Computer Modeling of Microbes Will Yield Improved Clean-ups
Strategies that use microbes to clean up polluted sites are becoming more refined as scientists merge advances in gene sequencing methods, culture techniques and computer modeling, says University of Massachusetts Amherst microbiologist Derek Lovley. This integrated approach is allowing scientists to better determine which pollution-fighting species to use and when to use them, pitting microbial muscle against environmental offenders such as uranium and petroleum with unprecedented precision.
“If we know how the organisms will behave, and we know the site's hydrology and geochemistry, we'll actually be able to engineer the ideal conditions for clean up,” he says. Lovley discussed his research at the three-day, annual Soils, Sediments and Water Conference at UMass Amherst. The work also will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.