Ally Brady – an OSU undergraduate in the School of Earth Sciences – has joined the Wilkins Lab over the summer as part of the Shell Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program at OSU. She’ll be working with some of the microorganisms that have been isolated from hydraulically-fractured deep shale ecosystems. Welcome Ally!

David Morgan, an OSU graduate via the microbiology program, has joined with Wilkins Lab as a staff researcher. He’ll be working on the interactions between microorganisms that persist in hydraulically-fractured shale ecosystems and a range of biocides. The work is performed in partnership with Dow Microbial Control. Welcome David!

Casey Saup and colleagues were recently at our East River research site, just outside Crested Butte, CO. Casey is investigating riverbed biogeochemistry (this time, under trying circumstances given the amount of water in the river…). Pictures below.

Casey recently had some of her research on Animas River sediment biogeochemistry published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal : Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts.

Casey’s work followed the release of metal contaminants into the river following the Gold King Mine blowout. She tracked heavy metal release from sediments coupled with the reductive dissolution of iron oxides via direct enzymatic reduction, and indirect via sulfide production.