Gary S. Sayler, Professor of Microbiology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is the director of CEB. Dr. Sayler has over 25 years of experience in multidisciplinary laboratory and field environmental research and biodegradation of organic pollutants such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and trichloroethylene (TCE). Over the past 15 years, he has pioneered the development of environmental molecular diagnostics including the extraction and analysis of nucleic acids from soils (a patented process), environmental gene probe analysis, bioluminescent bioreporter technology (patented technology), and the first field release of a genetically-engineered microorganism for remediation purposes. This research has resulted in over 250 technical publications and monographs and over 300 invited presentations at the national and international level. He is a member of five professional societies and currently serves on five editorial boards.

 

John Sanseverino, Research Associate Professor of Microbiology, is the Managing Director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology. In addition, he is the program leader for the Environmental Security section of the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment.  Dr. Sanseverino has 18 years of experience in bioremediation, degradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and environmental molecular diagnostics. In recent years, he has been involved in the development of (i) bioluminescent yeast reporter systems for the detection of environmental endocrine disruptors and (ii) bioluminescent Candida albicans for bioimaging and gene expression analysis and (iii) expression of bacterial luciferase in mammalian cells. Dr. Sanseverino also has research projects in biological hydrogen production and exopolysaccharide production in Thauera sp. MZ1T.