title: A New Perspective on Sustainable Soil Remediation-Case Study Suggests Novel Fungal Genera Could Facilitatein situBiodegradation of Hazardous Contaminants.
abstract: Deciding upon a cost effective and sustainable method to address soil pollution is a challenge for many remedial project managers. High pressure to quickly achieve cleanup goals pushes for energy-intensive remedies that rapidly address the contaminants of concern with established technologies, often leaving little room for research and development especially for slower treatment technologies, such as bioremediation, for the more heavily polluted sites. In the present case study, new genomic approaches have been leveraged to assess fungal biostimulation potential in soils polluted with particularly persistent hydrophobic contaminants. This new approach provides insights into the genetic functions available at a given site in a way never before possible. In particular, this article presents a case study where next generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to categorize fungi in soils from the Atlantic Wood Industries Superfund site in Portsmouth, Virginia. Data suggest that original attempts to harness fungi for bioremediation may have focused on fungal genera poorly suited to survive under heavily polluted site conditions, and that more targeted approaches relying on native indigenous fungi which are better equipped to survive under site specific conditions may be more appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Candidate and Dean's Graduate Fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Her doctoral thesis focuses on fungal bioremediation of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soils. She received her M.S. from Duke University and her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from The Ohio State University.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Czaplicki
authors.affiliation: research scientist and she manages the Duke Superfund Analytical Chemistry Core in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Cooper is interested in analyzing environmentally important organic compounds in a variety of matrices including sediments, water, biological samples, and polyurethane foam. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Duke University. She earned her B.S in Plant Science and her M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Delaware.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: an associate professor of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. His research focuses on developing new methods for trace analysis of organic and nanoparticulate contaminants in the aquatic environment. Dr. Ferguson received his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in Coastal Oceanography. He received his B.S. in Marine Science and Chemistry from the University of South Carolina.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: an associate professor in the Nicholas School of the Environment. Her research increases the understanding of the fate and transformation of organic contaminants in aquatic systems and indoor environments. Dr. Stapleton received her Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of Maryland, and her B.S. from Long Island University Southampton College.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Stapleton
authors.affiliation: professor in the Department of Biology and adjunct professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. His research focuses on fungal evolution, genetics and systematics. Dr. Vilgalys received his Ph.D. in Botany from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He received his M.S. in Botany from Virginia Tech and his B.A. in Biology from the State University of New York College at Genesco.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vilgalys
authors.affiliation: an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Her research focuses on characterizing and engineering environmental microbiomes. Dr. Gunsch received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She received her M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Science from Clemson University and her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Gunsch