William Mohn

Bill has made pioneering advances in understanding bacterial metabolism of terpenoid compounds, including plant defense compounds and steroids, as well as understanding complex microbiomes residing in soil, wastewater treatment systems and humans.  They are also studying the composition of complex microbial communities in soil and marine environments and are working to understand how the composition of communities relates to the important ecological services provided by those communities. His research is relevant to the use of bacterial enzymes and whole bacteria for synthesis of useful chemicals and for cleaning up contaminated environments, and is also relevant to sustainable management of forests and understanding microbial mediation of global change.