Our Team
Our lab is committed to cultivating an inclusive and collaborative work environment where members are empowered to freely and openly share their different views, ideas and experiences. We provide equal opportunities to applicants for employment regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, socioeconomic status, or citizenship and immigration status. Our goal is to foster an experience that teaches values and tools that last a lifetime and lays a strong foundation for future research careers. Revolutionary discoveries in STEM come from an integration of ideas by individuals with a diverse mix of backgrounds, experiences, and identities.*
Dr. Brent Peyton (he/him/his)
Principal Investigator
a Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at MSU, Director of the Thermal Biology Institute, and on the Executive Committee of the Center for Biofilm Engineering. With over 30 years of experience on biological systems, he has focused on characterizing microbial processes in natural and engineered systems, including extremophiles, heavy metal biotransformation and toxicity, and growth of algae and fungi for biofuel production. Dr. Peyton received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Microbiology from MSU in 1992. Before returning to MSU in 2005, he was tenured at Washington State University and was in the Bioprocessing Research Group at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for 5 years. Dr. Peyton has authored and co-authored over 125 peer-reviewed publications and holds five patents in environmental biotechnology. He was awarded the 2016 MSU College of Engineering Distinguished Professorship, and the CSIRO (Perth, AU) Distinguished Visiting Scientist Fellowship for 2016/2017.
Dr. Dana Skorupa (she/her/hers)
Assistant Research Professor, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Dr. Skorupa is a research faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at MSU. She received her BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Michigan and her PhD in Microbiology at MSU. With over 14 years of experience studying thermophiles in Yellowstone National Park’s geothermal systems, her research focuses on understanding microorganisms in extreme environments and developing microbiological solutions for environmental pollutants. She has co- or self-instructed eight university-level courses and has developed two new undergraduate research-based courses, where student data contributes to grant-funded research.
Dr. Kylie Bodle (she/her/hers)
Post-doctoral researcher
Kylie received her PhD in environmental engineering from MSU in 2024. She received her BS in chemical and biological engineering from MSU in 2014, and her MS in environmental engineering from MSU in 2016. She is currently working on postdoctoral research funded by the Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). She is working to characterize multi-domain biofilms found in military vehicles and assess the effects of these biofilms on vehicle coatings. Outside of the lab, she enjoys mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and river time with her dog, Juniper.
Dr. Ghazal Vahidi (she/her/hers)
Post-doctoral researcher
Dr. Vahidi has a B.S. (University of Tehran) and an M.S. (North Dakota State University) in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on material science. She received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in the summer of 2024 from Montana State University, where she went from developing characterization methods to study bones to now diving into the world of biofilms—developing methods for screening and characterizing how multispecies biofilms interact with military coatings as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Outside of the lab, Ghazal enjoys being in the mountains and exploring the outdoors, reading, and spending time with her dog and cat.
Hannah Koepenick (she/her/hers)
Professional Engineer;Â Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Environmental Engineering
Hannah received her BS and MS in Agricultural & Biological Engineering from Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on using microbially-mediated nitrate-dependent iron oxidation to remediate selenium contamination in anoxic waters. Outside of the lab she enjoys trail running/hiking, reading, board games, baking, and gardening.
Maddie Mettler (she/her/hers)
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Maddie received her BS in biological engineering from MSU-Bozeman in 2020. Her research focuses on mitigation of biofilms on the International Space Station. Outside of the lab, Maddie enjoys all Montana outdoor activities, baking, and tending to her houseplant collection.
John Shikany (he/him/his)
PhD Student, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
John is from Bellingham, WA and recieved his BS from MSU in Biological Engineering and Biochemisty. He is in the Chemical Engineering PhD program. Outside of lab you can find him biking, skiing or running the stouts.
Taylor Carey (she/her/hers)
Undergraduate
Taylor is from Wasilla, Alaska and is studying chemical engineering. She hopes to conduct research for
water treatment in third world countries. Outside of the lab, Taylor enjoys hiking, cooking and traveling
abroad.
Calla Castro
Undergraduate
Calla is an undergraduate student from Boulder, Colorado, studying Microbiology and is working with Dr. Skorupa in lab. In her free time, she likes to play Minecraft while listening to medical and true crime podcasts with her pet fish named Rock. Calla is also a fan of admiring cool rocks in nature, and she can often be found exploring outside hiking, backpacking, and skiing.
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Alex Myxter
Undergraduate
Alex is an undergraduate from Fort Collins, Colorado, who is studying Environmental Biology and working with Dr. Skorupa in the lab. Outside of the lab, Alex enjoys skiing, mountain biking, camping, and playing hockey.
Andrew May
Undergraduate
Andrew is a biological engineering undergraduate from Castle Rock, Colorado. He hopes to work in sanitation and international development. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, skiing, and cooking.
Former Lab Members
Graduate Students
Berrak Erturk
Cagan Ertuna
Hannah Goemann
Heidi Schoen
James Vallie
Karen Moll
Lisa Kirk
Muneeb Rathore
Natasha Mallette
Rob Gardner
Ruya Zare
Tisza Bell
Todd Pederson
Yagmur Keskin
Undergraduate Students
Anastasia Gulyavskaya
Ashlyn Hemmah
Berrak Erturk
Burcu Sabak
Cagan Ertuna
Cansu Bozbiyik
Christian Lewis
James Vallie
Jimmy Crawford
John Shikany
Katie Bauer
Lydia Diehl
Noelani Boise
Madelyn Mettler
Madison Larson
Megan Udeck
Michelle Meagher
Mireia Perez Orts
Samantha Kelderman
Rebekah Anderson
Ruya Zare
Tasha Peterson
​Thayne Ekness
Ulkem Betil
Yagmur Keskin
​
Researchers
Rebecca Mueller
Collaborators
External
Elliot Barnhart, USGS
Geoffry Puzon, CSIRO, Wembley, Australia
Rebecca Mueller, USDA CA
Erika Espinosa-Ortiz, Utah State University
Morgan Sibbald, Sherwin Williams
Tony Rook, Sherwin Williams
At MSU
Christine Foreman, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Darla Goeres, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Ellen Lauchnor, Civil Engineering
Danielle Ulrich, Ecology
Jack Brookshire, LRES
Liz Sandvik, CBE
Matthew Fields, Microbiology & Immunology
Phil Stewart, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Robin Gerlach, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Roland Hatzenpichler, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Ross Carlson, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Sandra Halonen, Microbiology & Immunology
Stephan Warnat, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering