Fellow Story
Alvarez-Cohen on her systems approach to bioremediation
Professor Alvarez-Cohen develops methods for bioremediation of contaminants such as perchloroethene and trichloroethene using naturally occurring microorganisms, particularly one type known as "dehalococcoides." She uses advanced molecular methods to understand key elements of this process, looking at increasingly complex cultures of microorganisms. Molecular tools provide clues about how the systems work and, consequently, what can be done to enhance bioremediation. Such actions include providing nutrients that increase the rate of breakdown of toxic substances into non toxic forms and that support the growth of all necessary organisms.