MELANIE J BEAZLEY Department of Botany & Microbiology University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73019 mbeazley@ou.edu, http://www.melaniebeazley.com
Education: Ph.D. Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology (2009) Dissertation: Nonreductive biomineralization of uranium(VI) as a result of microbial phosphatase activity from a contaminated waste site, Advisor: Dr. Martial Taillefert M.S. Oceanography, Texas A&M University (2003) Thesis: The significance of organic carbon and sediment surface area to the benthic biogeochemistry of the slope and deep water environments of the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Advisor: Dr. John Morse B.S. Chemistry, Arkansas State University (2000) B.B.A. Managerial Finance, University of Mississippi (1990)
Professional Experience: 2009 – present Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Botany & Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, Mentor: Dr. Lee Krumholz 2003 – 2009 Graduate Research Assistant, School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Advisor: Dr. Martial Taillefert 2004 Teaching Assistant, School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Earth Processes Laboratory 2001 – 2003 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, Advisor: Dr. John Morse 2000 - 2001 Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Arkansas State University, General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratories 1999 - 2001 Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Arkansas State University, Advisor: Dr. Jon Russ 1999 Research Assistant, Department of Agriculture, Arkansas State University
Research Interests
Professional Honors and Fellowships 2008 Student Travel Fellowship, 3rd Annual DOE-ERSP PI meeting, Lansdowne, VA 2007 Student Travel Fellowship, 2nd Annual DOE-ERSP PI meeting, Lansdowne, VA 2001 – 2003 Sustainable Coastal Margins Program Graduate Fellowship, Texas A&M University 1999 – 2000 Arkansas Scientific Liaison Office Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Arkansas State University 1999 – 2000 President’s List, Arkansas State University
Proposals 2007 – 2009 Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL). Proposal for beam time entitled “Biomineralization of uranium phosphate from contaminated waste sites”. Awarded beam time for three scheduling periods (BL 2-1, BL 2-3, and BL10-2).
Publications Beazley, M. J., Webb, S. M., Martinez, R. J., Sobecky, P. A., and Taillefert, M. (2009) Biomineralization of U(VI) in a contaminated soil at low pH and in the presence of high nitrate. (in prep) Beazley, M. J., Martinez, R. J., Sobecky, P. A., Webb, S. M., and Taillefert, M. (2009) Nonreductive biomineralization of uranium(VI) phosphate via microbial phosphatase activity in anaerobic conditions. Geomicrobiology Journal 26, 431-441. Beazley, M. J., Martinez, R. J., Webb, S. M., Sobecky, P. A., and Taillefert, M. (2007) Uranium biomineralization as a result of bacterial phosphatase activity: Insights from bacterial isolates from a contaminated subsurface. Environmental Science & Technology 41, 5701-5707. Martinez, R. J., Beazley, M. J., Taillefert, M., Arakaki, A. K., Skolnick, J., and Sobecky, P. A. (2007) Aerobic uranium(VI) bioprecipitation by metal-resistant bacteria isolated from radionuclide- and metal-contaminated subsurface soils. Environmental Microbiology 9 (12), 3122-3133. Morse, J. W. and Beazley, M. J. (2008) Organic matter in deep water sediments of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and its relationship to the distribution of benthic organisms. Deep Sea Research II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 55 (24-26) 2563-2571. Beazley, M. J., Rickman, R. D., Ingram, D.K., Boutton, T.W., and Russ, J. (2002) Natural abundances of carbon isotopes (14C, 13C) in lichens and calcium oxalate pruina: Implications for archaeological and paleoenvironmental studies. Radiocarbon 44 (3), 675-683.
Abstracts at National Meetings Beazley, M. J., Martinez, R. J., Sobecky, P. A., Webb, S. M., and Taillefert, M. (2008) Biomineralization of uranium phosphate from contaminated waste sites. Department of Energy ERSP PI Meeting, Lansdowne, Virginia. Martinez, R. J., Beazley, M. J., Wu, C., Hazen, T., Andersen, G., Webb, S. M., Taillefert, M., and Sobecky, P. A. (2008) Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phosphatases. Department of Energy ERSP PI Meeting, Lansdowne, Virginia. Martinez, R. J., Beazley, M. J., Wu, C. H., Andersen, G. L., Hazen, T. C., Taillefert, M., and Sobecky, P. A. (2008) Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phosphatases. American Society for Microbiology National Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts. Beazley, M. J., Martinez, R. J., Sobecky, P. A., Webb, S. M., and Taillefert, M. (2007) Role of speciation on U(VI) biomineralization in acidic and aerobic conditions. Department of Energy ERSP PI Meeting, Lansdowne, Virginia. Sobecky, P. A., Martinez, R. J., Beazley, M. J., Webb, S. M., and Taillefert, M. (2007) Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phosphatases. Department of Energy ERSP PI Meeting, Lansdowne, Virginia. Beazley, M. J., Martinez, R. J., Webb, S. M., Sobecky, P. A., and Taillefert, M. (2007) Bioremediation of uranium in aerobic environments via bacterial phosphatase activity. American Chemical Society National Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. Beazley, M. J., Martinez, R. J., Sobecky, P. A., and Taillefert, M. (2006) Uranium biomineralization as a result of bacterial phosphatase activity. American Chemical Society National Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia. Sobecky, P. A., Martinez, R. J., Beazley, M. J., and Taillefert, M. (2006) Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phosphatases. Department of Energy ERSP PI Meeting, Warrenton, Virginia. Sobecky, P. A., Martinez, R. J., Beazley, M. J., and Taillefert, M. (2005) Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phosphatases. Department of Energy NABIR PI Meeting, Warrenton, Virginia. Beazley, M. J. and Wakeham, S. W. (2004) Grain size distribution of alkenones in Peru Margin Sediments. Organic Geochemistry - Gordon Research Conference, Holderness, New Hampshire. Beazley, M. J. and Morse, J. W. (2003) Relationship between organic carbon and sediment surface area in the Gulf of Mexico. The Oceanography Society – Oceanology International Americas Ocean Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. Beazley, M. J., Sell, K. S., and Hebert, A. B. (2002) Biogeochemistry of the deep Gulf of Mexico. 6th International Symposium on the Geochemistry of the Earth’s Surface (GES-6), Honolulu, Hawaii. Russ, J., Beazley, M., Rickman, R., Ingram, D., and Boutton, T.W (2002) Carbon isotope abundances in lichen deposits might reflect past moisture trends. American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California. Russ, J., Rickman, R., Beazley, M., and Boutton, T.W. (2002) Predicting paleomoisture regimes based on stable carbon isotope ratios of oxalate residues from lichens. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado. Russ, J., Beazley, M., Rickman, R., Ingram, D., and Boutton, T.W. (2001) Evaluating oxalate rock coating as a Holocene paleoclimate proxy. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts. Beazley, M. J., McCallum, M. R., Moore, S., and Russ, J. (2000) The source of a calcium oxalate rock coating on limestone and its implications. American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California. Beazley, M. J. and Russ, J. (2000) Investigating biogeochemical oxalate as a paleoclimate proxy. American Chemical Society Regional Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana. Moore, S., Beazley, M. J., McCallum, M. R., and Russ, J. (2000) Can calcium oxalate residues from lichen activity reflect past climate change? American Chemical Society National Meeting, Washington, D.C. Beazley, M. J. and Russ, J. (2000) Stable lichen residues used as an indicator of pastclimate change. Arkansas Undergraduate Research Conference, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Beazley, M. J. and Russ, J. (2000) Can paleoclimate information be derived from calcium oxalate residues produced by past lichen activity? University of Memphis Undergraduate Research Conference, Memphis, Tennessee.
Professional Activities 2008 Attended SSRL School on Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Techniques in Environmental and Material Sciences: Theory and Application (May 20-22). 2007 – 2009 General Employee Radiological Safety Training (GERT) certified (SSRL) 2004 – 2009 Responsible for maintenance of laboratory radioactive materials and chemical inventory 2004 – 2008 Trainer of seven researchers in ICP-MS instrumentation and analyses 2006 Co-coordinator of the Graduate Student Symposium, School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology 2006 Mentor of National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) student at Georgia Institute of Technology
Analytical Expertise
Field Experience 2003 Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos Program (DGoMB) spring cruise, R/V Gyre 2002 Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos Program (DGoMB) summer cruises, R/V Gyre 2001 Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos Program (DGoMB) summer cruise, R/V Gyre
Professional Affiliations: American Chemical Society (ACS) American Geophysical Union (AGU)
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