Contact Information
Research Interests
I focus on the Microbial Ecology of biogeochemical processes, particularly those that occur in the subsurface. Of particular interest are studies involving respiratory anaerobic microorganisms, such as those that reduce halogenated compounds and metals, in both natural and human impacted ecosystems. Recent projects have involved deep subsurface microbial activity in the Illinois Basin Mt. Simon formation; microbial community composition in the Mahomet aquifer (major drinking water source for Champaign); bioremediation of chlorinated solvents in low permeability zones; evaluation of sulfate reducing microbial growth in microfluidic devices; and detailed evaluation of the N-cycle in agricultural soils and tropical soils relative to greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide) formation.
Education
- PhD. Microbiology, Michigan State University 1996
- MS. Microbiology, Colorado State University
- BA. Biology, Whitman College
Courses Taught
- GEOL 561: Geomicrobiology and Geochemistry (Spring)
- Fall Geomicrobiology Topics Seminar (Climate Change, Bioremediation, etc.)
Additional Campus Affiliations
Research Associate Professor Emeritus, Earth Science and Environmental Change
Recent Publications
Esfahani, S. G., Alcalde, R. E., Valocchi, A. J., Sanford, R. A., & Werth, C. J. (2025). Modeling the Migration and Growth of Shewanella Oneidensis MR-1 in a Diffusion-Dominated Microfluidic Gradient Chamber Under the Influence of an Antibiotic Concentration Gradient. Biotechnology and bioengineering. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.28991
He, Y., Zhuo, S., Li, M., Pan, J., Jiang, Y., Hu, Y., Sanford, R. A., Lin, Q., Sun, W., Wei, N., Peng, S., Jiang, Z., Li, S., Li, Y., Dong, Y., & Shi, L. (2025). Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) bacteria from hyperalkaline ecosystems provide novel insight into their symbiotic lifestyle and ecological implications. Microbiome, 13(1), Article 94. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02077-y
Krichels, A. H., Sanford, R. A., Chee-Sanford, J. C., Connor, L., Van Allen, R., Kent, A. D., & Yang, W. H. (2025). Distinct N-cycling microbial communities contribute to microtopographic variation in soil N2O emissions from denitrification. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 202, Article 109683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109683
Li, S., Song, W., Liu, J., Boyanov, M. I., O’Loughlin, E. J., Kemner, K. M., Sanford, R. A., Shao, H., Feng, Q., He, Y., Dong, Y., & Shi, L. (2025). Effect of CO2 Concentration on the Microbial Activity of Orenia metallireducens (Strain Z6) in Surface Inert Materials. Minerals, 15(2), Article 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15020112
He, Y., Li, Y., Pan, Y., Shang, J., Sun, W., Wang, M., Fan, H., Sanford, R. A., Wei, N., Peng, S., Xie, D., Zhang, W., Chen, S., Liu, Y., Jiang, Z., Jiang, Y., Hu, Y., Li, S., Hu, N., ... Shi, L. (2024). Intimate microbe-water-mineral interactions mediate alkalization in the pyroxene-rich iron ore mines in Panxi area, Southwest China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 480, Article 136127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136127