My laboratory is focused on the interaction of anthropogenic disturbances of the environment and microbial process and community response, which can ameliorate environmental effects and potential health risks. Thisrather broad research program has an emphasis on molecular environmental diagnostics, metagenomics, and biotechnical problem solving while maintaining a fundamental ecological perspective on the role and function of microorganism in aquatic, terrestrial and waste treatment systems. Research conducted in my laboratory through the Center for Environmental Biotechnology is highly interdisciplinary and includes aspects of aerobic microbial biodegradation and remediation of organic pollutants, environmental fate studies of microbes and pollutants, bioluminescent reporter gene technology for biosensor applications (ranging from microbes to man) and genetic engineering for xenobiotic degradation, biofuel synthetic biology, nanoscale interfaces, and bio-microelectronics.

See Also: Center for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB)

• Li, H., N. Lopes, S. Moser, G. S. Sayler, and S. Ripp. 2012. Silicon photomultiplier (SPM) detection of low-level bioluminescence for the development of deployable whole-cell biosensors: Possibilities and limitations. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, in press.
• Chauhan, A., A. C. Layton, D. E. Williams, A. E. Smartt, S. Ripp, T. V. Karpinets, S. D. Brown, and G. S. Sayler. 2011. Draft genome sequence of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading, genetically engineered bioluminescent bioreporter Pseudomonas fluorescens HK44. Journal of Bacteriology 193:5009-5010.
• Smartt, A. E., T. Xu, P. Jegier, J. J. Carswell, S. A. Blount, G. S. Sayler, and S. Ripp. 2012. Pathogen detection using engineered bacteriophage. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, in press.
• Close, D. M., S. S. Patterson, S. Ripp, S. J. Baek, J. Sanseverino, and G. S. Sayler. 2010. Autonomous bioluminescent expression of the bacterial luciferase gene cassette (lux) in a mammalian cell line. PLoS ONE 5:e12441.
• Sanseverino, J., M. L. Eldridge, A. C. Layton, J. P. Easter, J. Yarbrough, T. W. Schultz, and G. S. Sayler. 2009. Screening of potentially hormonally active chemicals using bioluminescent yeast bioreporters. Toxicological Sciences 107:122-134.

A.A., Liberal Arts, Bismarck Junior College, Bismarck, North Dakota; 1969

B.S., Bacteriology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota; 1971

Ph.D., Bacteriology/Biochemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho; 1974

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, 1974-1975