Contact Information
Research Interests
I focus on the Microbial Ecology of biogeochemical processes, particularly those that occur in the subsurface. Of particular interest are studies involving respiratory anaerobic microorganisms, such as those that reduce halogenated compounds and metals, in both natural and human impacted ecosystems. Recent projects have involved deep subsurface microbial activity in the Illinois Basin Mt. Simon formation; microbial community composition in the Mahomet aquifer (major drinking water source for Champaign); bioremediation of chlorinated solvents in low permeability zones; evaluation of sulfate reducing microbial growth in microfluidic devices; and detailed evaluation of the N-cycle in agricultural soils and tropical soils relative to greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide) formation.
Education
- PhD. Microbiology, Michigan State University 1996
- MS. Microbiology, Colorado State University
- BA. Biology, Whitman College
Courses Taught
- GEOL 561: Geomicrobiology and Geochemistry (Spring)
- Fall Geomicrobiology Topics Seminar (Climate Change, Bioremediation, etc.)
Recent Publications
Basu, A., Wanner, C., Johnson, T. M., Lundstrom, C. C., Sanford, R. A., Sonnenthal, E. L., Boyanov, M. I., & Kemner, K. M. (2020). Microbial U Isotope Fractionation Depends on the U(VI) Reduction Rate. Environmental Science and Technology, 54(4), 2295-2303. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b05935
Alcalde, R. E., Michelson, K., Zhou, L., Schmitz, E. V., Deng, J., Sanford, R. A., Fouke, B. W., & Werth, C. J. (2019). Motility of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Allows for Nitrate Reduction in the Toxic Region of a Ciprofloxacin Concentration Gradient in a Microfluidic Reactor. Environmental Science and Technology, 53(5), 2778-2787. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b04838
Berns, E. C., Sanford, R. A., Valocchi, A. J., Strathmann, T. J., Schaefer, C. E., & Werth, C. J. (2019). Contributions of biotic and abiotic pathways to anaerobic trichloroethene transformation in low permeability source zones. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 224, [103480]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2019.04.003
Cannon, J., Sanford, R. A., Connor, L., Yang, W., & Chee-Sanford, J. (2019). Optimization of PCR primers to detect phylogenetically diverse nrfA genes associated with nitrite ammonification. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 160, 49-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2019.03.020
Cannon, J., Sanford, R. A., Connor, L., Yang, W., & Chee-Sanford, J. (2019). Sequence alignments and validation of PCR primers used to detect phylogenetically diverse nrfA genes associated with dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Data in Brief, 25, [104016]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2019.104016