Lukasz Cieslak

Microbial dynamics and biodegradation at the bioreactive fringe of contaminant plumes in groundwater

Phd Research Student

Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 5786
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 5701
Room: G17

Biography

Lukasz graduated with a MSc Eng. in Biotechnology from Technical University of Lodz (Poland). During his studies he went for IAESTE internships in Organic Chemistry to University of St Andrews (Scotland) and to the Manipal Institute of Technology (India). He then went on to obtain a MSc in Technical Microbiology. Following completion of a master degree he was provided with the opportunity to carry on studies at the University of Oklahoma (USA) and University of Portsmouth (UK), working on microbially influenced corrosion risk assessment.

Current research interests

The research explores interactions between microorganisms in aquifers which use a range of dissolved and mineral-based oxidants to biodegrade organic contaminants via oxidation-reduction (redox) processes. This creates a sequence of redox zones in contaminated groundwater, which represent different terminal electron accepting processes (TEAP), such as aerobic respiration, denitrification, sulphate-reduction, manganese/iron-reduction and methanogenesis. These redox zones provide an ecological niche for different microorganisms within the in situ microbial community, which creates significant spatial variation in contaminant biodegradation potential in plumes.
This research will explore the environmental and microbiological controls on biodegradation potential at the bioreactive fringe of contaminant plumes, focusing on the dynamics of microbiological community development, structure and metabolic function. It will establish the factors that lead to microbial succession and diversity in the microorganisms at the fringe of plumes, considering environmental pressures (e.g. organic contaminant type, concentration and oxidant availability) and the molecular controls on this behaviour.
The project is under the EU-funded Marie Curie Initial Training Network ADVOCATE. For more information and news please visit www.theadvocateproject.eu