In 2016 Dr. Lopez was approached by an enterprising Brazilian scientist (Elisamara Sabadini Santos) and her motivated student (Juliana Nascimento) to start a collaboration on characterizing the role of microbiomes in polluted urban habitats. This led to a study of pollution and remediation in heavily industrialized and polluted sediments of Guanabara Bay in Brazil. This study parallels our own work in Port Everglades and other heavily impacted ports around the world. After much hard work and focus, Juliana applied this project towards her doctorate, and with Dr. Santos have now published multiple papers on this model. This includes a new chapter in the book Microbial Alchemy (Academic Press) in a very interesting book focused on the biochemical transformations, and multi-functional ecological roles that diverse microbial communities play in these types of sediments. If anyone is interested,
Lopez Lab @ NSU 