UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Charlottesville, VA
PhD Chemical Engineering, January, 1995
Dissertation: "Bacterial Migration and Motion in a Fluid Phase and in the Presence of a Solid Surface"
Co-Advisors: Professors Roseanne M. Ford and Peter T. Cummings

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY, Raleigh, NC
MS Aerospace Engineering, August, 1987
Thesis: "Numerical Solution of the Navier-Stokes Equations Using Cartesian Grids"
Advisor: Professor Hassan A. Hassan
BS Aerospace Engineering, May, 1985.
Magna Cum Laude

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, Knoxville, TN
Associate Professor- Conducting research on production of commodity chemical intermediates through biological processes, biosensor development, and substrate degradation and transport in biological systems. 2001-present
Assistant Professor- 1995-2001

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Charlottesville, VA
Post-Doctoral Research Associate - Developed a computational algorithm based on the Lattice-Boltzmann method to obtain solutions to a model equation for the migration of a population of chemotactic bacteria in saturated porous media. 1994-1995

Research Assistant - As a U.S. Department of Energy ERWM Fellow, conducted original research on the migration of chemotactic bacteria. Developed an algorithm for simulating bacterial motion. Developed algorithms for the numerical solution of integro-differential equations. Conducted experiments to determine the properties of bacterial motion in the presence of solid surfaces. Supervised an undergraduate student in conducting research for his undergraduate thesis. 1990-1994

LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY, Livermore, CA
Research Intern - Performed a practicum assignment as part of appointment as a U.S. Department of Energy ERWM Fellow. Conducted experiments and developed a numerical solution algorithm for a laboratory scale model of the bioremediation of TCE contaminated soil. Summer, 1993

HONORS AND SOCIETIES

University of Tennessee College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award for the Department of Chemical Engineering, 2000, 2002
University of Tennessee College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award for the Department of Chemical Engineering , 1999
University of Tennessee College of Engineering Allied Signal Outstanding Faculty Teaching and Research Award, 1997
University of Virginia Department of Chemical Engineering Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Study, 1994
Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society
Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Society for Engineering Education
Water Environment Research Foundation

REFERED PUBLICATIONS IN ARCHIVED JOURNALS

Ren S, Schultz TW, Frymier PD, “Evaluation of the Shk1 activated sludge bacterial luminescence inhibition assay: narcotic chemicals”, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 72(6):1187-1194, 2004.

Ren, S., and P.D. Frymier, “Development of a Three-Stage System for Wastewater Toxicity Monitoring: A Design and Feasibility Study”, in preparation, 2004.

Ren, S., and P.D. Frymier, “Toxicity of Metals and Organic Chemicals Evaluated with Bioluminescence Assays”, Chemosphere, in press, 2004.

Ren, S., R.W. Mee and P.D. Frymier, “Using factorial experiments to study the toxicity of metal mixtures”. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety, 59(1), 38-43, 2004.

Ren, S. and P.D. Frymier, “Statistical comparison of bioassays for assessment of toxicity of organic components of wastewater to activated sludge”, Journal of Environmental Engineering, 130(4), 2004.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “Use of Multidimensional Scaling in the Selection of Wastewater Toxicity Test Battery Components”, Water Research, 37(7), 1655-1661, 2003.

Ren S. and Frymier P. D. “Modeling the Toxicity of Polar and Non-polar Narcotic Compounds to Luminescent Bacterium Shk1”, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 21(12), 2649-2653, 2002.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “A Comparative Study of Two Bioassays for Applications in Influent Wastewater Toxicity Monitoring”, Journal of Environmental Engineering, 129(7), 2003.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “Toxicity Estimation of Phenolic Compounds by Bioluminescent Bacterium”, Journal of Environmental Engineering, 129(4), 2003.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “Estimating the Toxicity of Organic Chemicals to Bioluminescent Bacteria and Activated Sludge”, Water Research, 36(17), pp. 4386-4390, 2002.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “An Exploratory Study of Using Multivariate Techniques to Determine Mechanisms of Toxic Action”, Ecotoxicity and Environmental Safety, in press, 2003.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “Kinetics of the Toxicity of Heavy Metals to Luminescent Bacteria”, Advances in Environmental Research, 7(2), 537-547, 2003.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “Toxicity Screening of Organic Compounds that Inhibit Activated Sludge Microorganisms by Bioluminescent Bioreporter”, Water Environment Research, in press, 2003.

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “The Use of a Genetically-Engineered Pseudomonas Species (Shk1) as a Bioluminescent Bioreporter for Heavy Metal Toxicity Screening in Wastewater Treatment Plant Influent”, ”, Water Environment Research, 75(1), 21-29, 2003.

Cameron, P.A., B.H. Davison, P.D. Frymier, J.W. Barton. "Direct Transesterification of Gases by “Dry” Immodilized Lipase," Biotechnol. Bioeng, 78, 3, (2002).

Ren, Shijin, and Frymier, P.D., “Continuous Toxicity Screening of Biological Wastewater Treatment System Influent Using a Bioluminescent Reporter Organism”, WEFTEC 2001 Conference Proceedings, October 2001.

Frymier, P.D., “Locating, Using and Developing Teaching and Research Resources On the Web”, Compu. Appl. Eng. Educ., 6, 137-144, (1998).

Frymier, P.D. and Ford, R.M., “Analysis of Bacterial Swimming Speed Approaching a Solid-Liquid Interface”, AIChE J., 43, 1341-1347, (1997).

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M., Berg, H.C. and Cummings, P.T., "Three-dimensional Tracking of Motile Bacteria Near a Solid Surface", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 6195-6199,(1995).

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M. and Cummings, P.T., "Analysis of Bacterial Migration. I. Numerical Solution of New Balance Equations", AIChE Journal, 40, 4, 704-715, (1994).

Strauss, I., Frymier, P.D., Hahn, C.M. and Ford, R.M., "Analysis of Bacterial Migration. II. Experimental Studies of Chemotaxis in Multiple Attractant Gradients", AIChE J., 41, 402-414, (1995).

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M. and Cummings, P.T., "Cellular Dynamics Simulations of Bacterial Chemotaxis", Chem. Eng. Sci., 48, 687-699, (1993).

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

“Development of a Multichannel Sensor for POTW Influent Toxicity Screening”, 8th Annual Industrial Wastes Technical and Regulatory Conference, Atlantic City, New Jersey, August 11-14, 2002.

“Development of a Bioreporter for POTW Influent Toxicity”, Vanderbilt University, April 17, 2000.

“Enhanced In-Situ Bioremediation”, University of Kentucky, Louisville, KY, 1999.

“Enhanced In-Situ Bioremediation”, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA, 1998.

“Bacterial Migration and Interactions with Solid Surfaces: Experiments and Modeling” Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozemann, MT, February 25, 1996.

"Bacterial Swimming Behavior Near a Solid Surface", University of Virginia, Department of Biophysics, Charlottesville, Virginia, January, 1995.

"Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Bacterial Swimming Behavior in a Fluid and Near a Solid Surface", Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, January, 1995.

"Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Bacterial Swimming Behavior in a Fluid and Near a Solid Surface", Deparment of Chemical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, February, 1995.

"Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Bacterial Swimming Behavior in a Fluid and Near a Solid Surface", Deparment of Chemical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, February, 1995.

"Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Bacterial Swimming Behavior in a Fluid and Near a Solid Surface", Deparment of Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, March, 1995.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Frymier, P.D., Kelly, C., and Lajoie, C., “Toxicity Screening by Bioluminescent Bioreporter”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, San Fransisco, CA, Nov. 16-21, 2003.

Frymier, P.D. and Thomas, J.B., “Application of Principal Component Analysis to Multiple Analyte Detection Using a Multiwavelength Photometer”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, San Fransisco, CA, Nov. 16-21, 2003.

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D., “Production of 2,5-Diketo-D-Gluconic Acid by Continuous Fermentation Using Pantoea Citrea”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Reno, Nevada, Nov. 4-9, 2001

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D., “Estimating the Toxicities of Organic Chemicals to Bioluminescent Bacteria”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Reno, Nevada, Nov. 4-9, 2001

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D., “Continuous Production of 2,5-Diketo-D-Gluconic Acid by Fermentation Coupled with Membrane Filtration”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Reno, Nevada, Nov. 4-9, 2001

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D., “Mathematical Modeling of the Heavy Metal-Induced Inhibition of Bacterial Luminescence”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Reno, Nevada, Nov. 4-9, 2001

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D., “Development of a Continuous Bioluminescent Bacteria-Based System for POTW Influent Wastewater Toxicity Monitoring”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Reno, Nevada, Nov. 4-9, 2001

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D., “Online Monitoring of Influent Wastewater Toxicity Using Bioluminescence”, Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Los Angeles, California, Nov. 13-17, 2000

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D., “A Continuous Biosensor-Based System for Toxicity Screening of POTW Influent “,Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Los Angeles, California, Nov. 13-17, 2000

Ren, Shijin and Frymier, P.D. “Development of a Biosensor for POTW Influent Toxicity", Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Austin, Texas, November 1-5, 1999.

Olenick, C.J. and Frymier, P.D. “Enhanced Bacterial Transport through Porous Media", Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, 1997.

Frymier, P.D., “Modeling the In Situ Bioremediation of Contaminated Aquifers using a Lattice Method", Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Chicago, Illinois, November 11-15, 1996.

C. J., O’Lenick and Frymier, P.D., Ford “Solution of a Lattice Boltzmann Equation for Bacterial Migration in a Porous Medium", Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Maimi Beach, Florida, November 11-15, 1995.

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M., and Cummings, P. T, “Solution of a Lattice Boltzmann Equation for Bacterial Migration in a Porous Medium", Annual Fall Meeting of the AIChE, Maimi Beach, Florida, November 11-15, 1995.

Frymier, P.D. and Ford, R.M., “Three-Dimensional Cell Tracking in the Study of Bacterial Motion Near a Planar Glass Surface”, Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction (BLAST) Meeting III, Austin, Texas, January, 1995.

Frymier, P.D. and Ford, R.M., “Quantifying the Effects of Bacteria-Surface Interactions on Bacterial Motion Near a Planar Surface”, AIChE Annual Meeting, San Franciso, California, November 14-18, 1994.

Ford, R.M., Frymier, P.D. and Lee, J., “Visualization and Image Analysis of Chemotactic Bands and Individual Cell Traces for Determination of Bacterial Transport Processes”, AIChE Annual Meeting, San Franciso, CA, November 14-18, 1994

Frymier, P.D. and Ford, R.M., "Single-Cell Studies of Bacteria-Surface Interaction by Three-Dimensional Tracking", AIChE Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO, November 7-12, 1993.

Frymier, P.D., Middlebrooks, S.A., Ford, R.M., and Cummings, P.T. "Model for Integration of Multiple Stimuli by Chemotactic Bacteria", AIChE Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO, November 7-12, 1993.

Fymier, P.D., Ford, R.M., and Cummings, P.T., “Cellular Simulation of Bacterial Chemotaxis”, Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction (BLAST) II, Austin, TX, January 14-18, 1993.

Ford, R.M., Frymier, P.D., Strauss, I., Hahn, C.M., Mercer, J.R. and Stitz, “Macroscopic Transport Properties for Characterizing Bacterial Migration”, BLAST II, Austin, TX, January 14-18, 1993.

Strauss, I., Frymier, P.D., Hahn, C.M., and Ford, R.M., “Characterization of Bacterial Migration in the Presence of Multiple Chemical Gradients”, AIChE Annual Meeting, Miami, FL, November 1-6, 1992.

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M., and Cummings, P.T. "Numerical Solution of a Model for the Migration of Chemotactic Cells", AIChE Annual Meeting, Miami, FL, November 1-6, 1992.

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M., and Cummings, P.T. "Mathematical Models for Migration of Chemotactic Bacterial", Ninth Annual Biotechnology Symposium, Crystal City, VA, August 16-21, 1992.

Frymier, P.D. and Cummings, P.T., "Cellular Simulation and Validation of Bacterial Transport Models", Eighth Mid-Atlantic Thermodynamics Conference, April 10, 1992.

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M., and Cummings, P.T. "Cellular Dynamic Simulation of Bacterial Chemotaxis", AIChE Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, November 18-22, 1991.

Frymier, P.D., Ford, R.M., and Cummings, P.T. "Cellular Dynamics Simulation of Bacterial Chemotaxis", Poster Presentation, Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, October 12-14, 1991.

FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Title of Project: Increased Enzyme-Coenzyme Stability and Coenzyme Regeneration by Co-Immobilization on Carbon Nanofibers
Role: PI
Agency: Eastman Chemical Company
Amount of Funding Requested: $45k/year
Date of Award: October, 2002
Duration of Award: Renewable annually for up to 3 years

Title of Project: Multisensor Toxicity Screening Using Bioluminescent Sensor Microorganisms
Role: PI
Co-PIs: Dr. Curtis Lajoie, Dr. Terry Schultz
Agency: Water Environment Research Foundation
Amount of Funding Requested: $180,641
Date of Award: December, 2002
Duration of Award: 1 year

Title of Project: Tennessee Scientific Incorporated
Role: Technical Director
Company: Tennessee Scientific Incorporated
Amount of Funding: UTRC has 1/3 equity position in the company
Projected Date of Agreement: June, 2003

Title of Project: Bioprocess Consulting for SBIR
Role: PI
Co-PIs: None
Agency: Whitecliff Biosystems, Kingsport, TN
Amount of Funding: $11,385
Date of Award: Sept. 2000
Duration of Award: 1 year

Title of Project: Biological Upgrading of Crude Oil
Role: PI
Co-PIs: None
Staff funded: Dr. Abhijeet Barole
Agency: Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation
Amount of Funding: $191,488
Date of Award: Jan 2000
Duration of Award: 2 years

Title of Project: Protocol for Screening Industrial Discharges to POTW for Toxicity and Other Impacts
Role: PI
Co-PIs: Dr. Christine Kelly, Dr. Curtis Lajoie, Dr. Gary Sayler
Agency: Water Environment Research Foundation
Amount of Funding: $295,334
Date of Award: February 1999
Duration of Award: 2 years

Title of Project: Novel Molecular Monitoring Methods and Advanced Process Control Strategy Development for Improved Bioprocessing
Role: Research Director
PI: Gary Sayler
Agency: Eastman Chemical Company
Amount of Funding: $112,151
Date of Award: Sept. 1997
Duration of Award: 2 years

Title of Project: Strategies of Reactor Design, Configuration and Operating Regimes for Improved Bioprocessing
Role: Research Director
PI: Gary Sayler
Agency: Eastman Chemical Company
Amount of Funding: $271,165
Date of Award: Sept. 1997
Duration of Award: 3 years

Title of Project: Dynamic Modeling of Multiple Substrate-Multiple Bacteria Wastewater Treatment
Role: PI
Co-PIs: None
Agency: DuPont
Amount of Funding: $10,000
Date of Award: January 1998
Duration of Award: 1 year

Title of Project: Non-traditional Biocataylsis in Gas and Organic Liquid Phases
Role: PI
Co-Pis: None
Agency: Lockheed Martin Energy Systems
Amount of Funding: $53,207
Date of Award: September 1997
Duration of Award: 2 years

Title of Project: Fate and Transport of Contaminants and Microbes
Role: co-PI
Project PI: Dr. Larry McKay
Agency: University of Tennessee Waste Management and Education Institute
Amount of Funding: $52,000
Date of Award: June 1996
Duration of Award: 2 years

THESES AND DISSERTATIONS SUPERVISED:

Justin Holland, MS, 2004
Stacey Barnlund, MS, 2004
Barbara Cortner, MS, 2002
Shijin Ren, PhD 2001
Paula Cameron, MS, 1999
Ziran Sun, MS 1999
Matt Dalton, MS, 1999
Suvrat Dongre, MS, 1998
Rita Mardini, MS, 1997 (non-thesis)

INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

ChE 200- Chemical Engineering Fundamentals
ChE 240- Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
ChE 340- Mass Transfer and Separation Processes
ChE 410- Chemical Engineering Laboratory II (team taught, have covered two experiments)
ChE 445- Separations Process Technology
ChE 488- Honors: Design Internship in Industrial Pollution Prevention (team advisor for group of 4)
ChE 501- Graduate Seminar (served as seminar coordinator)
ChE/Micro/Ag.E/EnvE 575- Applied Microbiology and Bioengineering
ChE 675- Microbial Systems Analysis
Honors Senior Thesis Advisor

SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES

College of Engineering Associate Dean’s Search, 2003-2004
University of Tennessee Life of the Mind Discussion Leader (freshmen common experience), 2004
University of Tennessee Graduate Dean’s Colloquy, University of Tennessee, 2003
College of Engineering Dean’s Search, 2003
University of Tennessee Graduate Council Representative (chair of curriculum committee) 2001- present.
Department Representative to College Curriculum Committee, 1997-present
Department Graduate Recruiting Coordinator, 1996-1998, 1999-present
University of Tennessee Catalog Editor Search, 2002.
Department Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, 1997-1999
Department Graduate Planning Committee, 1996-present
Departmental Faculty and Department Head Search Committees (participated in 3 searches)
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Search Committee

CENTER PARTICIPATION

University of Tennessee Center for Environmental Biotechnology

ADHOC JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEWER

Chemical Engineering Science, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Biophysical Journal, AIChE Journal, Environmental Science and Technology, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Journal of Environmental Quality, Water Research, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology