Resume

• 77058

  1100 NASA Parkway

  Suite 410

  Houston

  TX

  Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems

  Inc. (STaARS) is establishing advanced biotechnology

  biomedical and life science research programs on the International Space Station to improve the quality of life of Earth. STaARS leads the microgravity R&D market through customer service

  science and operational expertise and hardware innovation. Our client research programs will foster drug discovery and development

  identify new therapeutics and enhance biofuel production through a better understanding of life processes. To help our clients accomplish these results

  STaARS provides expert-level

  hands-on mentorship to assist academic

  industry and government researchers in experiment design

  project integration and management

  payload operations and engineering

  safety verification

  discovery commercialization and product marketing for applied and pure science research conducted in the novel environment of microgravity. We provide our collaborating researchers of all levels a wide range of flight-tested and proven hardware supported by experts in extreme environment life science and biotechnology research. STaARS has nearly two decades of NASA flight operations experience to support the researcher during their mission

  providing project status updates and data retrieval from the ISS. Our engineering team produces custom hardware designs and construction to meet the current and future needs of the rapidly evolving biotechnology

  biomedical and life science fields. STaARS combines science

  operations and engineering to deliver a complete service from project inception through microgravity experimentation to product commercialization in the most unique environment humanity has ever experienced

  Chief Executive Officer

  Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems

  Inc.

  University of Houston-Clear Lake

  Associate in Research

  Florida State University

  Assistant Professor

  Texas A&M University

  Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Science

  Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems

  Inc.

• 1999

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

  Biology

  Georgia Institute of Technology

• 1993

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

  Biology

  General

  Duke University

• 20

  The objective of this study was to determine shifts in the microbial community structure and potential function based on standard Integrated Ocean Drilling Program storage procedures for sediment cores. Standard long-term storage protocols maintain sediment temperature at 4oC for mineralogy

  geochemical

  and/or geotechnical analysis whereas standard microbiological sampling immediately preserves sediments at -80oC. Storage at 4oC does not take into account populations may remain active over geologic time scales at temperatures similar to storage conditions. Identification of active populations within the stored core would suggest geochemical and geophysical conditions within the core change over time. To test this potential

  the metabolically active fraction of the total microbial community was characterized from IODP Expedition 325 Great Barrier Reef sediment cores prior to and following a three-month storage period. Total RNA was extracted from complementary 2

  and 40 m below seafloor sediment samples

  reverse transcribed to cDNA and then sequenced using 454 FLX sequencing technology

  yielding over 14

  800 sequences from the six samples. Interestingly

  97.3% of the sequences detected were associated with lineages that changed in detection frequency during the storage period including key biogeochemically relevant lineages associated with nitrogen

  iron and sulfur cycling. These lineages have the potential to permanently alter the physical and chemical characteristics of the sediment promoting misleading conclusions about the in situ biogeochemical environment. In addition

  the detection of new lineages after …

  Characterization of microbial population shifts during sample storage

  Multiple environmental mechanisms have been proposed to control bottom water hypoxia (<2 mg O2 L−1) in the northern Gulf of Mexico Louisiana shelf. Near-bottom hypoxia has been attributed to a direct consumption of oxygen through benthic microbial respiration and a secondary chemical reaction between oxygen and reduced metabolites (i.e. ferrous iron and total sulfide) from these populations. No studies to date have examined the metabolically active microbial community structure in conjunction with the geochemical profile in these sediments. Temporal and spatial differences in dissolved and solid phase geochemistry were investigated in the upper 20 cm of the sediment column. Pyrosequencing of reverse transcribed small subunit (SSU) ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) was used to determine population distribution. Results indicated that populations shallower than 10 cm below surface were temporally …

  Linking molecular microbial ecology to geochemistry in a coastal hypoxic zone

  The vast marine deep biosphere consists of microbial habitats within sediment

  pore waters

  upper basaltic crust and the fluids that circulate throughout it. A wide range of temperature

  pressure

  pH

  and electron donor and acceptor conditions exists – all of which can combine to affect carbon and nutrient cycling and result in gradients on spatial scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. Diverse and mostly uncharacterized microorganisms live in these habitats

  and potentially play a role in mediating global scale biogeochemical processes. Quantifying the rates at which microbial activity in the subsurface occurs is a challenging endeavor

  yet developing an understanding of these rates is essential to determine the impact of subsurface life on Earth's global biogeochemical cycles

  and for understanding how microorganisms in these \"extreme\" environments survive (or even thrive). Here

  we synthesize recent advances and discoveries pertaining to microbial activity in the marine deep subsurface

  and we highlight topics about which there is still little understanding and suggest potential paths forward to address them. This publication is the result of a workshop held in August 2012 by the NSF-funded Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) \"theme team\" on microbial activity (www.darkenergybiosphere.org).

  Microbial activity in the marine deep biosphere: progress and prospects

  The deep marine subsurface environment has been shown to host a diverse prokaryotic population that may be home to one of the largest biomes on Earth

  extending as deep as 1.6 km below the seafloor. These subsurface microbial communities have profound implications on global biogeochemical cycles

  as well as on our understanding of the limits of life on Earth. To better understand the nature and scale of these processes

  the microbial community and associated geochemical gradients were characterized from sediment collected during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 336 on the western flank of the mid-Atlantic ridge (North Pond). DNA was isolated from seven depths downhole using a uniquely developed extraction method. The V1-V3 region of the 16S gene was targeted for pyrosequencing using universal Bacteria specific primers. Extracted 16S rRNA gene transcripts were …

  Microbial community structure as a reflection of the distribution and speciation of iron within North Pond Sediments

  The detection and characterization of metabolically active fungal populations within the deep marine subsurface will alter current ecosystem models that are limited to bacterial and archaeal populations. Although marine fungi have been studied for over fifty years

  a detailed description of fungal populations within the deep subsurface is lacking. Fungi possess metabolic pathways capable of utilizing previously considered non-bioavailable energy reserves. Therefore

  metabolically active fungi would occupy a unique niche within subsurface ecosystems

  with the potential to provide an organic carbon source for heterotrophic prokaryotic populations not currently being considered in subsurface energy budgets. Sediments from the South Pacific Gyre subsurface

  one of the most energy-limited environments on Earth

  were collected during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 329. Anaerobic and …

  Re-Defining the Subsurface Biosphere: Characterization of Fungal Populations from Energy Limited Deep Marine Subsurface Sediments

  Gut bacteria play an essential role in human health and wellbeing.\nIn space

  gut bacteria may grow at altered rates and produce compounds that are not found in their Earthly counterparts. Alterations such as these can affect optimal human health.\nA team of researchers from Rhodium Scientific

  LLC and Los Alamos National Laboratory is sending an investigation to the ISS on SpaceX’s 20th commercial resupply services (CRS) mission to study the gut microbiome in space.\nThis study aims to characterize changes in composition and function of the gut microbiome in the spaceflight environment through advanced molecular techniques.\nThe main goals of this study are to develop tools to diagnose gut microbiome-related ailments on Earth and to discover methods for protecting future space travelers.

  Space Gut Microbiome and its Effect on Space Travelers

  Rising CO2 concentration in the atmosphere

  global climate change

  and the sustainability of the Earth's biosphere are great societal concerns for the 21st century. Global climate change has

  in part

  resulted in a higher frequency of flooding events

  which allow for greater exchange between soil/plant litter and aquatic carbon pools. Here we demonstrate that the summer 2011 flood in the Mississippi River basin

  caused by extreme precipitation events

  resulted in a “flushing” of terrestrially derived dissolved organic carbon (TDOC) to the northern Gulf of Mexico. Data from the lower Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers showed that the DOC flux to the northern Gulf of Mexico during this flood was significantly higher than in previous years. We also show that consumption of radiocarbon‐modern TDOC by bacteria in floodwaters in the lower Atchafalaya River and along the adjacent shelf contributed to northern Gulf shelf …

  Enhanced transfer of terrestrially derived carbon to the atmosphere in a flooding event

  During the past decade

  the IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program) has fostered a significant increase in deep biosphere investigations in the marine sedimentary and crustal environments

  and scientists are well-poised to continue this momentum into the next phase of the IODP. The goals of this workshop were to evaluate recent findings in a global context

  synthesize available biogeochemical data to foster thermodynamic and metabolic activity modeling and measurements

  identify regional targets for future targeted sampling and dedicated expeditions

  foster collaborations

  and highlight the accomplishments of deep biosphere research within IODP. Twenty-four scientists from around the world participated in this one-day workshop sponsored by IODP-MI and held in Florence

  Italy

  immediately prior to the Goldschmidt 2013 conference. A major topic of discussion at the workshop was the continued need for standard biological sampling and measurements across IODP platforms. Workshop participants renew the call to IODP operators to implement recommended protocols.

  IODP Deep Biosphere Research Workshop report-a synthesis of recent investigations

  and discussion of new research questions and drilling targets.

  Heath

  Florida State University

  Rhodium Scientific

  LLC

  University of Houston-Clear Lake

  Texas A&M University

  Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems

  Inc.

  Houston

  Texas Area

  Chief Scientific Officer

  Rhodium Scientific

  LLC

• staars.space

  For the advancement of life sciences

  Development of new medicines

  Identification of new therapies

  And discovery of new biotechnology

  We go into the next frontier

  To benefit all mankind.

  Ecology

  Data Analysis

  Science

  Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

  Qualitative Research

  Life Sciences

  Geochemistry

  Teaching

  PCR

  Molecular Biology

  Bioinformatics

  DNA Extraction

  Statistics

  Environmental Microbiology

  Microbiology

  Research

  Genetics

  Public Speaking

  Microscopy

  Technical Writing

  Long Live Rock! Exploring Active Microbial Populations in North Pond Subsurface Basalt

  Microbial life should be considered as an active source for subsurface alterations of crustal material. Over the past several decades

  microbial populations have been qualitatively and quantitatively characterized in marine sediments from the near shore to gyre centers

  from the surface to two kilometers below the surface. Recent exploration of the underlying basement has revealed bacterial populations within the basalt. Initial cultivation-based and in situ analysis of subsurface basalt has produced some structural identification of populations that have the potential to alter the crust. Within this study

  we have advanced this understanding by characterizing the metabolically active fraction of these populations. A 16S rRNA gene transcript approach was conducted using high throughput sequencing on RNA extracted from breccia

  glass basalts and ultramafic basalts of the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge …

  Long Live Rock! Exploring Active Microbial Populations in North Pond Subsurface Basalt

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  The Geoscience Paper of the Future: Best Practices for Documenting and Sharing Research from Data to Software to Provenance

  The objective of this study was to provide the first characterization of metabolically active microbial populations within multiple subsurface crustral samples.

  Expanding the Limits of Life into the Ocean Crust: Metabolically Active Microbial Populations Within Mid-Atlantic Ridge Subsurface Basalt

  Geoscientists now live in a world rich with digital data and methods

  and their computational research cannot be fully captured in traditional publications. The Geoscience Paper of the Future (GPF) presents an approach to fully document

  share

  and cite all their research products including data

  software

  and computational provenance. This article proposes best practices for GPF authors to make data

  software

  and methods openly accessible

  citable

  and well documented. The publication of digital objects empowers scientists to manage their research products as valuable scientific assets in an open and transparent way that enables broader access by other scientists

  students

  decision makers

  and the public. Improving documentation and dissemination of research will accelerate the pace of scientific discovery by improving the ability of others to build upon published work.

  Toward the Geoscience Paper of the Future: Best practices for documenting and sharing research from data to software to provenance

  General studies on benthic microbial communities focus on fundamental biogeochemical processes or the most abundant constituents. Thereby

  minor fractions such as the Rhodobacteraceae are frequently neglected. Even though this family belongs to the most widely distributed bacteria in the marine environment

  their proportion on benthic microbial communities is usually within or below the single digit range. Thus

  knowledge on these community members is limited

  even though their absolute numbers might exceed those from the pelagic zone by orders of magnitudes. To unravel the distribution and diversity of benthic

  metabolically active Rhodobacteraceae

  we have now analyzed an already existing library of bacterial 16S rRNA transcripts. The dataset originated from 154 individual sediment samples comprising seven oceanic regions and a broad variety of environmental conditions. Across all samples

  a total of 0.7% of all 16S rRNA transcripts was annotated as Rhodobacteraceae. Among those

  Sulfitobacter

  Paracoccus and Phaeomarinomonas were the most abundant cultured representatives

  but the majority (78%) was affiliated to uncultured family members. To define them

  the 45 most abundant Rhodobacteraceae-OTUs assigned as “uncultured” were phylogenetically assembled in new clusters. Their next relatives particularly belonged to different subgroups other than the Roseobacter group

  reflecting a large part of the hidden diversity within the benthic Rhodobacteraceae with unknown functions. The general composition of active Rhodobacteraceae communities was found to be specific for the geographical location

  exhibiting …

  The majority of active Rhodobacteraceae in marine sediments belong to uncultured genera: a molecular approach to link their distribution to environmental conditions

  Advancing Sub-Surface Biosphere and Paleoclimate Research MagellanPlus Workshop-21-23 August 2014

  Seoul (South Korea)

  A remarkable number of microbial cells have been enumerated within subseafloor sediments

  suggesting a biological impact on geochemical processes in the subseafloor habitat. However

  the metabolically active fraction of these populations is largely uncharacterized. In this study

  an RNA-based molecular approach was used to determine the diversity and community structure of metabolically active bacterial populations in the upper sedimentary formation of the Nankai Trough seismogenic zone. Samples used in this study were collected from the slope apron sediment overlying the accretionary prism at Site C0004 during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 316. The sediments represented microbial habitats above

  within

  and below the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ)

  which was observed approximately 20 meters below the seafloor (mbsf). Small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) were extracted

  quantified

  amplified and sequenced using high-throughput 454-pyrosequencing

  indicating the occurrence of metabolically active bacterial populations to a depth of 57 mbsf. Transcript abundance and bacterial diversity decreased with increasing depth. The two communities below the SMTZ were similar at the phylum level

  however only a 24% overlap was observed at the genus level. Active bacterial community composition was not confined to geochemically predicted redox stratification despite the deepest sample being more than 50 meters below the oxic/anoxic interface. Genus-level classification suggested that the metabolically active subseafloor bacterial populations had similarities to previously cultured …

  Characterization of metabolically active bacterial populations in subseafloor Nankai Trough sediments above

  within

  and below the sulfate–methane transition zone

  Abiotic and secondary biotic reactions can contribute to the formation of cryptic biogeochemical cycles

  resulting in an underestimation of carbon and nutrient budgets. This Texas coastal estuary sediment study provided a unique opportunity to use multidisciplinary RNA-based molecular and geochemical approaches to identify cryptic cycles associated with sulfate reduction

  a commonly measured biogeochemical process considered to be the predominant anoxic terminal electron accepting process in shallow marine environments. Active sulfate reduction within an environment is typically determined by the detection of sulfides. However

  a biologically driven cryptic cycle was determined by identifying metabolically active sulfate reducing and sulfur oxidizing lineages co-locating within the sediments

  effectively masking sulfide production through re-oxidation back to sulfate. Similar co-location of sulfate and …

  Molecular assays advance understanding of sulfate reduction despite cryptic cycles

  The Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone displays spatial and temporal variability on seasonal

  diurnal

  and hourly timescales. The highly dynamic geochemistry can be a result of physical and chemical factors as well as pelagic microbial populations. As part of an ongoing project to determine the mechanisms controlling hypoxia and understand the biological factors within this region

  shifts in the composition of the metabolically active microbial populations within the water column were characterized. Understanding these shifts provide information on microbial populations that have the potential to decrease oxygen concentrations through respiration and increase oxygen through photosynthesis. Temporal and spatial variations of metabolically active microbial populations were investigated along a well-studied 20 m isobath extending east of Terrebonne Bay to a location offshore from the Atchafalaya Bay. An RNA-based …

  Molecular Characterization of Water Column Microbial Populations within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone

  The proper pre-drilling preparation

  on-site acquisition and post-drilling preservation of high-quality subsurface samples are crucial to ensure significant progress in the scientifically and societally important areas of subsurface biosphere and paleoclimate research. Two of the four research themes of IODP and ICDP and one of the four research areas of the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) focus on the subsurface biosphere. Increasing understanding of paleoclimate is a central goal of IODP and incorporated within the scope of the IMPRESS program

  the successor of the IMAGES program. Therefore

  the goal of our IODP–ICDP–DCO–JDESC–MagellanPlus-sponsored workshop was to help advance deep biosphere and paleoclimate research by identifying needed improvements in scientific drilling planning and available technology

  sample collection and initial analysis

  and long-term storage of subsurface samples and data. Success in these areas will (a) avoid biological and other contamination during drilling

  sampling

  storage and shipboard/shore-based experiments;(b) build a repository and database of high-quality subsurface samples for microbiological and paleoclimate research available for the scientific community world-wide over the next decades; and (c) standardize

  as much as possible

  microbiological and paleoclimate drilling

  sampling and storage workflows to allow results and data to be comparable across both space and time. A result of this workshop is the development and suggested implementation of new advanced methods and technologies to collect high-quality samples and data for the deep biosphere and …

  Advancing subsurface biosphere and paleoclimate research: ECORD-ICDP-DCO-J-DESC-MagellanPlus Workshop Series Program Report.

  In this study

  we take advantage of the isolation and scale of the deep marine subsurface to examine microbial biogeography. Unlike other environments

  deep marine subsurface provides a unique opportunity to study biogeography across four dimensions. These samples are not only isolated by linear space on a global scale

  but they are also temporally isolated by

  in some cases

  tens of millions of years. Through the support of multiple Integrated Ocean Drilling Program expeditions

  we characterized the metabolically active fraction of the subsurface microbial community by targeting and sequencing 16S rRNA gene transcripts (RNA-based analysis). By characterizing the metabolically active fraction

  we described lineages that were currently under selective environmental pressure and not relic lineages that may have become dormant or dead at some point in the past. This study was narrowed from the total …

  Examining Deep Subsurface Sulfate Reducing Bacterial Diversity to Test Spatial and Temporal Biogeography

  The International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) has long espoused studies of deep subsurface life

  and has targeted fundamental questions regarding subsurface life

  including the following:“(1) What is the extent and diversity of deep microbial life and what are the factors limiting it?(2) What are the types of metabolism/carbon/energy sources and the rates of subsurface activity?(3) How is deep microbial life

  Workshop to develop deep-life continental scientific drilling projects