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Home » Academics » Academic Schools and Departments » Department of Biology » Faculty » Tamara Marsh

Tamara Marsh

Tamara L. Marsh, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Biology

Dr. Tamara Marsh earned a Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma, where her dissertation focused on the anaerobic reduction of hexavalent chromium by subsurface microorganisms. She also did postdoctoral work at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she studied the recalcitrant nature of endocrine disruptors in wastewater treatment plants.

A microbial ecologist, Dr. Marsh studies anaerobic microbial communities found in Yellowstone National Park hot springs. She is especially interested in the role that each group of bacteria plays in the community structure from each particular hot spring, and in examining the similarities and differences in communities from different types of hot springs. Research and sampling permits from Yellowstone are awarded in a very competitive process of peer review and application evaluation and Dr. Marsh has held a research permit in the park for the past six years, one of relatively few microbiologists to hold such a permit.

Dr. Marsh is particularly interested in the importance of methanogenic Archaea in community-driven turnover of electron acceptors. This leads to questions about electron acceptor preferences and whether or not all organisms can change from one type of metabolic pathway to another, given the limited resources found within the springs. Dr. Marsh’s work can shed light on how these communities remain in balance. Further, the structure of microbial communities in hot springs is believed to be analogous to life on early Earth. The work of Dr. Marsh and her team has the potential to build a greater understanding of the first organisms to evolve on Earth and how this might also yield knowledge about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.

  • FYS 100 Troubled Waters
  • BID 100 Water and Energy: Resources for a Sustainable Future
  • BIO 105 Environmental Biology
  • BIO 221 Microbiology for Health Professionals
  • BIO 310 Plagues of Nations
  • BIO 321 General Microbiology
  • BIO 351 Conservation Biology
  • BIO 451 Microbial Ecology

Refereed Journals

  • Miller, H.A., J. Fiene, and T.L. Marsh. 2015. Effect of Native American bean-corn biculture planting on free-living bacterial abundance and plant growth. American Journal of Undergraduate Research. 12(4): 57-71.
  • Marsh, T.L., M.F. Guenther, and S.L. Raimondi. 2015. When do students “learn-to-comprehend” scientific sources?: Evaluation of a critical skill in learning-to-write and writing-to-learn objectives. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. 16(1): 13-20.
  • Magnetta, A.M and T.L. Marsh. 2015. The Effect of Allelochemicals Produced by Garlic Mustard on the Soil Heterotroph Community. BIOS. 86(1): 31-37.
  • Raimondi, S.R., T.L. Marsh, ad P.E. Arriola. 2014. Integrating Vision & Change into a biology curriculum at a small comprehensive college. Journal of College Science Teaching. 43(5): 33-37.
  • Sexton-Radek, K. and T.L. Marsh. 2014. That’s sick!: Introducing an immunology exercise to a health psychology class. Innovative Teaching. 3: 1-4.
  • Chrencik, B.J. and T.L. Marsh. 2012. Contributions of Methanogenic Archaebacteria in Community-Driven Anaerobic Chromate Reduction by Yellowstone National Park Hot Spring Microorganisms. World Scientific Publishing Group. (Manuscript available upon request).
  • Marsh, T.L. and P.E. Arriola. 2009. The science of salsa: antimicrobial properties of salsa components to learn scientific methodology. J. Microbiol. Biol. Educ. 10(1): 3-8.
  • Marsh, T.L. and P.E. Arriola. 2008. The science of salsa: antimicrobial properties of salsa components to learn scientific methodology. MicrobeLibrary.org.
  • Marsh, T.L. and M.J. McInerney. 2003. Microbial transformations of hexavalent chromium. Recent Res. Devel. Microbiology. 7(2003): 499-529.
  • Marsh, T.L., and M.J. McInerney. 2001. Relationship of hydrogen bioavailability to chromate reduction in aquifer sediments. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 67(4): 1517-1521.
  • Marsh, T.L., and M.J. McInerney. 2000. Physiochemical factors affecting chromate reduction by aquifer materials. Geomicrobiol. J. 17(4): 291-303.
  • Marsh, T.L., X. Xhang, R.M. Knapp, M.J. McInerney, P.K. Sharma, and B.E. Jackson. 1995. Mechanisms of microbial oil recovery by Clostridium acetobutylicum and Bacillus Strain JF-2. In Conference proceedings, The Fifth International Conference on Microbially Enhanced Oil Recovery and Related Biotechnology for Solving Environmental Problems.

Technical Programs

  • McInerney, M.J., and V.E. Worrell, N. Leon, and T.L. Marsh. 1996. Development of techniques for in situ bioremediation of chromium contaminated soil and groundwater: Phase 1. Laboratory evaluation. U.S. EPA Final Technical Program Report. Submitted August 1996.

Refereed Abstracts

  • Hoffman, D.J., K.F. Bennett, B.L. Matz, and T.L. Marsh. 2015. Identification of Euryarchaeota and Bacteria in a methanogenic mixed culture from Queen’s Laundry, an alkali-silica hot spring of Yellowstone National Park. American Society for Microbiology, General Meeting, May30-June 3.
  • Marsh, T.L., B.L. Matz, K.Plyer, and M. Lachiowicz. 2015. Towards Understanding the Role of Euryarchaeota in Community-Driven Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium: Observations from Six Yellowstone National Park Hot Springs. American Society for Microbiology, General Meeting, May 30-June 3.
  • Raimondi, S.L., Marsh, T.L., E.M. Mellgren, and M. Guenther. 2013. Assessment of learning-to-write and writing-to-learn assignments across a biology curriculum. Accepted for presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology, 53rd Annual meeting, December 2013.
  • Marsh, T.L., P.E. Arriola, and S.L. Raimondi. 2011. Do the core competencies produce results? Submitted for presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology, 51st Annual meeting, December 2011. Selected for presentation as the 2011 Education Initiative Forum.
  • Paliatka, J. and T.L. Marsh. 2011. The value of information literacy in Environmental Biology. Submitted for presentation to International Lilly Conference on College Teaching, November 2011. (Manuscript in final preparation, available upon request).
  • Advani, M.K., B.J. Chrencik, and T.L. Marsh. 2011. Community-Driven Anaerobic Chromate Reduction by Yellowstone National Park Hot Springs Microorganisms. Presented at BioMicroWorld2011 – IV International Conference on Environmental, Industrial and Applied Microbiology, September 14-16, 2011.
  • Marsh, T.L. and P.E. Arriola. 2011. Scientific Methodology and Assessment of Oral Rinse Efficacy. Presented at ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE), June 2-5, 2011.
  • Advani, M.K. and T.L. Marsh. 2011. Anaerobic Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium by Yellowstone National Park Hot Springs Microorganisms. Presented at ASM Regional Meeting, Illinois Branch, April 12-13, 2011.
  • Marsh, T.L. and P.E. Arriola. 2007. The science of salsa: Antimicrobial properties of salsa components to learn scientific methodology. Presented at ASM General Meeting, May 21-25, 2007.
  • Marsh, T.L., K. Kerby, and R.S. Tanner. 2004. Use of pigmented microorganisms to study microbial diversity. Presented at ASM General Meeting, May 23-27, 2004.
  • Bertin, M., M. Mills, T.L. Marsh, and G. Sayles. 2002. Biodegradation of
    Alkylphenols under Various Redox Conditions. Presented at American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN (November 3-8, 2002).
  • Marsh, T.L. 2000. Anaerobic reduction of hexavalent chromium by subsurface microorganisms. Invited oral presentation at ASM General Meeting, May 21-25, 2000.
  • Marsh, T.L., and M.J. McInerney. 1999. Factors affecting reduction of hexavalent chromium by aquifer materials. Oral presentation at International Symposium on Subsurface Microbiology, August 22-27, 1999.
  • Marsh, T.L., and M.J. McInerney. 1999. Hydrogen bioavailability as a measure of chromate reduction potential. Presented at ASM General Meeting, May 30-June 3, 1999.
  • Marsh, T.L., and M.J. McInerney. 1997. Biological reduction of hexavalent chromium by aquifer sediments. Presented at ASM General Meeting, May 4-8, 1997.
  • Marsh, T.L., V.E. Worrell, N. Leon, and M.J. McInerney. 1996. Biological reduction of hexavalent chromium by aquifer sediments. Presented at The Art of Anaerobes Conference, August 16-17, 1996. Accepted for publication in Volume 6, Number 1 of BioFactors.
  • Marsh, T.L. and M.J. McInerney. 1995. Physiology of a halotolerant, thermotolerant, exopolysaccharide-producing Bacillus Oral presentation at ASM Missouri Valley Branch Annual Meeting, March 31-April 1, 1995.

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