Group research summary

Presently, our research falls under two over-arching themes, nanogeoscience and mineral-microbe interactions. Within these loose constraints, our research is aimed at addressing fundamental research questions, such as, but not limited to:

What are the roles of natural nanoparticles and nanofilms in the environment?

What are the fundamental properties (e.g. size-dependent reactivity) of environmentally relevant nanominerals?

How do metal-reducing bacteria influence mineral surface chemistry, and how do electrons move between them?

What role does bacterial quorum sensing influence geochemical processes?

Current Research Projects

Our research projects in the last few years include studies of a number of aspects of nanogeoscience, mineral-microbe interactions, and biogeochemistry, including electron transfer in cytochromes, geochemical influences of quorum sensing in bacteria, toxic metal mobility and bioavailability, acid mine drainage, mineral property changes as a function of size, the complex reactivity of important manganese and iron-oxide minerals, and the electronic structure and atomic resolution imaging of mineral surfaces. All of these studies have important environmental consequences.

For student or post-doc inquiries, contact Mike directly at hochella@vt.edu

Research Funding

MFH has received $16.60M (including $10.13M as PI and $6.47M additional funding as co-PI) in research funds from the following funding agencies (past and present, in alphabetical order):

American Chemical Society (Petroleum Research Fund)

Chevron

Department of Energy

Gas Research Institute

National Science Foundation

Schlumberger

Stanford University

Texaco

United States Geological Survey

Virginia Tech

Graduate students in this research group are typically supported by a departmental teaching assistanceship during their first year or so while they are busy taking classes. As soon as they have time to begin their own research, they are put on 12-month/year research assistanceships for the remainder of their stay. Post-docs are also frequently supported in our lab.

Research Facilities

We maintain and/or have ready access to a number of laboratories in this department, around campus, and at other universities and national labs (e.g., the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at PNNL). These laboratories cover the waterfront in terms of mineral and mineral surface studies, bacterial culturing and characterization, and molecular biology. Many millions of dollars of instrumentation and facilities are involved. Individual instruments and facilities are far too many to list here. For a sampling of what is offered through ICTAS, follow this link to the Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory. Specific inquiries regarding other equipment are welcome.