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Patrick SecorView profile

Associate Professor

• Bacteriophages
• Host-Pathogen Interactions
• Infectious Diseases
• +3 more

Patrick Secor is an Associate Professor in Microbiology & Cell Biology at Montana State University, affiliated with the Center for Biofilm Engineering. He holds a PhD (2011) and BS (2006) in Microbiology and Biochemistry from Montana State University. His research focuses on bacteriophages, host-pathogen interactions, and developing phage-based therapies for antibiotic-resistant infections. Key areas include Pf bacteriophage's role in Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence, Lyme disease spirochete phages, and phage-induced biofilm dynamics. Research highlights include discovering phage impacts on quorum sensing, immune system interactions, and antibiotic resistance in cystic fibrosis patients. Notable publications examine Pf phage effects on bacterial aggregation, nematode interactions, and antiviral immune responses. Secor collaborates on vaccine development targeting filamentous phages and studies phage-driven antibiotic tolerance mechanisms. His work bridges basic microbiology with clinical applications in infectious disease treatment. Recent projects explore prophage-induced transcriptome changes during tick transmission of Lyme pathogens and polyamine-mediated bacterial threat detection. He teaches microbial physiology courses (BIOM 450/451) and contributes to the VIBES bioinformatics workflow for viral genome analysis. His research underscores the sociobiology of phages and their role in bacterial community dynamics.

• Plant-Fungal Symbiosis
• Mycology
• Fungal Taxonomy
• +3 more

John Dearnaley is Associate Professor and Head of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Science at the University of Southern Queensland. His research specializes in plant-microbe interactions, particularly mycorrhizal symbioses in Australian orchids and medicinal plants, fungal taxonomy, and antimicrobial properties of endophytes. Research investigates fungal diversity in dry rainforest ecosystems, bioactive compounds from endophytic fungi, and conservation applications. Current projects include fungicide resistance in crop pathogens and ecological restoration using native fungi. Teaches courses in Australian biota, plant-microbe interactions, and medical microbiology. Supervises doctoral candidates studying symbiotic fungi, disease resistance, and rainforest ecology.

Rebecca OwensView profile

Assistant Professor

• Proteomics
• Microbial Pathogenesis
• Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms
• +3 more

Dr. Rebecca Owens is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Maynooth University, affiliated with the Human Health Institute. She holds a BSc (Biotechnology) from Maynooth University (2008) and a PhD (2013), supported by an IRCSET Scholarship. Her postdoctoral research focused on fungal pathogen proteomics, particularly iron-limiting conditions and mass spectrometry methodologies. In 2017, she established the Chemical Microbiology laboratory, specializing in proteomic analyses of microbial species and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Her work bridges academia and industry, expanding into food technology and microbiology. Dr. Owens currently supervises 4 PhD students funded by DAFM and Teagasc. Her research interests include: proteomic responses to antifungals, fungal pathogen virulence, and mass spectrometry-based methods for analyzing microbial metabolites. She has contributed to over 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, including seminal work on fungal proteomics and gliotoxin biology. Dr. Owens serves on professional committees, including Treasurer of the Irish Fungal Society and Member of the Microbiology Society’s Irish Division. Her lab’s recent work explores zinc chelation by gliotoxin, HMO-primed bifidobacteria, and bovine colostrum proteomics.

Susana GoggiView profile

Professor

• Seed Physiology
• Seed Quality
• Plant Genetics
• +5 more

Dr. Susana Goggi is a Professor of Agronomy at Iowa State University, specializing in seed physiology and crop science. She holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy/Seed Science from Mississippi State University (1990), an M.S. from the same institution (1987), and a B.S. in Agronomic Engineering from Universidad de Buenos Aires (1983). Her research focuses on seed development physiology, seed quality enhancement, and strategies to mitigate environmental stresses in soybeans and corn. She has held academic roles at Iowa State since 1994, including Professor since 2017. Her research interests include seed longevity, dormancy, and germination, with recent projects addressing organic seed protectants, soybean genome fluidity, and frost damage effects. She teaches Agronomy/Horticulture 338 and Agron 538, and mentors students in her lab. Professional service includes leadership roles in the Crop Science Society of America and Association of Official Seed Analysts. Awards include the 2016 Crop Science Society of America Fellowship and 2019 Iowa Seed Association Honorary Membership. Her 15 most recent articles (2022–2008) span topics like corn yield optimization, biological seed coatings, and seed priming techniques. Current work emphasizes perennial groundcover integration and reducing outcrossing in maize through pollen management strategies.

Katy GrahamView profile

Assistant Professor

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Quality
• WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene)
• +4 more

Katy Graham is an Assistant Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, within the College of Engineering. She joined Georgia Tech in 2023 after completing a President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship there. Her academic background includes a PhD and MS in Environmental Engineering and Science from Stanford University (2015–2021) and a BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan (2015). Her research focuses on microbial water quality, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), public health risk assessment, and environmental virology. Her lab employs molecular biology, microbiology, and modeling tools to address water-related health challenges globally. Key research themes include pathogen fate and transport in built/natural environments, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), and green stormwater infrastructure efficacy. In 2023, her team received a $2.1M EPA grant to study pathogens and disinfection byproducts in drinking water distribution systems. She leads the WatCH (Water, Climate, and Health) lab at Georgia Tech and collaborates on projects like fecal source tracking and cold-chain-free nucleic acid preservation for wastewater surveillance. Dr. Graham has contributed to high-profile studies on SARS-CoV-2 persistence in wastewater, viral adsorption to sampling tools, and the development of novel microbial source tracking markers such as Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus genes.

Yves ANDRESView profile

Researcher

• Environmental Engineering
• Sustainability
• Renewable Energy
• +3 more

Yves ANDRES is the Head of the Department of Energy and Environmental Systems (DSEE) at IMT Atlantique's Nantes campus. His work focuses on sustainable environmental engineering solutions, particularly in air quality management, bio-based materials, and renewable energy systems. He leads interdisciplinary research addressing indoor environmental quality, waste valorization, and eco-efficient technologies. Research Interests: Dr. ANDRES specializes in optimizing bio-based insulation materials, indoor air purification systems, anaerobic digestion of organic waste, and eco-friendly wastewater treatment. His team develops innovative methods for converting agricultural byproducts into energy (e.g., bioethanol, biohydrogen) and advanced filtration technologies to mitigate airborne contaminants. Recent projects explore mold resistance in building materials and the environmental impact of material aging processes. Key Contributions: His work bridges fundamental research and industrial applications, with a focus on sustainable transitions. Notable areas include: Development of multifunctional air filters using graphene-enhanced ceramics Optimization of floating treatment wetlands for nitrogen removal Standardization of VOC/SVOC emission testing protocols Dr. ANDRES actively collaborates with industry partners to implement small-scale anaerobic digestion systems and promotes circular economy principles in building material design. His research emphasizes both technical innovation and policy-oriented sustainability assessments.

Karl G. LindenView profile

Professor

• Environmental Engineering
• Water and Wastewater Treatment
• UV Disinfection Technology
• +3 more

Karl G. Linden is the Mortenson Professor in Sustainable Development at the University of Colorado Boulder, serving as Department Chair of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and Associate Director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering. He holds affiliations with the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, focusing on water sustainability and environmental engineering. Education: Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering (UC Davis, 1997); M.Sc. (UC Davis, 1993); B.Sc., Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Cornell University, 1989). Research Interests: His work centers on UV-based water treatment, advanced oxidation processes, and sustainable water infrastructure for developing communities. Key areas include disinfection efficacy, pathogen inactivation, and global health applications. He emphasizes translating research into practical solutions for small-scale systems and developing regions. Recent Publications: Over 180 peer-reviewed articles, including studies on UV-LED disinfection, far-UVC radiation for pandemic control, and sustainable sanitation systems like Sol-Char. Recent work explores UV advanced oxidation with nitrate sensitization, biofilm control, and solar-driven remediation. Scientific Awards: Recipient of the 2023 International Ultraviolet Association Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020 Clarke Prize, AAAS Fellowship, and multiple industry recognitions for innovation in water treatment. His AEESP leadership has addressed diversity and inclusion in engineering. Advising & Grants: Advised students such as Sara Beck and Austa Parker, recipients of AEESP Dissertation and Student Paper Awards. Funded by NSF, EPA, and Gates Foundation, his research bridges academia and industry. Collaborations span global institutions like Technical University of Munich and University of Tokyo. Labs/Teams: Leads initiatives at the Mortenson Center and Water-Energy Nexus Theme, advancing UV technologies and global water systems. Involved in international projects like the DRIP Concept for drought resilience in Africa.

Jared AliView profile

Associate Professor

• Chemical Ecology
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Insect-Plant Interactions
• +7 more

Jared Ali is an Associate Professor of Entomology at the Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. His research focuses on sustainable agriculture, chemical ecology, and multi-trophic interactions, particularly how plants defend against herbivory and interact with beneficial nematodes and microbes. He leads the Penn State Center for Chemical Ecology and holds the Huck Chair of Chemical Ecology. Key research areas include plant defense mechanisms, insect behavior, and the conservation of beneficial insects. Notable projects include studies on neonicotinoid impacts on monarch butterflies, soil-borne nematode ecology, and plant responses to environmental stressors like salinity and drought. Dr. Ali has secured significant grants, including a $3M award addressing insect biodiversity loss. His work bridges fundamental ecological research with applied agricultural solutions, emphasizing sustainable farming practices and ecosystem health. Director, Penn State Center for Chemical Ecology (2022–present) Huck Chair of Chemical Ecology (2022) Recipient of USDA grants for cover crop research and graduate fellowships Recent publications highlight innovations in biocontrol strategies, plant volatile signaling, and the ecological consequences of pesticide use. His interdisciplinary approach integrates molecular biology, field ecology, and agroecological principles to address global challenges in food security and biodiversity preservation.

Charlie CornwallisView profile

Professor

• Molecular Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Cooperative Behavior
• +6 more

Charlie Cornwallis is a Professor in the Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab at Lund University. His research focuses on evolutionary transitions, particularly the emergence and maintenance of complex life forms such as multicellularity, cooperative societies, and symbiotic relationships. Key areas include understanding why transitions occur, how complex systems persist, and factors causing their breakdown. Cornwallis employs experimental and phylogenetic methods, studying systems like cooperative breeding birds (ostriches) and green algae (Volvox/Chlamydomonas). Affiliations: Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Swedish Research Council-funded projects Education: Not explicitly stated in text Research interests span cooperative behavior, thermal adaptation, disease dynamics, and genomic innovations enabling evolutionary transitions. Recent work addresses how fluctuating environments influence cooperation, pathogen-driven breakdown of sociality, and molecular mechanisms underlying cancer resilience via polyploidization. Cornwallis leads projects on ostrich thermal physiology, gut microbiota development, and symbiont-driven ecological diversification. His lab has produced 65+ publications, with notable contributions to Trends in Ecology and Evolution , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , and Cancer Research Communications . Current projects include studying multicellular origins, temperature adaptation in endotherms, and evolutionary plasticity. Grants: Swedish Research Council (2023-2027), multiple international collaborations Labs/Teams: Cornwallis Group focuses on four themes: Cooperation, Evolutionary Innovation, Disease, and Sex

Daniel HunkelerView profile

Professor

• Environmental Hydrochemistry
• Contaminant Transport
• Groundwater Quality
• +6 more

Prof. Daniel Hunkeler is a Full Professor of Hydrochemistry and Contaminants at the University of Neuchâtel's Faculty of Science, leading the Laboratory of Hydrochemistry and Contaminants within the Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics. He holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Waterloo, Canada. His research focuses on chemical and microbial behavior in aquifers, employing advanced analytical techniques like compound-specific isotope analysis and tracing methods. Key areas include pesticide metabolite transport, PFAS fate, and interactions between hydrological and biogeochemical processes in drained organic soils. Recent projects investigate: Pesticide metabolite persistence in soil-groundwater systems PFAS migration from soil to groundwater Nitrate leaching dynamics in agricultural settings Microbial activity at river-aquifer interfaces Teaching responsibilities include courses in hydrogeochemistry, contaminant hydrogeology, and tracer applications at both bachelor's and master's levels. He directs the University of Neuchâtel's 20-year-old continuing education program on contaminated site management and advises governmental agencies on groundwater policy. Professional roles include vice-directorship of the Swiss Society for Hydrogeology and membership in water quality commissions. Research outputs emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, combining field monitoring with modeling to address water quality challenges. Publications from 2023-2025 highlight innovations in noble gas tracers, microbial cytometric analysis, and climate change impacts on groundwater systems.

• Food Chemistry
• Antimicrobial Agents
• Phytochemicals
• +4 more

Carla Araya Cloutier is an Assistant Professor in Food Chemistry at Wageningen University & Research . Her research focuses on antimicrobial phytochemicals , particularly prenylated isoflavonoids and chalcones from plants like licorice and legumes. She explores their mechanisms of action against pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes , Streptococcus mutans , and Staphylococcus aureus , aiming to combat antimicrobial resistance and improve food safety. Her work includes studies on efflux pump inhibition, membrane permeabilization, and cytotoxicity. She has received the Veni Award 2019 from NWO for her project on plant-based efflux pump inhibitors. She co-supervises multiple PhD projects, including work on natural antimicrobial valorization and phytochemical mechanisms. Key collaborations involve institutions like the University of Nottingham for datasets on transcriptomic responses to antimicrobial compounds. Her research spans food safety, natural product chemistry, and microbiology , with applications in developing sustainable antimicrobial solutions. She has published extensively on prenylated phenolics, isothiocyanates, and their roles in bacterial defense systems.

Sanja IlicView profile

Associate Professor

• Microbial Food Safety
• Public Health Education
• Hydroponic Crop Safety
• +3 more

Dr. Sanja Ilic is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University's College of Education and Human Ecology. She also serves as a food safety state specialist. Her research focuses on microbial food safety in fresh produce, particularly hydroponic systems, and improving food safety practices among vulnerable populations such as immunocompromised individuals and those with chronic illnesses. She teaches courses on food safety and cultural foods. Her research emphasizes interventions to reduce contamination risks in hydroponic crops, knowledge translation to practical applications, and addressing barriers to food safety behaviors. Key areas include Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and STEC pathogen control. She collaborates internationally on citizen science initiatives and food safety education programs for at-risk groups. Recent work explores food safety in meal kits, vulnerability definitions for foodborne disease risks, and sanitizer efficacy in hydroponics. She has contributed to global food safety standards and developed curricula for visually impaired students. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges agricultural science, public health, and clinical practice. No specific grants or lab teams are explicitly mentioned, though her work involves partnerships with agencies like Head Start and international collaborations.

• Microbial Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Plant-Microbe Interactions
• +5 more

Florien Gorter is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research, affiliated with the Biointeractions and Plant Health department. His work focuses on microbial ecology, evolutionary biology, and plant-microbe interactions. He leads multiple projects addressing bacterial pathogens in agriculture, such as Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum risks and potato bacterial wilt. Gorter has contributed to understanding microbial competition dynamics, including experimental evolution of toxin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. His research also explores adaptation mechanisms in yeast populations under environmental stress, including heavy metal exposure. He actively collaborates on projects involving sustainable cultivation practices, biostimulant effects, and disease management in horticultural crops. Key contributions include datasets on microbial coevolution and experimental evolution studies, published in journals like Frontiers in Microbiology and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. His activities include presentations on infection pathways of plant pathogens and circular agriculture solutions. Current projects emphasize mitigating bacterial threats in Dutch agriculture and understanding climate extremes' impact on crop diseases.

• Applied Machine Learning
• Microbiology
• Drinking Water Distribution Systems
• +3 more

Niklas Gador is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Natural Science. His research focuses on applying machine learning techniques to microbiological challenges, particularly in water distribution systems. He specializes in visualization, classification, anomaly detection, forecasting, and reinforcement learning, using Python as his primary tool. Current teaching responsibilities include courses in Discrete Mathematics, Statistics, Methods for Measuring Electricity, and Calculus and Algebra. Research collaborations include projects like EIVF-AI (Enhancing In Vitro Fertilization with AI) and studies on bacterial changes in drinking water systems post-monochloramine removal. He has participated in conferences such as the 3rd Annual RECS Workshop on AI and organized events on smart AI taxi systems. His work frequently involves flow cytometry and environmental data analysis. He serves as a deputy supervisor for a PhD project on bathing water quality using machine learning and DNA-based methods. Despite his active research profile, no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided texts.

• Aquaculture
• Parasitology
• Marine Biology
• +3 more

Giana Gomes is a researcher at James Cook University, specializing in aquaculture health and parasitology. Her work focuses on ciliate parasites (e.g., Chilodonella spp.), environmental DNA (eDNA) applications for disease detection, and microbial interactions in fish farming systems. She holds a PhD from James Cook University (2017), with research emphasizing the ecology and detection of harmful freshwater ciliates in aquaculture. Her research spans over 15 years, with key contributions to understanding protozoan-bacterial interactions in tropical fish farms, heat stress impacts on fish immunity, and the use of eDNA for predicting parasite outbreaks. Collaborations include studies on cobia genome analysis, shrimp larval morphology, and necrotizing hepatopancreatitis in Pacific white shrimp. Gomes has published extensively in high-impact journals such as Frontiers in Genetics , Aquaculture , and Reviews in Aquaculture . Her work bridges fundamental parasitology with applied aquaculture solutions, addressing critical challenges in disease management and environmental monitoring.