Dr. Jeremy Fein
Dr. Fein is an experimental geochemist and geomicrobiologist, and the objective of his research is to elucidate environmentally-important molecular-scale surface and aqueous complexation reactions. His research involves the use of experimental data to construct quantitative thermodynamic models of mass transport in bacteria-water-rock systems. The chemical cycling of contaminants in geologic systems such as groundwater aquifers is often governed by microbial processes. Understanding the molecular-scale mechanisms involved in contaminant-bacteria interactions is crucial in order to determine the controls on water quality and bioavailability. The focus of Dr. Fein’s research is to elucidate the role of microbial cell surfaces in affecting the environmental fate of contaminants through passive adsorption and metabolic reactions. He has on-going projects investigating the role of microbial surface sulfhydryl sites on the behavior of heavy metals in the environment; and examining the interactions between per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and bacterial cells in order to determine the effect that bacteria and similar organic matter might have on the environmental behavior of this emerging class of groundwater contaminants. Dr. Fein presently serves as the Director of the Center for Environmental Science and Technology at University of Notre Dame, a facility that fosters interdisciplinary research on the environment by providing a wide range of cutting-edge analytical approaches.
For more detailed information see Dr. Fein’s homepage at: https://www3.nd.edu/~fein/Fein_lab/Home.html
