Degradation of 3 and 4-fluorocatechol with environmental microbes
Location
Havener Center, Miner Lounge / Wiese Atrium, 9:30am-11:30am
Start Date
4-1-2026 9:30 AM
End Date
4-1-2026 11:30 AM
Presentation Date
April 1, 2026; 9:30am-11:30am
Description
As new PFAS drinking water regulations are published and PFAS compounds become better understood, remediation methods will be highly sought after. However, fluorinated compounds do not have natural microbial degraders due to their novelty. Thus, genetically engineering microbes to possess defluorinating capabilities is an important public health topic. This poster presentation details several microbial defluorination experiments using model PFAS compounds and their results. Microbes studied include activated sludge bacteria, bacteria from a fomesafin-rich environment, genetically engineered E. coli, R. picketti, and P. fungorum. These bacteria have been reported to successfully complete the carbon-fluoride cleavage needed to defluorinate compounds. However, the lag phase is a challenge to overcome, as these bacteria do not grow quickly due to environmental stressors. Analytical methods included OD600 measurements to evaluate cell growth and fluoride ion detection via probe. Signs of defluorination were present, but further investigation is needed to obtain a full understanding of the processes' mechanisms and products.
Biography
Her long-term goal is to advance geospatial technologies to solve real-world environmental challenges in agriculture, land, and water resources.
Meeting Name
2026 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Document Type
Poster
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
event
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved
Degradation of 3 and 4-fluorocatechol with environmental microbes
Havener Center, Miner Lounge / Wiese Atrium, 9:30am-11:30am
As new PFAS drinking water regulations are published and PFAS compounds become better understood, remediation methods will be highly sought after. However, fluorinated compounds do not have natural microbial degraders due to their novelty. Thus, genetically engineering microbes to possess defluorinating capabilities is an important public health topic. This poster presentation details several microbial defluorination experiments using model PFAS compounds and their results. Microbes studied include activated sludge bacteria, bacteria from a fomesafin-rich environment, genetically engineered E. coli, R. picketti, and P. fungorum. These bacteria have been reported to successfully complete the carbon-fluoride cleavage needed to defluorinate compounds. However, the lag phase is a challenge to overcome, as these bacteria do not grow quickly due to environmental stressors. Analytical methods included OD600 measurements to evaluate cell growth and fluoride ion detection via probe. Signs of defluorination were present, but further investigation is needed to obtain a full understanding of the processes' mechanisms and products.
Comments
Advisor: Hunter Schroer, hwsr56@mst.edu