BERAC Member James Tiedje elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Summary

Dr. James Tiedje, a Distinguished Professor of microbiology and Director of the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences on April 27. Dr. Tiedje is internationally recognized for research on understanding the ecology, physiology, and molecular biology of microbial processes. He is a member of the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee (BERAC) and a key contributor to several BER programs. His research in the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program has increased our understanding of microbial communities at DOE legacy waste sites and their potential for bioremediation. Dr. Tiedje has also made important contributions to the Biotechnological Investigations-Ocean Margins Program (BI-OMP) where he has developed and applied elegant DNA-based technologies to study the linkages between carbon and nitrogen cycles in nearshore marine sediments. BER, in collaboration with the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, supports Dr. Tiedje to lead the Ribosomal Database Project at Michigan State University. Dr. Tiedje is also the President-elect of the American Society for Microbiology, one of the largest scientific societies in the U.S. Election to membership in the National Academy of Sciences is considered to be one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a U.S. scientist.