CARA SANTELLI

Associate Professor
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

PhD, Joint Program in Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2007

santelli@umn.edu
esci.umn.edu/people/Cara-Santelli
umngeomicrobes.wordpress.com

Research Interests

Impact of microbial activity on geological and environmental processes such as mineral formation, mineral alteration and weathering, metal and metalloid redox transformations, nutrient biogeochemical cycling, and the remediation of polluted environments. Objectives are driven by fundamental scientific research on environmentally relevant biogeochemical processes and key elements in nature influenced by anthropogenic activities such as mining and agriculture.

Bio

Cara Santelli’s research examines the impact of microbial activity on geological and environmental processes such as mineral formation, mineral alteration and weathering, metal and metalloid redox transformations, nutrient biogeochemical cycling, and the remediation of polluted environments. The research objectives of the Santelli lab are driven by conducting fundamental scientific research on environmentally relevant biogeochemical processes and key elements in nature that are further influenced by anthropogenic activities, such as mining and agriculture. In addition to answering key questions on the mechanisms, metabolic pathways, and geochemical impact of mineral-microbe interactions, their work seeks to inform and improve strategies for remediating inorganic pollutants to improve the quality and health of water and soil environments.