Research Interests
Our laboratory research focuses on the degradation of aromatic compounds, such as benzoate, by the soil bacterium Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. Aromatic compounds are prevalent in the environment both as the result of natural processes, such as lignin degradation, and as pollutants that pose significant health and ecological hazards. We hope that a better understanding of the factors regulating aromatic compound catabolism will contribute to the development of microbe-based treatments for pollution (bioremediation). Combinations of biochemical and genetic approaches are currently being used to study the enzymes and genes involved in the conversion of benzoate to tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. Gene regulation, enzyme function, and transport mechanisms are all topics of investigation.