John Sanseverino
Managing Director
Ph.D., Biology, Lehigh University
Dr. Sanseverino is the Managing Director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology and a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Tennessee. He has over 20 years experience in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. Dr. Sanseverino’s past research has included the application of environmental molecular diagnostics to bioremediation in the subsurface and degradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and trichloroethylene. In recent years, he has been involved in the development of (i) bioluminescent yeast reporter systems for the detection of environmental endocrine disruptors, (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.
Selected Publications
M. Eldridge, J. Sanseverino, A. Layton, J. Easter, T.W. Schultz, and G.S.
Sayler. 2007. Saccharomyces cerevisiae BLYAS: a New Bioluminescent Bioreporter
for the Detection of Androgenic Compounds. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology. 73(19):6012-6018.
J. Sanseverino, Gupta, R.K., A.C. Layton, S. S. Patterson, S. Ripp, L. Saidak,
M.L. Simpson, T. W. Schultz, and G.S. Sayler. 2005. Saccharomyces cerevisiae
BLYES Expressing Bacterial Bioluminescence for Rapid, Sensitive Detection of
Estrogenic Compounds. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 71(8): 4455-4460.
P. Dutta, J. Sanseverino, P.G. Datskos, and M.J. Sepaniak. 2005. Nanostructured
Cantilevers as Nanomechanical Immunosensors for Cytokine Detection.
NanoBiotechnology. 1(3):237-244.
Layton, A.C., J. Sanseverino, B.W. Gregory, J. P. Easter, G.S. Sayler, and T. W.
Schultz. 2002. In vitro estrogen binding of PCBs: Measured activity and
detection of hydroxylated metabolites in a recombinant yeast assay. Toxicology
and Applied Pharmacology. 180:157-163.
Sanseverino, J., C. Werner, J. Fleming, B. M. Applegate, J. M. H. King, and G.
S. Sayler, 1993, "Molecular Diagnostic of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
Biodegra¬da¬tion in Manu¬factured Gas Plant Soils," Biodegradation Journal. Vol.
4 pp. 303-321.
King, J. M. H., P. M. DiGrazia, B. Applegate, R. Burlage, J. Sanseverino, P.
Dunbar, F. Larimer, and G. S. Sayler, 1991, "Biolumines¬cent Reporter Plasmid
for Naphthalene Exposure and Biodegradation," Science, Vol. 249, pp. 778-781.
Center for Environmental Biotechnology
676 Dabney Hall
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1605
Phone: (865) 974-8074
Fax: (865) 974-8086
jsansev@utk.edu