My background is in the physiology and ecology of anaerobic bacteria, including methanogens, syntrophs, sulfate-reducers, and other bacteria found in GI tracts, anaerobic sewage sludge, soil, and aquatic and marine ecosystems. I've isolated and characterized bacteria in all of these groups, studying their metabolism and growth characteristics in pure culture and consortia. Some of my more interesting investigations have involved isolation of a long-chain fatty acid-degrading syntrophic bacterium, isolation and growth of an acetogen with carbon monoxide as sole energy source, microbially induced corrosion by methanogens (cathodic depolarization) or mixed cultures in biofilms, microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), and purification of an anabolic enzyme from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Recently, I've had students working on projects in wine microbiology, composting, wastewater treatment, methods development, and geomicrobiology. Yearly trips to the Peruvian Amazon with Dr. Stephen Timme and Rainforest Ventures have led to an interest in ethnobotany and rainforest ecosystems. Projects in these areas include developing field assays for bioactive compounds and studying termite hindgut microbiology.