Courtney Gardner

Courtney Gardner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, part of the Cockrell School of Engineering. Her research focuses on environmental biotechnology, microbiome engineering, and the environmental fate of pollutants, with particular emphasis on wildfire microbiology, stormwater quality, and the impacts of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

She holds a PhD and M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Duke University (2017 and 2015, respectively), and a B.S. in Biology from Stetson University (2011). Her work integrates molecular biology, environmental chemistry, and engineering principles to address pressing challenges in sustainable resource management and pollution mitigation.

Gardner’s research interests include microbiome manipulation for bioremediation, the environmental transport of engineered nucleic acids (e.g., siRNAs from GM crops), and the effects of emerging contaminants on soil microbial communities. She investigates how wildfire events disrupt nitrogen-cycling bacteria and explores novel methods for stormwater treatment using bioretention systems and vermicomposting technologies.

Her recent publications highlight trends in understanding GMO-derived transgenes in soil systems, microbial responses to small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and the role of microplastics in contaminant transport. These studies underscore her commitment to bridging fundamental microbiology with applied environmental engineering solutions.

Gardner’s work has been supported by grants focused on precision bioremediation, wastewater treatment innovation, and the ecological impacts of emerging contaminants. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary collaborations, including projects on antibiotic resistance gene dynamics and carbon sequestration through vermifiltration. Her lab maintains an active presence at https://envmicrobe.wordpress.com.