Abstract: Global nutrient cycles are regulated by a complex network of biogeochemical processes, and microbes are at the center of these processes! Anthropogenic activity has distorted the balance of thesecycles resulting in severe ecological disruptions threatening human health, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability. While microbes regulate these processes in nature, they can also be leveraged in biological treatment systems that help to mitigate environmental impacts of nutrient pollution. However, microbes don’t work alone, they co-exist in a complex web of symbiotic, commensal, and antagonistic interactions. In this talk, we will explore how microbes work together or against each other in biological treatment systems for nutrient removal. Using systems biology and omics approaches we will elucidate the interactions in both engineered and natural treatment systems that govern ecosystem function. We will also discuss how we can utilize omics information to generate models to predict system functioning. Lastly, we will consider the global implications of anthropogenic nutrient pollution and how diverse strategies can be deployed for sustainable long-term solutions.

Bio: Dr. Christian White is a Walter Massey Postdoctoral Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory in the Terrestrial Ecology group of the Environmental Sciences Division. Christian obtained his Ph.D. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Christian’s research interests include the microbial ecology of engineered and natural treatment systems for wastewater treatment, novel isotopic techniques to investigate biogeochemical cycling, and trait-based modeling frameworks to predict microbially mediated ecosystem functioning. Christian is a recipient of the Department of Energy SCGSR Fellowship, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Bridge Fellowship, the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship and the Bay Area Water Quality Fellowship. Outside of research,Christian is dedicated to fostering more inclusive environments for minoritized students in academia, mentoring, and nurturing the development of anticolonial science methods.