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E-mail : Daniel.Oerther@uc.edu
Office  :746 Engineering Research Center
Phone :(513)-556-3670
Fax     :(513)-556-2599

Areas of Interest

Environmental engineers are stewards of the environment and protectors of public health.  We employ biological, chemical, and physical principles to assess, protect, and remediate the air, soil, and water.  As an interdisciplinary researcher, my scholarship focuses upon two thematic areas, namely: (1) environmental biotechnology; and (2) sustainable development.  My research program in environmental biotechnology integrates concepts from ecological theory, modeling approaches from bioprocess engineering, and genome-enabled molecular biology tools to identify, enumerate, and determine the spatial organization and metabolic activity of phylogenetically-defined microbial populations in natural and built environments.  My research in sustainable development identifies culturally appropriate, cost effective technology for water management in emerging economies (e.g., Brazil, Russia, India, and China) and less developed countries (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa).

Integrating advances in research into the graduate and undergraduate classroom in Environmental Engineering represents a tremendous challenge.  Molecular biology skills are provided to students through new course offerings sponsored by educational research grants from the National Science Foundation.  Concepts and hands-on projects in sustainable development are provided to a multidisciplinary student population through innovative course offerings sponsored by educational research grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Translating these state-of-the-art techniques into the day-to-day practice of Environmental Engineering is accomplished through workshops and outreach to adult practitioners.

Publications

• Zhang, K., Choi, H., Dionysiou, D., Sorial, G., and Oerther, D.B., 2006, “Identifying Pioneer Bacterial Species Responsible for Biofouling Membrane Bioreactors,” Environmental Microbiology, Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing, 8(3):433-440.

• Rittmann, B.E., Hausner, M., Löffler, F., Love, N.G., Muyzer, G., Okabe, S., Oerther, D.B., Peccia, J., Raskin, L., and Wagner, M., 2006, “A Vista for Microbial Ecology and Environmental Biotechnology,” Environmental Science and Technology, American Chemical Society, 40(4):1096-1103.

• Cai, Z., Kim, D., Sorial, G.A., Saikaly, P.E., Zein, M.M., and Oerther, D.B., 2006, “Performance and Microbial Diversity of Trickle-Bed Air Biofilter Under Interchanging Contaminants,” Engineering in Life Sciences, John Wiley and Sons, 6(1):37-42.

• Polaczyk, A., Kinkle, B., Papautsky, I., and Oerther, D.B., 2006, “Culture-based MEMS Device to Track Gordonia in Activated Sludge,” Environmental Science and Technology, American Chemical Society, 40(7):2269-2274.

• Oerther, D.B., 2006, “Integrating Molecular Biology Research, Teaching, and Professional Outreach in Environmental Engineering and Science,” Journal Environmental Engineering Science, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 23(3):451-460.

• Choi, H., Zhang, K., Dionysiou, D.D., Oerther, D.B., and Sorial, G.A., 2006, “Membrane filtration performance with activated sludge of CSTR and PFR for the treatment of paper mill wastewater,” Chemosphere, Elsevier, 63(10):1699-1708.

• Simpson, J.M., Stroot, P.G., Butler, R., Gelman, S. Beydilli, I., Dudley, S., and Oerther, D.B., 2006, “16S rRNA Tools Demonstrate an Unexpected Predominance of Paenibacillus-like Bacteria in an Industrial Activated Sludge System,” Water Environment Research, Water Environment Federation, 78(8):864-871.

• Smith, R., and Oerther, D.B., 2006, “Microbial Community Development in a Laboratory-scale Nitrifying Activated Sludge System with Input from a Side-stream Bioreactor Treating Digester Supernatant,” Water Science and Technology, International Water Association, 54(1):209-216.

• Lamendella, R., Santo Domingo, J.W., Oerther, D.B., Vogel, J.R., and Stoeckel, D.M., 2007, “Assessment of Fecal Source Pollution in a Small Northern-plains Watershed Using PCR and Phylogenetic Assays of Bacteroidetes 16S rDNA,” FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Federation of Europeans Microbiology Societies (in press).

• Jing, G., Polaczyk, A., Kinkle, B., Oerther, D.B., and Papautsky, I., 2007, “Development of a Microfluidic Biosensor for Detection of Environmental Mycobacteria,” Sensors & Actuators: B, Elsevier (in press).

• Vogel, J.R., Stoeckel, D.M., Lamendella, R., Zelt, R.B., Santo Domingo, J., Oerther, D.B., and Walker, S.J., 2007, “Water Quality and Fecal-Source Identification from a Modified Targeted Sampling Approach by Use of Coliphage, E. coli, and Bacteroides-based Tools,” Journal of Environmental Quality, ASA, CSSA, and SSSA 36(3):(in press).

• Lu, T., Saikaly, P.E., and Oerther, D.B., 2007, “Modeling Competition of Aerobic Heterotrophs for Complementary Nutrient in a Biofilm Reactor: Effect of Hydraulic Retention Time on Coexistence,” Water Science and Technology, International Water Association, (in press).

• Zhang, K., Choi, H., Wu, M., Sorial, G.A., Dionysiou, D., and Oerther, D.B., 2007, “An Ecology-based Analysis of Irreversible Membrane Biofouling in MBRs,” Water Science and Technology, International Water Association, (in press).

• Wu, M.Y., Suryanarayanan, K., van Ooij, W.J., and Oerther, D.B., 2007, “Using Microbial Genomics to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Silver to Prevent Biofilm Formation,” Water Science and Technology, International Water Association, (in press).

• Challenging the Structure-Function Relationship of Nitrifiers and Nitrification in Activated Sludge Using Molecular Biology and Modeling Tools, National Science Foundation, $400,000, (100% D.B. Oerther, PI), January, 2003 – December, 2007.

• Rapid, Culture-Based Sensor with Direct Electronic Imaging to Track Environmental Microorganisms, $367,295, (33% D.B. Oerther; 34% I. Papautsky, PI; 33% D. Mast), December, 2004 – November, 2007

• Collaborative Research: Molecular Biology for Environmental Engineers, $200,000, (20% D.B. Oerther, PI; 20% B. Li; 20% J. Li; 20% A. Pruden; 20% P. Stroot), June, 2005 – May, 2007.

• Track 2 NSF GK-12 Fellows Project STEP (Science and Technology Enhancement Program): Building "STEMcinnati City", National Science Foundation, $1,898,330, (20% D.B. Oerther; 20% A. Kukreti, PI; 20% S. Soled; 20% T. Fowler; 20% R. Miller), May, 2006 – April, 2011

• Molecular Microbial Ecology, Superfund Basic Research Program, NIEHS, $964,199, (80% D.B. Oerther, PI; 20% B. Kinkle), May, 2006 – April, 2009.