Miami University

Professor

Ph.D. (1997) University of Michigan
127 Shideler Hall
513-529-2517
dongh@muohio.edu

The overall objective of my research program is to understand how and why microorganisms and geological media (rocks, minerals, water) interact and how we can study their mutual interactions to understand a range of biogeochemical processes on Earth (past and present). My current research is focused on three broad areas: 1) mineral-microbe interactions; 2) life in extreme environments (saline lakes on Tibetan Plateau, deserts, South China Sea and the Gulf of Mexico gas hydrate deposits, and deep continental subsurface) and implications for life on Mars; 3) environmental bioremediation of heavy metals and radionuclides (U, Tc, and Cr). We employe a number of geological, mineralogical, geochemical, and microgiological techniques to study these processes. Most of our research projects are funded by NSF, DOE, DOD, ACS-PRF, and other sources.

Possible thesis/dissertation topics:

Microbial remediation of heavy metals.

Biogeochemical cycling of C and N in hot springs.

Coupled diffusion and reaction reactions processes of TCE: impact on dilute groundwater plume.

Current/recent graduate research:

Quiyuan Huang (Ph.D. in progress) Carbon and Nitrogen Biogeochemistry in Terrestrial Hot Springs.

Zhang, Jing (Ph.D. in progress) Microbe-clay Mineral-Organic Matter Interactions.

Bishop, Mike (Ph.D. in progress) Bioremediation of heavy metals at DOE contaminated sites.

Singh, Rajesh (Ph.D. in progress) Microbial Conversion of Coal to Methane Gas.

Webb, Laura (Ph.D. in progress) As biogeochemistry in lakes and hot springs.

Zhao, Linduo (Ph.D. in progress) Bioremediation of heavy metals.

Selected publications:

Deng, S., Dong, H., Lu, G., Jiang, H., Yu, B., and Bishop, M.E. (in press) Microbial precipitation of dolomite by sulfate-reducing bacteria and halophilic bacteria. Chemical Geology.

Bishop, M.E., Jaisi, D.P., Dong, H., Kukkadapu, R.K. and Ji, J.F. (2010) Bioavailability of Fe(III) in loess sediments: an important source of electron acceptors. Clays and Clay Minerals, 58, 542-557.

Jiang, H., Huang, Q., Dong, H., Wang, P., Wang, F.P., Li, W., and Zhang, C.L. (2010) RNA-based investigation of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in hot springs of Yunnan Province, China. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 4538-4541.

Jiang, H., Huang, Q., Deng, S., Dong, H. and Yu, B.S. (2010) Response of planktonic actinobacteria to environmental changes in aquatic regimes on the Tibetan Plateau. Extremophiles, 14, 367-376.

Dong, H., Jiang, H., Yu, B., Li, X.Q. and Zhang, C.L. (2010) Impacts of climate change and human activities on microbial ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau, NW China. GSA Today.

Dong, H., Jaisi, D.P., Kim, J.W., and Zhang, G. (2009) Microbe-clay mineral interactions. American Mineralogist, 94, 1505-1519.

Selected grants:

National Science Foundation 2010 (with ~ 10 others from other institutions)
PIRE: Toward a holistic and global understanding of hot spring ecosystems: a US-China based international collaboration.

U.S. Departent of Energy Office of Biological & Environmental Research - Environmental Remediation Science Program 2010 - 2012 (with Bill Burgoas and John Zachara)
Reactivity of iron-bearing phyllosilicates with uranium and chromium through redox transition zones.

Department of Defense (SERDP) 2009 - 2012 (with Charles Schaefer)
Coupled diffusion and reaction processes in rock matrices: impact on dilute groundwater plumes.

National Science Foundation 2007 - 2010 (with others from MU)
MRI: Acquisition of High-Resolution Analytical Transmission Electron Microscope for the Miami University's Electron Microscope Facility.

Teaching interests:

GLG 121 - Environmental Geology
GLG 211 - Chemistry of Earth Systems
GLG 402/502 - Geomicrobiology
GLG 496/596 - Isotopes in Environmental Processes
GLG 602 - Microbes and Geology

For complete descriptions of courses please click here.

Please click here to see Dr. Dong's curriculum vita.

Please click here to view Dr. Dong's curriculum vita.