Robert H. Findlay Associate Professor of Microbiology     Office: 64 Pearson Hall Phone: 529-5434 Email: FindlaRH@MUOhio.edu

Research Interests:

Current research efforts are focused on several related topics, all involving the role of bacteria in aquatic environments. One area of emphasis is the conversion of detrital organic matter to microbial biomass. This effort is currently supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and will determine the role of complex organic matter in structuring microbial communities in streams. This is a collaborative project with microbial community structure being determined by both phospholipid and genetic profiles. A second area involves the response of the benthic microbial community to lipophilic pollutants. My current efforts focus on the determination of degradative gene frequency in polyaromatic hydrocarbon polluted streams and on the role of gut surfactants in solubilizing lipophilic pollutants. A third area of interest is the transport of pathogens through groundwater sediments. This is also a collaborative effort (involving groundwater geologists) and its goal is a predictive model useful in citing municipal drinking water wells in glacial aquifers. Throughout all the described projects effort is directed toward the goal of development, evaluation and application of state-of-the-art biogeochemical and microbiological methods.

Selected Publications:

• Langworthy, D.E., R.D. Stapleton, G.S. Sayler, and R.H. Findlay. 2002. Lipid analysis of the response of a sedimentary microbial community to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Microbial Ecology Online: DOI: 10.1007/s00248-001-1040-6.
• Pohle, G., B. Frost, and R. Findlay. 2001. Salmon mariculture in the Bay of Fundy: regional impact on benthos. ICES Journal of Marine Science 58:417-426.
• Watling, L., R.H. Findlay, L.M. Mayer, and D.F. Schick. 2001. Impact of scallop dragging on a shallow subtidal marine benthic community. Journal of Sea Research 46:311-326.
• Smoot, J.C., and R.H. Findlay. 2001. Spatial and seasonal variation in a freshwater reservoir sedimentary microbial community as determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Microbial Ecology. 42:350-358.

Faculty: Findlay Department of Microbiology/Miami University (Ohio USA) This document was last modified on:      Friday, July 18, 2003 at 15:07:36 Mail questions and comments to Bob Findlay. [FindlaRH@MUOhio.edu]