Scholarship in Understanding the role of microbes in biomineralization under different substrate conditions

Microbial activities have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the formation of minerals since the advent of life on Earth. Bacterial biomineralization plays a critical role in biogeochemical cycling as well as has important environmental applications especially in the area of sustainable construction materials. But much of our knowledge in the area of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation is limited due to poor understanding of bio-mineral reaction kinetics at molecular level; highlighting the need for unpinning the role of microbial biofilms, extrapolymeric substances and metabolic activities under a range of substrate conditions. This project aims to significantly advance the current perceptions and knowledge by developing new methods for elemental tracking of Ca under biotic and abiotic environments in a range of substrates and microbial metabolic pathways using stable isotopes.