Phone: (413) 585-3851
Office: Ford Hall 115
Email: emonserr@smith.edu

Courses:

Bio 151 Cells, Physiology and Development Laboratory

Bio 110 Bacteria: The Good, the Bad and the Absolutely Necessary

Bio 204 Microbiology

Bio 205 Microbiology Laboratory

Research Interests:

My research background and current interests expand various areas of environmental microbiology. My current research focuses on the molecular characterization of bacteria associated with coral Black Band Disease. Black Band disease is caused by a consortium of morphologically and physiologically diverse bacteria and afflicts reef-building corals. Students in my lab are trying to elucidate what bacteria are associated with the disease and compare these to bacteria found in the water column. In addition, I am interested in the role bacteria play in the biodegradation of environmental pollutants and hoe they influence the major biogeochemical cycles. Specifically I am interested in understanding the physiological mechanisms bacteria have evolved to detoxify and biodegrade xenobiotic compounds of anthropogenic origin and on how these compounds affect bacterial communities in sediments or soils.

Representative Publications:

Monserrate, E., M.M. Häggblom. 1997. Dehalogenation and Biodegradation of Brominated Phenols and Benzoic Acids under Iron-Reducing, Sulfidogenic, and Methanogenic Conditions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63: 3911-3915.

Monserrate, E., S.B. Leschine, E. Canale-Parola. 2001. Clostridium hungatei sp. nov., a cellulolytic N2-fixing bacterium isolated from soil. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 51: 123-132.

Smets, B.F., Grasso, D., Pignatello, J.J., Monserrate, E., 2003. PAH Bioremediation at Former Manufactured Gas Plants. Northeast Utilities Systems Report.

Monserrate, E., E. Canale-Parola. 2004. Cellulase as a nitrogen source for non-N2-fixing
bacteria growing in heterogeneous microbial communities. Appl. Environm. Microbio. (in press).