Dr. Paige Novak

These researchers study microbial communities in a variety of systems (wastewater, sediment) and their ability to degrade compounds. Their work has focused on the bioremediation of chlorinated compounds, removal of estrogens in wastewater, and the development of technology to recover hydrogen (energy) from wastewater. The group is using MSI for two main projects: 

• Studying the role of organohalide respiring bacteria in uncontaminated systems. The growth of bacteria from sediment is monitored to determine which organohalide respiring bacteria are being enriched for with chlorinated natural organic matter. Metagenomics will be conducted to determine if new reductive dehalogenase genes are being used for the reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated natural organic matter.
• Changes in community that occur when operating waste treatment reactors in different configurations. An anaerobic membrane bioreactor community (no cell washout) is compared to that in a reactor containing encapsulated communities. The links between reactor configuration, community structure, and performance are being determined.