Integrating Molecular Biological Tools into Site Management

August 5, 2011 from 8:00am - 4:00 pm

Site managers now have a broad spectrum of molecular biological tools (MBTs) and advanced analytical techniques at their disposal to comprehensively evaluate treatment options and performance.  While each advanced diagnostic tool can provide valuable information, selecting the most appropriate and cost-effective technology to best answer site-specific questions and guide site management decisions can be a confusing and daunting task.  Workshop attendees will gain a practical understanding of the application of state of the art tools to document and quantify the role of in-situ biodegradation.

The objectives of this workshop are to:

• Give a brief overview of each technology
• Discuss advantages and limitations
• Examine how and when to apply each technology through real world examples

Presentations will focus on:

• CENSUS & quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) - quantify organisms or processes responsible for biodegradation
• Phospholipid Fatty Acids (PLFA) - viable biomass & microbial community fingerprints
• Bio-Trap Samplers - passive sampling tools for microbes      
• Stable Isotope Probing (SIP) - prove biodegradation is occurring
• In Situ Microcosms (ISMs) - evaluate and compare remediation alternatives in the field

Presenters include:

Dr. Kerry Sublette - Center for Applied BioGeosciences, University of Tulsa

Dr. Kerry L. Sublette is Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Technology and Sarkeys Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Tulsa. He also serves as the director of the Integrated Petroleum Environmental Consortium (IPEC). He earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 1985 and worked for six years in research and development for Combustion Engineering before joining the University of Tulsa faculty. His research interests include anoxic biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, microbial oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, microbial reduction of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, soil ecosystem restoration, and general biological waste treatment.

The final portion of the workshop can be an interactive discussion of case studies or an informal Q&A session. All workshop guests are encouraged to bring their own site data for evaluation to promote a lively discussion!