Andria Costello Staniec
Associate Professor, Associate Provost for Academic Programs
Dr. Costello Staniec joined the faculty at Syracuse University in January, 1999. She received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1992. Dr. Costello Staniec earned her Master's and doctoral degrees in Environmental Engineering Science from the California Institute of Technology in 1995 and 1999, respectively. Her graduate study was performed in the broad area of applied environmental microbiology. As a graduate student, Dr. Costello Staniec was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship. Dr. Costello Staniec is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Chemical Society, the American Society for Microbiology, the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and the Society of Women Engineers.
Dr. Costello Staniec teaches courses in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her classes are in the areas of environmental microbiology and biotechnological applications in engineering. Dr. Costello Staniec conducts multidisciplinary research aimed at elucidating the complex relationships between microbial diversity and function. Her research is focused on the development and application of molecular and microbiological tools to investigate both natural and engineered systems. Dr. Costello Staniec's research interests include issues related to bioremediation, global biogeochemical cycles, and changes in microbial communities in response to anthropogenic disturbance.
Research Interests
Dr. Costello Staniec is currently investigating the diversity of the methane oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) in soils in the northeastern United States. Methanotrophs are a group of bacteria that grow on methane as their sole source of carbon and energy. They can be isolated from a wide variety of environments and are believed to be ubiquitous in nature. Increased attention has been focused on the ecological implications of methane oxidation and the role of methanotrophs in both the global methane budget and the bioremediation of halogenated solvents. Research in the Costello Staniec lab has led to the development of tools designed to assess the microbial diversity and function of methanotrophs in natural and engineered systems. Dr. Costello Staniec is currently investigating the role of methanotrophs in the global carbon cycle at study sites in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
In addition to her work with methanotrophs, Dr. Costello Staniec is involved with work relating microbial diversity to function at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF). Her research at the HBEF addresses the factors controlling microbial diversity in a northern hardwood forest and the relationships between microbial diversity, community structure, and microbial function in the ecosystem. Recent work includes the study of the effects of an entire watershed manipulation (liming) on soil microbial populations as well as investigations into the effects of acidic deposition on belowground microorganisms.
Teaching Interests
Environmental Engineering, Environmental Microbiology, Bioremediation, Biotechnology
Recent Publications
Costello, A.M. “Molecular Methods Used for Evaluating Subsurface Remediation,” Remediation of Hazardous Waste in the Subsurface, C.J. Clark II and A.S. Lindner, eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 2006, pp. 129-149.
Todorova, S.G. and Costello, A.M. “Design of Shewanella-specific 16S rRNA primers and application to analysis of Shewanella in a minerotrophic wetland,” Environmental Microbiology, 8(3), 2006, pp. 426-432.
Todorova, S.G., Siegel, D.I. and Costello, A.M. “Microbial Fe(III) Reduction in a minerotrophic wetland – geochemical controls and involvement in organic matter decomposition,” Applied Geochemistry, 20, 2005, pp. 1120-1130.
Costello, A.M., Auman, A..J., Macalady, J.L., Scow, K.M., and Lidstrom, M.E. “Estimation of methanotroph abundance in a freshwater lake sediment,” Environmental Microbiology,” 4(8), 2002, pp. 443-450.