Brandy M Toner

Brandy M Toner is a Professor in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on biogeochemical processes in diverse environments, including hydrothermal vents, deep subsurface systems, and wetlands.

• Current projects include NSF-funded studies on colloidal iron-carbon pathways in oceans and USDA grants addressing mercury/sulfur/carbon cycling in forest ecosystems.
• She specializes in synchrotron-based imaging and spectroscopy to investigate elemental speciation and microbial-mineral interactions.

Research Interests:

• Iron & Sulfur Biogeochemistry: Mechanisms of iron redox transformations in fractured rock and hydrothermal plumes.
• Deep Biosphere Dynamics: Microbial succession in extinct vents and anoxic brines.
• Environmental Applications: Chromium removal using peat sorbents and climate impacts on mercury fluxes in boreal peatlands.

Recent Publications (2025-2024) demonstrate expertise in:

• Nanoscale characterization of hydrothermal plume particles (Iron, Sulfur speciation)
• Microbial community analysis in extreme environments (deep ocean, subsurface)
• Climate change implications for mercury and carbon cycling

She leads multi-institutional collaborations (e.g., with University of Chicago) to develop synchrotron facility management frameworks for environmental research.