Resume

• 2010

  This project involves understanding the role in which multiple community assembly mechanisms impact saprotrophic fungal community structure. Methods involved with this project include TRFLP analysis and Pyrosequencing of the fungal ITS region.

  Matthew

  Gacura

  Kent State University

  Stark State College

  Youngstown State University

  Gannon University

  Erie

  Pennsylvania Area

  I am in charge of instructing both upper division Microbiology and Nursing Microbiology courses. I am also in the process of developing independent research involving the study of environmental microbiology. This research will be focused on the analysis of fungal and bacterial communities in soil samples along with commercial products.

  Assistant Professor

  Gannon University

  Kent

  OH

  This was a management/coordination position of the general microbiology labs at Kent State University that I was selected for. My duties in this position included: designing and organizing college level experiments in microbiology

  preparing Media and other chemicals needed for experiments

  and mentoring graduate student lab instructors. I was also responsible for mediating any conflicts that may have arisen between graduate student instructors and their students.

  Microbiology Lab Coordinator

  Kent State University

  Youngstown

  OH

  I worked on developing methods for the bio-remediation of contaminated river sediment that was collected from the Mahoning River at sites near Youngstown OH. This research focused on the use of edible white rot fungi

  Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms) to mineralize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)

  which are common contaminants in this system.\n\nDuring my time at Youngstown State I instructed for multiple laboratory sections of classes. These classes included: Environmental Microbiology

  Environmental Biotechnology

  General Biology 1

  General Biology 2

  and General Microbiology.

  Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant

  Youngstown State University

  Canton

  Ohio Area

  I have been in charge of lecturing: General Microbiology

  Environmental Science and General Biology 1. I have also instructed the lab components for the previously mentioned classes as well. This position has involved: laboratory management

  lesson plan development

  leadership

  collaboration with other instructors/employees at other institutes

  and management/mentoring of large groups of students. I have taught during both traditional Fall/Spring semesters and during more abbreviated/ faster paced Summer semesters.

  Adjunct Faculty

  Stark State College

  Canton

  Ohio Area

  I was an on call substitute instructor for the general microbiology lecture and lab. This position required being able to instruct students in both the microbiology lecture and lab with very short notice.

  Substitute Instructor

  Stark State College

  Youngstown

  OH

  I was involved in many tasks in this position. My worked focused mainly on the delivery of packages and inventorying equipment throughout the department of biological sciences. I was also involved in routine maintenance on some pieces of equipment and with the cleanup of hazardous chemicals.

  Laboratory Clerk

  Youngstown State University

  Kent

  OH

  I worked on projects dealing with the assembly of saprotrophic microbial communities

  and investigating functional redundancy. This research was focused on processes including: environmental factors

  dispersal limitation

  and priority effects. At the same time I developed methods and tools for characterizing the aggregated functional traits found in these communities

  to allow for a better understanding about functional redundancy in these complex systems. During this time I have also had extensive training in next generation sequencing and analysis of meta-genomic data sets. \n\nI have also instructed General Microbiology lab and General Ecology lab for multiple semesters. This has allowed me to have extensive training in lecturing

  development of teaching materials and interacting with/mentoring undergraduates.

  Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant

  Kent State University

  Member

  Ecological Society of America

  American Society of Microbiology

  Biology Graduate Student Council

  Vice President and President

  English

  Herrick Aquatic Ecology Research Grant

  An annual research grant awarded by the biology department for two thousand dollars.

  Kent State University Department of Biological Sciences

  Outstanding Lab Coordinator Award

  This award is given in recognition of outstanding work as a lab coordinator during an academic year. This award was received in recognition of my success as the general microbiology lab coordinator.

  Kent State University Department of Biological Sciences

• 2009

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  My PhD is in soil biology

  microbial ecology and ecology. The focus of my dissertation research is on the mechanisms responsible for the assembly of saprotrophic fungal communities and how community composition relates to community aggregated functional traits. I have taken many classes in microbiology

  microbial ecology

  biology statistics

  environmental science

  soil biology

  and ecology. I defended my dissertation in October of 2018 and graduated in December.

  Ecology

  Soil Biology

  and Environmental Microbiology

  Graduate Student Council Vice President (2011-2012) and Graduate Student President (2012-2014)

  Kent State University

• 2007

  This project involved the use of Pleurotus ostratus (oyster mushrooms) to break down persistent chemicals found in Mahoning River sediment.

  Master of Science (MS)

  I received my masters of science in biological sciences. During this time I was involved in thesis research dealing with bioremediation of contaminated river sediment.

  Biology

  General

  I joined the American Society of Microbiology

  Youngstown State University

• 2003

  I was in charge of judging several presentations on student projects from Stark State College.

  Stark State College

  Volunteer microbiology lab guide for prospective freshman

  Kent State University

  Volunteer Science Lecturer

  I volunteered as a biotechnology lecturer for 7 class periods. I was able to instruct students on the uses of microorganisms in biotechnology. During this time I was also able to field questions on applying to college and how to eventually get into graduate school.

  Poland Seminary High School

  Volunteer Staff

  I helped supervise volunteers who were planting trees

  in the set up of long term experimental forest plots in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Volunteers under my supervision included college

  high school and middle school students.

  Kent State University

  Microbiology Judge

  Judged middle and high school student science fair projects.

  NEOSTEM middle school and high school science fair

  DNA extraction

  Molecular Biology

  Mycology

  Western Blotting

  Scientific Writing

  Microbiology

  Student Development

  Biology

  Student Affairs

  Research

  Science

  Fluorescence Microscopy

  Ecology

  Confocal Microscopy

  Laboratory

  Gel Electrophoresis

  Teaching

  PCR

  Cell Culture

  Higher Education

  Effect of Pleurotus ostreatus on Bioremediation of PAH Contaminated River Sediment.

  The purpose of this study was to optimize bioremediation of Mahoning River sediment historically contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using white rot fungi. Pleurotus ostreatus grown on grain (10% v/v) was added to contaminated sediment amended with sawdust (80% v/v)

  with and without fungal specific nutritional nitrogen (to enhance fungal growth)

  and with cyclodextrin (to increase PAH availability). Sediment mixtures were incubated in the dark at 25°C for 6 weeks. Fungal biomass

  determined using fluorescent microscopy

  indicated initial fungal colonization but then fungal growth was inhibited

  likely by toxic metals or high moisture content in the sediment. Growth of unidentified fungi was observed

  especially in treatments amended with nitrogen. Total PAH concentrations (in the order of 100 ppm)

  analyzed using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS)

  and significantly decreased ~ 50-60% in all treatments

  including sediment only controls within the first two weeks. Thus

  aerobic degradation by native bacteria and volatilization were likely responsible for most of the observed decreases in PAH concentrations. High heterogeneity of PAHs in this historically contaminated sediment led to high variance between replicates. There was a slight decrease in 5 ring PAHs associated with sediment inoculated with P. ostreatus and also a slight decrease in total PAH concentrations associated with sediment amended with sawdust and cyclodextrin (with or without P. ostreatus). Increased nitrogen did not enhance PAH degradation. Sediment inoculated with P. ostreatus after two weeks

  rather than initially

  showed better fungal growth and colonization

  but PAH data was not yet available. These data indicate there is great potential for bioremediation of PAH contaminated sediment conditions by stimulating indigenous bacteria under aerobic conditions followed by the addition of white rot fungi.

  Effect of Pleurotus ostreatus on Bioremediation of PAH Contaminated River Sediment.

  Bess Heidenreich

  Fungi have developed a wide assortment of enzymes to break down pectin

  a prevalent polymer in plant cell walls that is important in plant defense and structure. One enzyme family used to degrade pectin is the glycosyl hydrolase family 28 (GH28). In this study we developed primers for the amplification of GH28 coding genes from a database of 293 GH28 sequences from 40 fungal genomes. The primers were used to successfully amplify GH28 pectinases from all Ascomycota cultures tested

  but only three out of seven Basidiomycota cultures. In addition

  we further tested the primers in PCRs on metagenomic DNA extracted from senesced tree leaves from different forest ecosystems

  followed by cloning and sequencing. Taxonomic specificity for Ascomycota GH28 genes was tested by comparing GH28 composition in leaves to internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicon composition using pyrosequencing. All sequences obtained from GH28 primers were classified as Ascomycota; in contrast

  ITS sequences indicated that fungal communities were up to 39% Basidiomycetes. Analysis of leaf samples indicated that both forest stand and ecosystem type were important in structuring fungal communities. However

  site played the prominent role in explaining GH28 composition

  whereas ecosystem type was more important for ITS composition

  indicating possible genetic drift between populations of fungi. Overall

  these primers will have utility in understanding relationships between fungal community composition and ecosystem processes

  as well as detection of potentially pathogenic Ascomycetes.

  Comparison of pectin-degrading fungal communities in temperate forests using glycosyl hydrolase family 28 pectinase primers targeting Ascomycete fungi

  Saprotrophic fungal communities are highly complex ecological units responsible for a wide range of terrestrial ecosystem functions

  most notably the decomposition/recycling of large amounts of senesced plant tissue. These communities may be assembled by several distinct community assembly mechanisms that could be categorized into two broad groups: deterministic processes based around environmental selection

  and more stochastic mechanisms arising from dispersal limitation and colonization history. However

  there is much conjecture about which mechanism plays the most critical role in the formation of these ecological units. Furthermore

  the spatial scale of inquiry may also influence the relative importance of these mechanisms in determining community composition. This dissertation was focused on determining the relative importance of multiple community assembly mechanisms on community composition of saprotrophic fungal communities at both large and small scales. In addition

  the importance of these mechanisms in the distribution of community aggregated functional traits was also investigated.\nAn observational approach based on a detailed sampling scheme of senesced leaves allowed for investigating the importance of how spatial scale impacts the relative importance of community assembly mechanisms. The importance of community assembly history

  also known as priority effects

  was analyzed using a manipulative experimental approach that involved the modification of the starting communities of saprotrophic fungi and its impact on later colonization. Community composition was analyzed using both terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) and next generation sequencing technology (pyrosequencing). Community aggregated functional traits were analyzed through the identification of fungal functional groups of OTUs

  analysis of GH28 pectinase genes

  and the quantification of extracellular enzyme activity. \n

  Drivers of Fungal Community Composition and Function in Temperate Forests

  This project involves understanding the role in which priority effects impact microbial community composition

  community aggregated functional traits

  and related ecosystem processes. Methods involved in this project include TRFLP analysis and quantification of extracellular enzymes.

  Fungal specific GH28 pectinase primers.

  This project involved the development of fungal specific GH28 pectinase gene primers for the analysis of environmental samples. Methods involved in this project included: Clone Libraries

  Sanger Sequencing

  and Pyrosequencing of the Fungal ITS region. This project was finished and published in the Journal of Microbiology Methods in 2016.

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

  I performed research in a environmental microbiology lab as a undergraduate and graduate student. The research focused on amplifying American Elm tree DNA for conservation purposes and the use of fungi for bioremediation of contaminated river sediment.

  Biology

  General

  American Society of Microbiology\n

  Youngstown State University

  Ecology of Forest Fungi

  Soil Biology

  Biological Statistics

  Advanced Microbiology

  Advanced Community Ecology