Faculty
Education
M.S. (General Microbiology), University of Helsinki, Finland, 1986.
Ph.D. (General Microbiology), University of Helsinki, Finland, 1989.
Research Interests
Research
in our laboratory focuses on the biodegradation of environmental pollutants,
especially halogenated aromatic compounds. Our specific interests are in
understanding (a) how microbes degrade toxic chemicals, such as halogenated
aromatic compounds, and (b) how microbial communities can be stimulated to
degrade soil, groundwater and sediment contaminants. Our laboratory is examining
the diversity of aerobic and anaerobic processes in the degradation and
transformation of environmental pollutants, including chlorinated and brominated
aromatic compounds, chlorinated pesticides, PCBs and PAHs. Our research is
seeking novel bioremediation strategies for degradation of these compounds in
soils and sediments. Our long term research objectives involve examining the
diverse catabolic activities of microbes and how biotransformation and
biodegradation affect the fate of anthropogenic contaminants. A central
objective in these studies is the physiological characterization of the
microorganisms involved in contaminant degradation and transformation and the
identification of degradation mechanisms and pathways. The work in our
laboratory is currently focusing on identification of
degradation mechanisms of halogenated aromatic compounds under different
redox conditions, including a biochemical and molecular characterization of the
degradation pathways. In addition, we are also examining the population
structure and dynamics of anaerobic dehalogenating communities. Another area of
interest is the characterization of rhizospheric bacteria involved in
biodegradation of organic contaminants, such polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and
developing their use in bioremediation. The aims of these research projects are
to provide a basic understanding of the environmental fate of anthropogenic
pollutants as well as to serve as a base for developing novel bioremediation or
biocatalytic processes.
Recent Publications
Knight VK, Nijenhuis I, Kerkhof LJ, Häggblom MM (2002) Degradation of
aromatic compounds coupled to selenate reduction. Geomicrobiology Journal, in
press.
Voordeckers J, Fennell DE, Jones K, Häggblom MM (2002) Anaerobic
biotransformation of tetrabromobisphenol A, tetrachlorobisphenol A, and
bisphenol A in estuarine sediments. Environ. Sci. Technol, in press.
Ruess L, Häggblom MM, Garcia Zapara EJ, Dighton J (2002) Phospholipid fatty
acids of fungi and nematodes - possible biomarkers in the food chain? Soil.
Biol. Biochem, in press.
Daane LL, Harjono I, Barns SM, Launen LA, Palleroni NJ, Häggblom MM (2002)
PAH-degradation by Paenibacillus spp.and description of Paenibacillus
naphthalenovorans sp. nov., a naphthalene- degrading bacterium from the
rhizosphere of salt marsh plants. Int. J. Syst. Evolut. Microbiol. 52:131-139
Somsamak P, Cowan RM, Häggblom MM (2001) Anaerobic biotransformation of fuel
oxygenates under different anoxic conditions. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol.
37:259-264.
Daane LL, Harjono I, Zylstra GJ, Häggblom MM (2001) Isolation and
characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria
associated with the rhizosphere of salt marsh plants. Appl. Environ.Microbiol.
67:2683-2691.
Vargas C, Fennell DE, Häggblom MM (2001) Anaerobic reductive dechlorination
of chlorinated dioxins in estuarine sediments. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol
57:786-790.
Milligan PW, Häggblom MM (2001) Anaerobic degradation and dehalogenation of
chlorosalicylates and salicylate under four reducing conditions.
Biodegradation 12:59-167.
Song B, Palleroni NJ, Kerkhof LJ, Häggblom MM (2001) Characterization of
halobenzoate-degrading denitrifying Azoarcus and Thauera isolates, and
description of Thauera chlorobenzoica sp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Evolut. Microbiol.
51:589-602.
Song B, Palleroni NJ, Häggblom MM (2000) Isolation and characterization of
diverse halobenzoate- degrading denitrifying bacteria from soils and sediments.
Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66:3446-3453.
Vargas C, Song BK, Camps M, Häggblom MM (2000) Anaerobic degradation of fluorinated aromatic compounds. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 53:342-347.
Häggblom MM, Knight VK, Kerkhof LJ (2000) Anaerobic decomposition of
halogenated aromatic compounds. Environmental Pollution 107:199-207.
Song B, Palleroni NJ, Häggblom MM (2000) Description of strain 3CB-1, a genomovar of
Thauera aromatica, capable of degrading 3-chlorobenzoate coupled to nitrate reduction. Int. J. Syst. Evolut. Microbiol. 50:551-558.
Turpeinen R, Pantsar-Kallio M, Häggblom M, Kairesalo T (1999) Influence of microbes on the mobilization, toxicity and biomethylation of arsenic in
soil. Sci. Total Environ. 236:173-180.
Knight VK, Kerkhof LJ, Häggblom MM (1999) Community analyses of sulfidogenic 2-bromophenol dehalogenating and phenol degrading consortia.
FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 29:137-147.
Daane LL, Häggblom MM (1999) Effect of earthworm egg capsule microbiota on degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:2376-2381.
Milligan PW, Häggblom MM (1999) Anaerobic biodegradation and biotransformation of dicamba under different reducing conditions. Environ.
Sci. Technol. 33:1224-1229.
