Xiaozhen Mou

Biological Sciences

Professor and MA Coordinator

Campus:

Kent

Office Hours:

By appointments (please email me)

Contact Information

Email:

xmou@kent.edu

Phone:

330-672-3625

Fax:

330-672-3713

Personal Website:

https://mouxiaozhen.wixsite.com/moulab

Biography

Current Research

Research in Mou lab focuses on linking bacterial phylogeny with their metabolic functions in natural aquatic environments. This direct linkage is important to understand fundamental questions in an ecological/environmental context, such as the role of bacteria in biogeochemical cycling of essential nutrients, e.g., carbon, nitrogen and sulfur. Experimental metagenomics and metatranscriptomics coupled with bioinformatics are employed as the core approach to simultaneously identify the taxonomic diversity, genetic capability, and metabolic activity of selected taxonomic and functional groups of aquatic bacteria. Other advanced molecular biology techniques, such as qPCR, RT-PCR, CARD-FISH, and flow cytometry (FACS), and cultivation-based studies, such as whole genome microarray, are also regularly employed. Specific research interests and ongoing projects in Mou Lab include:

Bacterial transformation of dissolved organic nitrogen (polyamines) in marine and freshwater environments.
Bacterially mediated N removal (denitrification and anammox) in marine and freshwater environments.
Role of heterotrophic bacteria in detoxifying cyanotoxins synthesized during cyanobacterial harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs) in Lake Erie and other inland freshwater lakes.
Ecological genomics of individual bacterial taxa in marine and freshwater systems.
Linkage of biogeochemical cycling of organic carbon and nitrogen between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
Culturing aquatic actinobacteria and screening their functions in toxin degradation and potential medical uses.
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) impacts to freshwater microbial ecology
Monitoring coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater

More details of my research please visit Mou lab

Courses

Microbial Ecology
Marine Biology
General Microbiology
Basic Microbiology
Writing In Biological Sciences
Biodiversity
Individual Investigation
ST: Ecological Genomics
ST: Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics
Climate Change Biology

Education

Ph.D. Marine Microbiology and Microbial Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA M.S. Marine Chemistry, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao China B.S. Chemistry, Qingdao University, Qingdao China

Expertise

Faculty Advisor MA Coordinator Ecological roles of microbial organisms in the global cycling of essential nutrients Phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of bacterial communities in aquatic ecosystems Metagenomics and metatranscriptomics in aquatic ecosystems microbial ecology Metagenomics Metatranscriptomics Biogeochemistry Nutrient Turnover HAB harmful algal bloom environmental contaminants organic compound degradation

Research Institutes and Initiatives

Environmental Science and Design Research Initiative