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2007 David Hubbell Seminar Sponsored by the Soil and Water Science Department <http://www.counterbalance.net/bio/kn-frame.html> SPEAKER: Dr. Kenneth Nealson Wrigley Professor of Geomicrobiology University of Southern California TITLE: "Cleaning Up Waste, Generating Clean Water, and Getting Paid For it!" DATE: September 14, 2007 PLACE: 282 Reitz Union TIME: 9:00 am - 10:00 am Dr. Kenneth Nealson is Wrigley Professor of Geomicrobiology at the University of Southern California, and has held faculty positions at the Jet Propulsion Lab, Cal Tech, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Scripps Institute of Oceanography, UCSD. Professor Nealson pioneered the field of modern geobiology - an area of science that tackles the still largely unexplored domain where the processes and chemistry of life intersect with the planet's mineral and metal chemistry. In his early work as a marine microbiologist, Nealson discovered quorum sensing, a phenomenon in which bacterial cells communicate with other members of the community. As one of the first to recognize the importance of microorganisms in catalyzing redox reactions in the environment, he has led the development of tools to study these organisms. Nealson's techniques, used to study microbial populations through genetic identification, are now considered standard in analyzing microbes found in biofilms. On a much larger scale, Nealson has studied the cycling of such minerals as iron and manganese, revealing the key role of microorganisms in these biogeochemical processes. More recently, he has turned to figuring out how life can function in extreme environments, and he is directing efforts at NASA to search for life and evidence of ancient life in the solar system. For additional information on Dr. Ken Nealson, <http://www.counterbalance.net/bio/kn-frame.html> contact Andy Ogram at:[log in to unmask]