Buz Barstow

Buz Barstow is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. His work focuses on developing sustainable solutions for energy and environmental challenges through synthetic biology approaches.

Professor Barstow leads research in microbial engineering for resource recovery, with specific emphasis on rare earth element bioleaching using engineered organisms like Gluconobacter oxydans. His team investigates bio-accelerated weathering processes, microbial transformation techniques, and sustainable methods for critical metal recovery from waste streams.

Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on:

• Enhancing bioleaching efficiency through genomic engineering
• Developing circular economy approaches for industrial wastewater
• Advancing fundamental understanding of microbe-mineral interactions
• Creating low-carbon biotechnology platforms

Laboratory facilities include specialized equipment for microbial cultivation, molecular biology, and materials characterization that support interdisciplinary investigations at the biology-engineering interface.