Dr. B. K. Robertson

Dr. B.K. Robertson received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University in Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses at Alabama State University. He is the liaison officer for the Marine Biology Programs at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. He serves as the Director of the EnvironMentors Program in addition to serving as major advisor for graduate research and thesis.

His research focuses on the fate of toxic chemicals or xenobiotics that are either deliberately or accidentally discharged in the environment and involves diverse population of microorganisms and factors that influence their ability to naturally detoxify these xenobiotics including bioremediation of other environmental carcinogens and toxicants. Another major focus is on a group of aquatic related organisms, namely, Aeromonas, known to cause a number of extra-intestinal diseases in humans. He is interested in developing molecular-based diagnostic tools and characterization of antibiotic resistance and virulence features of these organisms. Currently, he is analyzing plasmid size and potential influence on multiple antibiotic resistance.

Biotransformation of BP Oil Spill Using Hydrocarbon-Utilizing Marine Microbes (Year One Block Grant - The Alabama Marine Environmental Science Consortium, Role: Principal Investigator, Project Data Point of Contact)