Dr. Matthew Fields received the CBE faculty research award in recognition of his outstanding success in building a large and active research group—including winning competitive grants, being a positive mentor to students engaged in research, encouraging constructive interdisciplinary teamwork and interaction, and contributing to other CBE projects and meetings.

College of Engineering Awards

Betsey Pitts received this award in recognition of her development of the CBE microscopy facility, enthusiastic education and mentoring of numerous student, staff, and faculty microscope users, and for contributions to industrially sponsored projects.

Jennifer Hornemann hopes to help Exxon Mobil expand its research into the corrosive havoc that microbes can cause to pipelines and other equipment. Microbes, living together in colonies called biofilms, can corrode pipes and other hardware vital to getting oil from one place to another. That damage can affect the oil supply, which in turn affects the price of gas and diesel fuel.  Read the full story

Jennifer presented her work at the Montana Biofilm Science & Technology Meeting, July 7-9, 2009.

The summer 2009 Montana Biofilm Science & Technology Meeting (formerly TAC) for our Industrial Associate members and invited guests will be held in Bozeman, MT, July 7–9, 2009 (Tuesday–Thursday). The Montana Biofilm Meeting will feature sessions on biofilm mechanics, molecular methods for biofilm ecology, environmental biofilms, industrial biofilms, dental biofilms, and phenotypic heterogeneity.

Please contact Paul Sturman (406) 994-2102 for more information.

by Michael Becker, MSU News Service, April 20, 2009

Montana State University doctoral student Jennifer Hornemann didn't start her college career with any intention of studying biofilms. Instead, she started out studying physics because, she said, it sounded hard.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of six advanced biofuels projects in which DOE plans to invest up to $4.4 million, subject to annual appropriations. These awards to U.S. institutions of higher education will support research and development (R&D) for cost-effective, environmentally friendly biomass conversion technologies for turning non-food feedstocks into advanced biofuels. Combined with the minimum university cost share of 20 percent, more than $5.7 million is slated for investment in these six projects.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the selection of six advanced biofuels projects in which DOE plans to invest up to $4.4 million, subject to annual appropriations. These awards to U.S. institutions of higher education will support research and development (R&D) for cost-effective, environmentally friendly biomass conversion technologies for turning non-food feedstocks into advanced biofuels. Combined with the minimum university cost share of 20 percent, more than $5.7 million is slated for investment in these six projects.

Darla Goeres attended the ASTM E35.15 subcommittee meeting held in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on April 20–22, 2009. The purpose of the meeting was to standardize methods used for medical and industrial microbial testing. At this meeting, Darla was appointed to the position of Recording Secretary for the ASTM E35 Main Committee.

Darla Goeres was interviewed by Dr. Barry Dworkin, who hosts a syndicated health show based in Ottawa, Canada (“Sunday House Call with Dr. Barry Dworkin”). The show is aired on a Canadian public radio station (580 CFRA). During the interview, she spoke briefly about the methods work being supported by the EPA contract.  The interview is available at:  http://www.cfra.com/chum_audio/SHC-Biofilms.Mar.08.09.mp3

Upcoming CBE presentations at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) General Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, May 20-21, 2009.

Phil Stewart will present “Biofilms as agents of infection.”

Kristen Brileya will present,"Temporal and spatial organization within a syntrophic bacterial-archaeal biofilm.”

Kelly O’Shea will present, “Microbial conversion of biodiesel by-products to biofuel.”

Anitha Sundararajan will present, “Growth effects of oxygen exposure on Desulfovibrio vulgaris planktonic and biofilm cells.”

“Microbially enhanced geologic containment of sequestered supercritical CO2,”
Cunningham AB, Gerlach R, Spangler L, Schultz L, Mitchell AC
In: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Technologies,16-20 November, 2008. Omni Shorehouse Hotel, Washington D.C.
Read abstract

“Floating Islands as an alternative to constructed wetlands”
Mulholland T, Cunningham AB, Kania BG, Osterlund MT, Stewart FM

“Reductive transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by Yarrowia lipolytica AN-L15 under conditions of different initial pH of the culture medium of in the presence of ferrihydrite,” thesis defense by Andy Pannier, MS Candidate in Microbiology, Montana State University, April 2009.

“Kinetics of calcite precipitation by ureolytic bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions,” thesis defense by Stacy Parks, MS Candidate in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, April 2009.

Tricia Cook, CBE Fiscal Manager and Carol Leist, CBE Administrative Associate were nominated by CBE colleagues and honored at the 2009 MSU Employee Recognition Awards Reception Monday, April 27, 2009. The Employee Recognition Awards honor outstanding performance and contributions by classified and professional employees.

Federica Villa is a visiting graduate student from the University of Milan, where she is pursuing a doctorate in the Department of Food Science, Technology, and Microbiology.  She is studying the anti-fouling properties of a chemical isolated from a marine plant against bacterial and fungal biofilms.  She will be working in the control lab through August 2009.

Anna Heinkel from the University of Duisberg-Essen in Germany is pursuing on her Bachelor’s thesis and working with Dr. Anne Camper until August 2009.

More than 200 Montana State University students who conducted research this school year presented their findings April 14th at the Student Research Celebration at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.  This year's event consisted of 42 graduate presentations and 168 undergraduate presentations. Most of the students presented their work with posters and informal conversations.

Kristen Brileya and Kelly O'Shea each received $500 travel grants to attend the ASM General Meeting in May. The grant is given to approximately 160 students who will be presenting an abstract at the General Meeting. Congratulations, Kristen and Kelly!

Phil Stewart presented “Evaluation of bismuth thiols: Antiseptics against bacteria isolated from chronic wounds,” for the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology in Helena, MT, February 10, 2008.

Al Cunningham and Frank Stewart presented, “Control of microbial processes for enhanced water treatment using floating Island treatment systems,” for the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology in Helena, MT, February 10, 2008.

Jennifer Faulwetter, PhD candidate in microbiology, received the Ferguson Graduate Student Fellowship Award of $5,000 for her outstanding contributions both in research and in teaching. A generous contribution from an alumna of the Department of Microbiology generated this award. The recipient is chosen by the Graduate Curriculum Committee, and is based on the student’s contributions toward teaching and research.