McBeth Geomicrobiology Research Group: about Dr McBeth
Department of Geology, University of Regina
About Me
As an Assistant Professor at URegina, I teach and conduct research on microbial interactions with the geosphere. I am specifically interested in metal(loid) and hydrocarbon contaminant remediation and metal transformations mediated by microbes in mine wastes. My projects included studies of uranium mine tailings and ores, oil sands tailings, groundwater treatment for elevated concentrations of Mn and Fe, saline/freshwater gradient microbiology, and metals in trace fossils and archaeaological samples.
-Joyce McBeth
Scientific Interests:
- redox transformations of metal(loids) in the environment
- relationships of microorganisms to metal(loid) environmental transformations
- iron-oxidizing and iron-reducing bacteria
- using synchrotron methods to image and characterize the chemistry of materials such as microbial mats, contaminated sediments, mine wastes, and archaeological materials
- environmental microbiology and the cycling of iron, sulfur, toxic metals, and other elements in environments such as mine-impacted environments, uranium mine tailings, oil sands tailings, wastewater, hydrocarbon contaminated sites, constructed wetland treatment systems, salt marshes, and marine sediments
- microbiology of steel corrosion
- microbial ecology of microbial mats and microbialites
- fossilized microbes and microbial biosignatures in the rock record
Specialties:
- Geomicrobiology
- Biogeochemistry
- Geochemistry
- Soil and Groundwater Bioremediation
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
- Microbial Ecology
- Use of synchrotron tools for applications in the Earth sciences
Education
- B.Sc. 1999 Geological Sciences, University of British Columbia
- M.Sc. 2003 Geology, University of Missouri-Columbia
- Ph.D. 2007 Geology, The University of Manchester
Work Experience:
- 2015-present Assistant Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan
- 2013-2015 Adjunct Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan
- 2012-2015 Staff Scientist, Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, SK http://www.lightsource.ca/
- 2008-2012 Postdoctoral Researcher, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine, USA https://www.bigelow.org/
- 2007-2008 Part Time Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Manchester, UK
- 2000-2001 Geoscientist-in-Training, Klohn Crippen Berger, BC, Canada
- 1999-2000 Geoscientist-in-Training, O'Connor Associates Environmental Inc., Alberta, Canada
Professional Affiliations:
- Association of Professional Geoscientists and Engineers of Saskatchewan (APEGS)
- American Geophysical Union (AGU, USA)
- Geochemical Society (USA)
- Royal Society of Chemistry (UK)
- National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)
Courses I teach/will be teaching/have taught previously:
URegina (2020-present)
- GEOL 102: Environmental Geology (Fall 2021)
- GEOL 201: Internal Processes of the Earth (Winter 2021, Fall 2021)
- GEOL 429: Glacial and Periglacial Geoscience (Winter 2022)
- GEOL 880AG: Readings in Geomicrobiology (Winter 2021)
USask appointment (2015-2020)
note: I will continue to offer the courses marked with an asterisk to USask students when I am teaching these courses at URegina (with instructor permission)
- GEOL 108/121: Earth and How it Works/Earth Processes
- GEOL 315: Geomicrobiology*
- GEOL 350: Organic Geochemistry*
- GEOL 898: Advanced Geomicrobiology* (graduate course)
- GEOL 898: Advanced Organic Geochemistry* (graduate course)
- GEOL 408: Field School Crystalline Rocks
- GEOL 308: Field School Sedimentary Rocks
Table of contents:
Contact:
joyce dot mcbeth at uregina dot ca
Address:
Department of Geology
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK, S4S 0A2