Dr. Ken Nealson

Dr. Ken Nealson, Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and Professor of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences, spoke to the National Corrosion Center Advisory Board on September 18, 2009. Dr. Nealson reviewed his pioneering work with geobiology, Shewanella oneidensis, and the tie in to corrosion (via electromicrobiology).

From the USC faculty profile:

Professor Nealson is one of the pioneers of the field of modern geobiology – an area of science that tackles the still largely unexplored domain where the processes and chemistry of life intersect with the planet’s mineral and metal chemistry. In his early work as a marine microbiologist, Nealson discovered quorum sensing, the phenomenon in which microbial communities create light. As one of the first to recognize the importance of microorganisms in catalyzing redox reactions in the environment, he has led the development of tools to study these organisms. Nealson’s techniques, used to study microbial populations through genetic identification, are now considered standard in analyzing microbes found in biofilms. On a much larger scale, Nealson has studied the cycling of such minerals as iron and manganese, revealing the key role of microorganisms in these biogeochemical processes. More recently, he has turned to the understanding of how life can function in extreme environments, and he is directing efforts at NASA to search for life and evidence of ancient life in the solar system. Recent work has involved the systems biology and comparative genomics of a group of organisms in the genus Shewanella, as well as adapting his laboratory work to the application of using microbes to produce energy from waste materials in microbial fuel cells.

Dr. Nealson’s awards include:

• Endowed Chair, Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies, 9/1/2001-
• Proctor and Gamble Medal in Environmental Microbiology, 5/2003
• Distinguished Visiting Researcher Award presented by Joint
• Oceanographic Institution, 1996
• Fellow (or Equivalent) of National Society in Discipline, American Academy of Microbiology, 1994
• Guggenheim Fellowship Recipient, 1982