معرفی
Robin Gerlach is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Montana State University-Bozeman, within the College of Engineering. He directs the Environmental and Biofilm Mass Spectrometry Facility and is affiliated with the Center for Biofilm Engineering (a former NSF ERC), the Thermal Biology Institute, and the Molecular BioSciences Program. His work focuses on environmental biotechnology, bioremediation, and biofilm engineering, with emphasis on microbial processes for industrial applications like biocementation and biofuel production.
Research interests include microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) for subsurface engineering, coal-to-methane conversion, and algal biofuel systems. He has led field-scale demonstrations of MICP for wellbore integrity and pioneered microfluidics as a tool for studying biofilm dynamics. Gerlach has secured grants exceeding $2.5 million for projects involving biomineralization, coal bed methane enhancement, and sustainable materials science.
Publications span over 25 years, with recent work addressing biomineralization applications, algal cultivation optimization, and microbial community dynamics in extreme environments. His interdisciplinary approach integrates microbiology, chemical engineering, and advanced imaging (e.g., μ-CT, MRI) to solve challenges in energy production, environmental remediation, and space habitation systems.
- Director: Environmental & Biofilm Mass Spectrometry Facility
- Principal Investigator: NSF-funded projects (EFRI ELiS, MICP field demonstrations)
- Co-developer: Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation technology
- Advocate for algae-based bioremediation and sustainable bioproducts
Current efforts include optimizing biofilm-based systems for carbon capture, enhancing coal-bed methane yields through microbial amendments, and developing engineered living materials for construction applications.
