Zinder, Stephen H
Professor
I study the diversity of microorganisms in nature and chemical transformations they carry out that affect the natural world.
research
research and scholarship focus
My research focus is on anaerobic microbes and the chemical transformations they carry out in the environment. Recent lab projects include studying organisms in peatlands responsible for converting organic matter to methane and organisms carrying out reductive dechlorination of chlorinated organic compounds.
primary investigator of
co investigator of
- INTEGRATED GRADUATE TRAINING AND RESEARCH IN BIOGEOCHEMISTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOCOMPLEXITY | Research Grant
- MODELING GENE NETWORKS IN DEHALOCOCCOIDES AND DEVELOPMENT OF BIOINDICATOR ASSAYS FOR BIOREMEDIATION OF CHLORINATED SOLVENTS | Research Grant
- SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF DEHOLOCOCCOIDES: USING NETWORK INFERENCE MODELING TO INTEGRATE OMICS DATASETS UNDER VARIED CONDITIONS | Research Grant
research areas
- biodiversity | collaborative research area (CALS)
- biogeochemistry | collaborative research area (CALS)
- ecology | collaborative research area (CALS)
- environmental sciences | collaborative research area (CALS)
- evolution | collaborative research area (CALS)
- genomics | collaborative research area (CALS)
- microbiology | collaborative research area (CALS)
- proteomics | research concentration area (Engineering)
- waste management | collaborative research area (CALS)
submitted impact statement
- Genomics of pollutant-degrading bacteria | 2005 Impact statement
affiliations
head of
- Microbial Genomics | NLSI/Genomics focus area
faculty appointment in
- Microbiology (BIOMI) | Cornell department
member of graduate field
- Genomics | minor graduate field
- Microbiology | graduate field
other Cornell affiliations
- Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biocomplexity (BEB) | academic program office
- Center for the Environment (CFE) | former research center
teaching
teaching focus
My teaching revolves around microbial diversity, and includes undergraduate and graduate lecture courses, and part of an advanced undergraduate lab.
teaches
- BIOG 2990 - Introduction to Research Methods in Biology (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- BIOG 4990 - Independent Undergraduate Research in Biology (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- BIOMI 3910 - Advanced Microbiology Laboratory (MW 01:25:PM-04:25:PM) | fall 2009 class
- BIOMI 6903 - Prokaryotic Biology: Microbial Physiology/Diversity (TR 10:10:AM-11:25:AM) | fall 2009 class
- BIOMI 7990 - Microbiology Seminar (R 04:00:PM-05:30:PM) | fall 2009 class
- BIOG 2990 - Introduction to Research Methods in Biology (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- BIOMI 4140 - Prokaryotic Diversity (MWF 11:15:AM-12:05:PM) | spring 2009 class
- BIOMI 3910 - Advanced Microbiology Laboratory (MW 01:25:PM-04:25:PM) | fall 2008 class
- BIOMI 6903 - Prokaryotic Biology: Microbial Physiology/Diversity (TR 10:10:AM-11:25:AM) | fall 2008 class
- BIOMI 7990 - Microbiology Seminar (R 04:00:PM-05:30:PM) | fall 2008 class
service
outreach focus
I try to communicate the astonishing diversity of microorganisms and their impact on our lives.
background
featured in
- Computer modeling could help chlorine-hungry bacteria break down toxic waste | Cornell Chronicle feature
- Essential organism -- from peat bogs -- involved in global climate change is finally isolated for study | Cornell Chronicle feature
- On-farm research shows farmers can use less nitrogen to save money and reduce environmental impact | Cornell Chronicle feature
- Two professors spend summer exploring Woods Hole's microbial world | Cornell Chronicle feature
publications
linked articles
- Characterization of acid-tolerant H-2/CO2-utilizing methanogenic enrichment cultures from an acidic peat bog in New York State | journal article
- Isolation of a novel acidiphilic methanogen from an acidic peat bog | journal article
- Reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene by a high rate anaerobic microbial consortium | journal article
Keywords: biogeochemistry, biogeochemixtry, bioremediation, environmental microbiology, genomics, methanogenesis, microbial diversity, microbiology, prokaryote diversity