Professor Olli H. Tuovinen
452 Biological Sciences Building

Current Graduate Students:

James F. Douglass

Sarah M. Carver

Vaidehi Desmukh

Olli H. Tuovinen, Professor

Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University
484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1292
Telephone: 614-292-3379 (office); 614-292-8249 (laboratory)
Fax: 614-292-8120
E-mail: tuovinen.1@osu.edu

Academic Education

M.Sc.   1969    Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Finland

Ph.D.   1973    Microbiology, University of London, U.K.

Major Fields of Specialization

Biological transformations of metals and minerals, biogeochemistry of acid mine drainage, biodegradation of pesticides, biological treatment of hazardous and solid waste, landfill microbiology

Professional experience

Professor of Microbiology, Ohio State University, 1985-present. Joint non-salaried appointments in the School of Natural Resources and in the Environmental Science and Soil Science Graduate Programs. Faculty member at Ohio State University since 1978.

Teaching Curriculum

The Biology of Pollution (Microbiology 301N)
A general consideration of the interactions of environmental pollutants and biological systems

Microbial Ecology (Microbiology 664)
The diversity of microorganisms and their interactions and relationships with physical and chemical characteristics of the environment

Environmental Microbiology (Microbiology 665)
The role of microorganisms and underlying biological principles in elemental cycles and degradation of natural and man-made compounds

Recent Publications (2007-present)

Bhatti, T.M., J.M. Bigham, A. Vuorinen, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2010. Weathering of biotite in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cultures. Geomicrobiology Journal, in press.

Bigham, J.M., F.S. Jones, B. Özkaya, E. Sahinkaya, J.A. Puhakka, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2010. Characterization of jarosites produced by chemical synthesis over a temperature gradient from 2 to 40 °C. International Journal of Mineral Processing, in press. 

Nurmi, P., B. Özkaya, A.H. Kaksonen, O.H. Tuovinen, and J.A. Puhakka. 2010. Predictive modelling of Fe(III) precipitation in iron removal process for bioleaching circuits. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, in press.

Nurmi, P., B. Özkaya, K. Sasaki, A.H. Kaksonen, M.L. Riekkola-Vanhanen, O.H. Tuovinen, and J.A. Puhakka. 2010. Biooxidation and precipitation for iron and sulfate removal from heap bioleaching effluent streams. Hydrometallurgy 101:7-14.

Tao, J., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2010. Attenuation of organic matter, suspended solids, ammonium and phosphate in sanitary sewer overflow: Comparative evaluation of treatment with fixed media bioreactors. Bioresource Technology 101:1781-1786.

Gaur, R.S., L. Cai, O.H. Tuovinen, and K.M. Mancl. 2010. Pretreatment of turkey fat-containing wastewater in coarse sand and gravel/coarse sand bioreactors. Bioresource Technology 101:1106-1110.

Gramp, J.P., J.M. Bigham, F.S. Jones, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2010. Formation of Fe-sulfides in cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Journal of Hazardous Materials 175:1062-1067.

Bhatti, T.M., J.M. Bigham, M. Riekkola-Vanhanen, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2010. Altered mineralogy associated with stirred tank bioreactor leaching of a black schist ore. Hydrometallurgy 100:181-184.  

Bevilaqua, D., O. Garcia Jr., and O.H. Tuovinen. 2010. Oxidative dissolution of bornite by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Process Biochemistry 45:101-106.

Kupka, D., M. Liljeqvist, P. Nurmi, J.A. Puhakka, O.H. Tuovinen, and M. Dopson. 2010. Oxidation of elemental sulfur, tetrathionate and ferrous iron by the psychrotolerant Acidithiobacillus strain SS3. Research in Microbiology 160:767-774.

Nurmi, P., B. Özkaya, A.H. Kaksonen, O.H. Tuovinen, M.-L. Riekkola-Vanhanen, and J.A. Puhakka. 2009. Process for biological oxidation and control of dissolved iron in bioleach liquors. Process Biochemistry 44:1315-1322.  

Tao, J., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009. Using fixed media bioreactors to control the environmental impact of sanitary sewer overflow. In: Proceedings of the 82nd Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference, p. 849-861. Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA.

Ahonen, L., P. Nurmi, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009. Thermodynamic simulation of sulphide mineral leaching. Advanced Materials Research 71-73:437-440.

Nurmi, P., L. Ahonen, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009. Thermodynamic modelling of iron solubility in sulphide mineral leaching. Advanced Materials Research 71-73:441-444.

Tuovinen, O.H., P. Nurmi, and L. Ahonen. 2009. Thermodynamic modelling of phosphate and chloride effects on solid and solution phase ferric iron speciation. Advanced Materials Research 71-73:445-458.

Sasaki, K.., K. Takaguchi, T. Hirajima, N. Kozai, T. Ohnuki, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009. Bioleaching of enargite by arsenic-tolerant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Advanced Materials Research 71-73:485-488.

Vestola, E.A., M.K. Kuusenaho, H.M. Närhi, O.H. Tuovinen, J.A. Puhakka, J.J. Plumb, and A. H. Kaksonen. 2009. Biological solubilisation of metals from solid waste materials from copper, steel and recycling industries. Advanced Materials Research 71-73:673-676.

Sasaki, K., Y. Nakamuta, T.  Hirajima, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009. Raman characterization of secondary minerals formed during the leaching of chalcopyrite with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Hydrometallurgy 95:193-198.

Kolehmainen, R.E., J.P. Korpela, U. Münster, J.A. Puhakka, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009.  Extracellular enzyme activities and nutrient availability during artificial groundwater recharge. Water Research 43:405-416.

Tao, J., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009. Treatment of sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) with fixed media bioreactors. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 25:39-43.

Gramp, J.P., H. Wang, J.M. Bigham, F.S. Jones, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2009. Biosynthesis and reduction of Fe(III)-hydroxysulfates. Geomicrobiology Journal 26:275-280.

Nurmi, P., B. Özkaya, A.H. Kaksonen, O.H. Tuovinen, and J.A. Puhakka. 2009. Kinetic modeling of bacterial iron oxidation: Inhibition of Leptospirillum ferriphilum by ferric iron, nickel and zinc. Hydrometallurgy 97:137-145.

Ghosh, D., K. Roy, V. Srinivasan, T. Mueller, O.H. Tuovinen, K. Sublette, A. Peacock, and M. Radosevich. 2009. In-situ enrichment and analysis of atrazine-degrading microbial communities using atrazine-containing porous beads. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 41:1331-1334.

Nicomrat, D., W.A. Dick, M. Dopson, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2008. Bacterial phylogenetic diversity in a constructed wetland system treating acid coal mine drainage. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 40:312-321.

Hurdzan, C.M., N.T. Basta, P.G. Hatcher, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2008. Phenanthrene release from natural organic matter surrogates under simulated human gastrointestinal conditions. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 69:525-530.

Kaksonen, A.H., M. Dopson, O.V. Karnachuk, O.H. Tuovinen, and J.A. Puhakka. 2008. Biological iron oxidation and sulfate reduction in the treatment of acid mine drainage at low temperatures. In: Psychrophiles: from Biodiversity to Biotechnology (R. Margesin, F. Schinner, J.-C. Marx, and C. Gerday, Eds.), p. 429-454. Springer Verlag, Berlin.

Rismani-Yazdi, H., S.M. Carver, A.D. Christy, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2008. Cathodic limitations in microbial fuel cells: an overview. Journal of Power Sources 180:683-694.

Hita, R., H. Wang, J.M. Bigham, J. Torrent, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2008. Bioleaching of a pyritic sludge from the Aznalcóllar (Spain) mine spillage at ambient and elevated temperatures. Hydrometallurgy 93:76-79.

Karnachuk, O.V., K. Sasaki, A.L. Gerasimchuk, O. Sukhanova, D.A. Ivasenko, A.H. Kaksonen, J.A. Puhakka, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2008. Precipitation of Cu-sulfides by copper-tolerant Desulfovibrio isolates. Geomicrobiology Journal 25:219-227.

Gramp, J.P., F.S. Jones, J.M. Bigham, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2008. Monovalent cation concentrations determine the types of Fe(III) hydroxysulfate precipitates formed in bioleach solutions. Hydrometallurgy 94:29-33.

Garcia Jr., O., J.M. Bigham, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Oxidation of isochemical FeS2 (marcasite-pyrite) by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Minerals Engineering 20:98-101.

Wang, H., J.M. Bigham, F.S. Jones, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Synthesis and properties of ammoniojarosites prepared with iron-oxidizing acidophilic microorganisms at 22 to 65 °C. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71:155-64.

Kang, Y.W., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Treatment of turkey processing wastewater with sand filtration. Bioresource Technology 98:1460-1468.

Rismani-Yazdi, H., A.D. Christy, B.A. Dehority, M. Morrison, Z. Yu, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Electricity generation by rumen microorganisms from cellulose in microbial fuel cells. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 97:1398-1407.

Kupka, D., O.I. Rzhepishevska, M. Dopson, E.B. Lindström, O.V. Karnachuk, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron at low temperatures. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 97:1470-1478.

Wang, H, J. M. Bigham, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Oxidation of marcasite and pyrite by iron-oxidizing bacteria and archaea. Hydrometallurgy 88:127-131.

Gaur, R.S., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Pretreatment of turkey fat in wastewater in sand bioreactors. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh National Symposium on Individual and Small Community Sewage Systems, 4 p. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, St. Joseph, MI.

Gaur, R.S., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Treatment of turkey processing wastewater with sand and sand-textile bioreactors. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh National Symposium on Individual and Small Community Sewage Systems, 7 p. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, St. Joseph, MI.

Tao, J., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Removal of COD and BOD5 in sanitary sewer overflow with fixed media bioreactors. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh National Symposium on Individual and Small Community Sewage Systems, 7 p. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, St. Joseph, MI.

Hurdzan, C.M., N.T. Basta, P.G. Hatcher, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Screening of human gastrointestinal microorganisms for potential biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 79:533-536.

Gramp, J.P., J.M. Bigham, K. Sasaki, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Formation of Ni- and Zn-sulfides in cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Geomicrobiology Journal 24:609-614.

Kang, Y.W., K.M. Mancl, and O.H. Tuovinen. 2007. Recovery of sand bioreactor performance through resting following treatment of turkey processing wastewater. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 23:719-725.

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