Working with a local engineering consulting firm, Todd DeJournett studied a wetland that was built specifically to treat a plume of trichloroethylene (TCE) and cis-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE). We used a combination of techniques, including monitoring of the groundwater at the field site, laboratory microcosms, and quantification of the methanotrophic biomass in the sediment via a competitive polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) technique to elucidate the specific roles of the plants (cattail and bur reed) and methanotrophic bacteria in the removal of groundwater contaminants.

Jaime Nivala's (B.S. 2002) participation was highlighted in Inventing Tomorrow.