosand filters for the removal of Vibrio cholerae in drinking water during startup.

Journal article Journal of applied microbiology · September 2018 AimsIn biosand filters (BSF), treatment is largely driven by the development of a biolayer (schmutzdecke) which establishes itself during the startup phase. In this study, the effect of changing influent total organic carbon (TOC) loading on the r ... Full text Cite

Impact of Biosolids on Indigenous Soil Denitrifying Bacteria

Journal article Journal of Environmental Engineering United States · September 1, 2018 A major drawback to land application of biosolids is the potential environmental release of nonregulated organic contaminants that accumulate in the biosolids during the wastewater treatment process. In particular, because some of the substances found in b ... Full text Cite

Examining relationships between total silver concentration and Sil silver resistance genes in domestic wastewater treatment plants.

Journal article Journal of applied microbiology · June 2018 AimsThe overarching aims of this study were to determine if microbes found in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) carry silver resistance genes and ascertain whether a relationship exists between silver loading and sil silver resistance gene copy ... Full text Cite

Using laboratory-generated biosolids to evaluate the microbial ecotoxicity of triclosan in a simulated land application scenario.

Journal article Environmental science and pollution research international · April 2018 Land application accounts for approximately 50% of wastewater solids disposal in the USA. Yet, little is known regarding the ecological impacts of many non-regulated chemicals found in biosolids. In most previous studies aimed at assessing ecological impac ... Full text Cite

A survey of crop-derived transgenes in activated and digester sludges in wastewater treatment plants in the United States.

Journal article Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research · April 2018 The use of transgenic crops has become increasingly common in the United States over the last several decades. Increasing evidence suggests that DNA may be protected from enzymatic digestion and acid hydrolysis in the digestive tract, suggesting that crop- ... Full text Cite

Microbial community response to silver nanoparticles and Ag⁺ in nitrifying activated sludge revealed by ion semiconductor sequencing.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · March 2018 Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are known to act as biocides, are incorporated into medical and consumer products including athletic clothing, stuffed animals, liquid dietary supplements, and more. The increasing use of AgNPs in these products is likel ... Full text Cite

Occurrence of Vibrio species, beta-lactam resistant Vibrio species, and indicator bacteria in ballast and port waters of a tropical harbor.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · January 2018 Ballast water discharges are potential sources for the spread of invasive and pathogenic aquatic organisms. Ballast waters from six ships docked in the Port of Singapore were tested to determine if indictor organisms fell within proposed standards for ball ... Full text Cite

Biochar and activated carbon act as promising amendments for promoting the microbial debromination of tetrabromobisphenol A.

Journal article Water research · January 2018 The increasing occurrence of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in the environment is raising questions about its potential environmental health impacts as it has been shown to cause various deleterious effects in humans. The fact that the highest concentration ... Full text Cite

Evaluating the impacts of triclosan on wastewater treatment performance during startup and acclimation.

Journal article Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research · January 2018 Triclosan (TCS) is a broad range antimicrobial agent used in many personal care products, which is commonly discharged to wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs). This study examined the impact of TCS on wastewater treatment performance using laboratory be ... Full text Cite

Adsorption capacity of multiple DNA sources to clay minerals and environmental soil matrices less than previously estimated.

Journal article Chemosphere · May 2017 The cultivation and consumption of transgenic crops continues to be a widely debated topic, as the potential ecological impacts are not fully understood. In particular, because antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have historically been used as selectable ma ... Full text Cite

Impacts of coal ash on methylmercury production and the methylating microbial community in anaerobic sediment slurries.

Journal article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · November 2016 Mercury (Hg) associated with coal ash is an environmental concern, particularly if the release of coal ash to the environment is associated with the conversion of inorganic Hg to methylmercury (MeHg), a bioaccumulative form of Hg that is produced by anaero ... Full text Cite

Reflection on Molecular Approaches Influencing State-of-the-Art Bioremediation Design: Culturing to Microbial Community Fingerprinting to Omics.

Journal article Journal of environmental engineering (New York, N.Y.) · October 2016 Bioremediation is generally viewed as a cost effective and sustainable technology because it relies on microbes to transform pollutants into benign compounds. Advances in molecular biological analyses allow unprecedented microbial detection and are increas ... Full text Cite

A review of the environmental implications of in situ remediation by nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI): Behavior, transport and impacts on microbial communities.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · September 2016 The increasing use of strategies incorporating nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) for soil and groundwater in situ remediation is raising some concerns regarding the potential adverse effects nZVI could have on indigenous microbial communities and ecosystem ... Full text Cite

Endophytic Phytoaugmentation: Treating Wastewater and Runoff Through Augmented Phytoremediation.

Journal article Industrial biotechnology (New Rochelle, N.Y.) · April 2016 Limited options exist for efficiently and effectively treating water runoff from agricultural fields and landfills. Traditional treatments include excavation, transport to landfills, incineration, stabilization, and vitrification. In general, treatment opt ... Full text Cite

Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. I: Comparison to traditional packing media in lab scale biofiltration columns

Journal article Journal of Environmental Engineering United States · February 1, 2016 Cocopeat, a by-product of coconut processing plants widely available in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, was studied for its ability to support biological nutrient removal in lab-scale vertical flow columns treating simulated wa ... Full text Open Access Cite

Cocopeat for wastewater treatment in the developing world. II: Field evaluation of constructed wetlands packed with cocopeat for wastewater treatment in Can Tho, Vietnam

Journal article Journal of Environmental Engineering United States · February 1, 2016 Cocopeat, a byproduct of coconut processing, was evaluated as a packing medium in vertical flow constructed wetlands for the treatment of septic tank effluent in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Vertical flow constructed wetlands are typically packed with grav ... Full text Open Access Cite

A New Perspective on Sustainable Soil Remediation-Case Study Suggests Novel Fungal Genera Could Facilitate in situ Biodegradation of Hazardous Contaminants.

Journal article Remediation (New York, N.Y.) · January 2016 Deciding upon a cost effective and sustainable method to address soil pollution is a challenge for many remedial project managers. High pressure to quickly achieve cleanup goals pushes for energy-intensive remedies that rapidly address the contaminants of ... Full text Cite

Characterization and Adaptation of Anaerobic Sludge Microbial Communities Exposed to Tetrabromobisphenol A.

Journal article PloS one · January 2016 The increasing occurrence of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in the environment is raising questions about its potential ecological and human health impacts. TBBPA is microbially transformed under anaerobic conditions to bisphenol A (BPA). However, little is ... Full text Cite

Reduction of invasive bacteria in ethanol fermentations using bacteriophages.

Journal article Biotechnology and bioengineering · August 2015 Invasive Lactobacillus bacteria inhibit ethanol fermentations and reduce final product yields. Due to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of Lactobacillus spp., alternative disinfection strategies are needed for ethanol fermentations. The feasibi ... Full text Cite

Evaluation of a field appropriate membrane filtration method for the detection of Vibrio cholerae for the measurement of biosand filter performance in the Artibonite Valley, Haiti.

Journal article Environmental monitoring and assessment · August 2015 Biosand filters in the Artibonite Valley of Haiti, the epicenter of the cholera epidemic that began in October 2010, were tested for total coliform and Vibrio cholerae removal efficiencies. While coliform are often used as an indicator organism for pathoge ... Full text Open Access Cite

Reducing Environmental Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticles through Shape Control.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · August 2015 The use of antibacterial silver nanomaterials in consumer products ranging from textiles to toys has given rise to concerns over their environmental toxicity. These materials, primarily nanoparticles, have been shown to be toxic to a wide range of organism ... Full text Cite

Fate of flame retardants and the antimicrobial agent triclosan in planted and unplanted biosolid-amended soils.

Journal article Environmental toxicology and chemistry · May 2015 A comprehensive understanding of the fate of contaminant-laden biosolids is needed to fully evaluate the environmental impacts of biosolid land application. The present study examined the fate of several flame retardants and triclosan in biosolid-amended s ... Full text Cite

A computational analysis of antisense off-targets in prokaryotic organisms.

Journal article Genomics · February 2015 The adoption of antisense gene silencing as a novel disinfectant for prokaryotic organisms is hindered by poor silencing efficiencies. Few studies have considered the effects of off-targets on silencing efficiencies, especially in prokaryotic organisms. In ... Full text Open Access Cite

Modeling phage induced bacterial disinfection rates and the resulting design implications.

Journal article Water research · January 2015 The phage induced disinfection rates of Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 in the presence of coliphage Ec2 were determined under a wide range of phage and bacterial concentrations. These rates were elucidated to determine if phages could be used in water and wa ... Full text Cite

Aging of fullerene C₆₀ nanoparticle suspensions in the presence of microbes.

Journal article Water research · November 2014 Despite the growing use of carbon nanomaterials in commercial applications, very little is known about the fate of these nanomaterials once they are released into the environment. The carbon-carbon bonding of spherical sp(2) hybridized fullerene (C60) form ... Full text Cite

Response to comment on "Determining the ecological impacts of organic contaminants in biosolids using a high-throughput colorimetric denitrification assay: a case study with antimicrobial agents".

Journal article Environmental science & technology · October 2014 Full text Cite

A molecular-based approach for examining responses of eukaryotes in microcosms to contaminant-spiked estuarine sediments.

Journal article Environmental toxicology and chemistry · February 2014 Ecotoxicological information for most contaminants is limited to a small number of taxa, and these are generally restricted to comparatively hardy organisms that are readily extractable from test media and easily identifiable. Advances in DNA sequencing ca ... Full text Cite

The long-term effects of phage concentration on the inhibition of planktonic bacterial cultures.

Journal article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · January 2014 Since the early 1920s there has been an interest in using bacteriophages (phages) for the control of bacterial pathogens. While there are many factors that have limited the success of phage bio-control, one particular problem is the variability of outcomes ... Full text Cite

Assessing the effects of silver nanoparticles on biological nutrient removal in bench-scale activated sludge sequencing batch reactors.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · January 2014 Consumer products such as clothing and medical products are increasingly integrating silver and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into base materials to serve as an antimicrobial agent. Thus, it is critical to assess the effects of AgNPs on wastewater microorga ... Full text Cite

Determining the ecological impacts of organic contaminants in biosolids using a high-throughput colorimetric denitrification assay: a case study with antimicrobial agents.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · January 2014 Land application accounts for ∼ 50% of wastewater solid disposal in the United States. Still, little is known regarding the ecological impacts of nonregulated contaminants found in biosolids. Because of the myriad of contaminants, there is a need for a rap ... Full text Cite

Use of a novel sediment exposure to determine the effects of triclosan on estuarine benthic communities.

Journal article Environmental toxicology and chemistry · February 2013 Triclosan (5-chloro-2-[2,4-dichlorophenoxy]phenol) is a relatively new, commonly used antimicrobial compound found in many personal care products. Triclosan is toxic to marine organisms at the micrograms per liter level, can photodegrade to a dioxin, can a ... Full text Cite

Successful genetic bioaugmentation with Pseudomonas putida for toluene degradation in soil columns: Engineering in situ microbial adaptation: A case study for genetic bioaugmentation in soil columns

Journal article Environmental Chemistry Letters · January 1, 2013 There is a strong need for effective and sustainable treatment methods for remediating soils and waters contaminated by fossil fuel pollutants such as aromatic hydrocarbons. Remediation could be improved by genetic bioaugmentation that uses conjugation of ... Full text Cite

Low concentrations of silver nanoparticles in biosolids cause adverse ecosystem responses under realistic field scenario.

Journal article PloS one · January 2013 A large fraction of engineered nanomaterials in consumer and commercial products will reach natural ecosystems. To date, research on the biological impacts of environmental nanomaterial exposures has largely focused on high-concentration exposures in mecha ... Full text Open Access Cite

Inflammatory cytokine gene expression in THP-1 cells exposed to Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus versicolor.

Journal article Environmental toxicology · January 2013 Very little is known about the mechanisms that occur in human cells upon exposure to fungi as well as their mycotoxins. A better understanding of toxin-regulated gene expression would be helpful to identify safe levels of exposure and could eventually be t ... Full text Cite

Functionality of the TOL plasmid under varying environmental conditions following conjugal transfer.

Journal article Applied microbiology and biotechnology · January 2013 Conjugation of catabolic plasmids in contaminated environments is a naturally occurring horizontal gene transfer phenomenon, which could be utilized in genetic bioaugmentation. The potentially important parameters for genetic bioaugmentation include gene r ... Full text Cite

Successful genetic bioaugmentation with Pseudomonas putida for toluene degradation in soil columns - Engineering in situ microbial adaptation: a case study for genetic bioaugmentation in soil columns

Journal article Environmental Chemistry Letters · 2013 Cite

Impacts of organic carbon availability and recipient bacteria characteristics on the potential for TOL plasmid genetic bioaugmentation in soil slurries.

Journal article Chemosphere · September 2012 The effectiveness of genetic bioaugmentation relies on efficient plasmid transfer between donor and recipient cells as well as the plasmid's phenotype in the recipient cell. In the present study, the effects of varying organic carbon substrates, initial re ... Full text Cite

Genetic bioaugmentation as an effective method for in situ bioremediation: functionality of catabolic plasmids following conjugal transfers.

Journal article Bioengineered · July 2012 Genetic bioaugmentation is an in situ bioremediation method that stimulates horizontal transfer of catabolic plasmids between exogenous donor cells and indigenous bacteria to increase the biodegradation potential of contaminants. A critical outcome of gene ... Full text Cite

Application of a moving bed biofilm reactor for tertiary ammonia treatment in high temperature industrial wastewater.

Journal article Bioresource technology · May 2012 This study examines the use of a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) as a tertiary treatment step for ammonia removal in high temperature (35-45°C) effluents, and quantifies different phenotypes of ammonia and nitrite oxidizing bacteria responsible for nitri ... Full text Cite

Impacts of silver nanoparticle coating on the nitrification potential of Nitrosomonas europaea.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · May 2012 Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used as bacteriostatic agents to prevent microbial growth. AgNPs are manufactured with a variety of coatings, and their potential impacts on wastewater treatment in general are poorly understood. In the present ... Full text Cite

Genetic bioaugmentation as an effective method for in situ bioremediation: Functionality of catabolic plasmids following conjugal transfers

Journal article Bioengineered · January 1, 2012 Genetic bioaugmentation is an in situ bioremediation method that stimulates horizontal transfer of catabolic plasmids between exogenous donor cells and indigenous bacteria to increase the biodegradation potential of contaminants. A critical outcome of gene ... Full text Cite

Cytotoxic and proinflammatory response of RAW 264.7 cells to differentially fractionated fungal fragments

Journal article Toxicological and Environmental Chemistry · August 1, 2011 Although significant research has been carried out for studying the impacts of pure mycotoxins on human cell, little information is known about the direct effects of fungal submicron particles. In this report, murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells were exposed ... Full text Cite

Comparison of conventional and integrated fixed-film activated sludge systems: attached- and suspended-growth functions and quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements.

Journal article Water environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation · July 2011 Pilot-scale integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) and non-IFAS control systems were compared, with respect to overall performance and functional behaviors and microbial population composition in the attached and suspended phases. The suspended phas ... Full text Cite

Effects of selected pharmaceutically active compounds on treatment performance in sequencing batch reactors mimicking wastewater treatment plants operations.

Journal article Water research · May 2011 The impact of four pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) introduced both individually and in mixtures was ascertained on the performance of laboratory-scale wastewater treatment sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). When introduced individually at concentr ... Full text Cite

Effects of selected pharmaceutically active compounds on the ammonia oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea.

Journal article Chemosphere · January 2011 Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are commonly found in wastewater influent. However, little research has focused on determining their impact on fundamental processes in wastewater treatment such as nitrogen removal. In this study, focus was placed ... Full text Cite

Effect of carbon source addition on toluene biodegradation by an Escherichia coli DH5alpha transconjugant harboring the TOL plasmid.

Journal article Biotechnology and bioengineering · October 2010 Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of plasmids is a naturally occurring phenomenon which could be manipulated for bioremediation applications. Specifically, HGT may prove useful to enhance bioremediation through genetic bioaugmentation. However, because the tr ... Full text Cite

Microbial inactivation of Pseudomonas putida and Pichia pastoris using gene silencing.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · May 2010 Antisense deoxyoligonucleotide (ASO) gene silencing was investigated as a potential disinfection tool for industrial and drinking water treatment application. ASOs bind with their reverse complementary mRNA transcripts thereby blocking protein translation. ... Full text Open Access Cite

Effects of integrated fixed film activated sludge media on activated sludge settling in biological nutrient removal systems.

Journal article Water research · March 2010 Integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) is an increasingly popular modification of conventional activated sludge, consisting of the addition of solid media to bioreactors to create hybrid attached/suspended growth systems. While the benefits of this ... Full text Cite

Plasmid conjugation in an activated sludge microbial community

Journal article Environmental Engineering Science · April 1, 2009 Horizontal genetic transfer (HGT) events are thought to play an important role in the development of microbial species capable of degrading toxic contaminants. The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of relative cell density between the d ... Full text Cite

Effects of fullerene nanoparticles on Escherichia coli K12 respiratory activity in aqueous suspension and potential use for membrane biofouling control

Journal article Journal of Membrane Science · March 5, 2009 The attachment and respiratory activity of the model bacterium, Escherichia coli K12 on microfiltration (MF) membranes coated with the fullerene C60 and the influence of colloidal aggregates of C60 (nC60) on this bacterium ... Full text Cite

Metabolism of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by human hepatocytes in vitro.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · February 2009 BackgroundPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame-retardant chemicals that accumulate in human tissues and are potential toxicants. Concentrations of PBDEs in human tissues have increased recently, and body burdens in the U.S. and Canadia ... Full text Cite

Effects of pharmaceutically active compounds on a mixed microbial community originating from a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · February 2008 The growth and composition of microorganisms found in a municipal wastewater treatment plant were investigated in the presence of four pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) [ketoprofen, naproxen, carbamazepine, and clofibric acid] in batch reactors at ... Full text Cite

Relative gene expression quantification in a fungal gas-phase biofilter.

Journal article Biotechnology and bioengineering · September 2007 Monitoring of gas-phase biofilter performance generally relies on macroscale measurements that neglect the molecular level phenomena that can control the biodegradation process. The present study was undertaken to determine whether or not quantitative real ... Full text Cite

Quantification of homogentisate-1,2-dioxygenase expression in a fungus degrading ethylbenzene.

Journal article Journal of microbiological methods · November 2006 A quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was utilized to quantify the expression of ElHDO in the fungus Exophiala lecanii-corni during the biodegradation of ethylbenzene and other volatile organic pollutants. ... Full text Cite

Identification of a homogentisate-1,2-dioxygenase gene in the fungus Exophiala lecanii-corni: analysis and implications.

Journal article Applied microbiology and biotechnology · August 2005 Exophiala lecanii-corni is a dimorphic fungus capable of degrading several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including ethylbenzene, which has been classified as a hazardous air pollutant by the Environmental Protection Agency. In contrast to bacterial spe ... Full text Cite

Cometabolism of cis-1,2-dichloroethene by aerobic cultures grown on vinyl chloride as the primary substrate.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · May 2002 An aerobic enrichment culture was grown on vinyl chloride (VC) as the sole source of carbon and energy. In the absence of VC, the enrichment culture cometabolized cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) and, to a lesser extent, trans1,2-dichloroethene (tDCE), beginn ... Full text Cite