Molecular Microbiologist

Michael G. LaMontagne, Ph.D.

**** **** ******

Denton, TX 76209

acckfl@r.postjobfree.com; 617-***-****

Education

Ph.D. Biology, Boston University

NATO Advanced Study Institute: Molecular Ecology of Aquatic Microbes

NASA Planetary Biology Intern at the Center for Microbial Ecology,

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Marine Biological Laboratory, Summer Course in Microbial Diversity,

Woods Hole, MA

B.S. Microbiology, cum laude, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

U.S. Citizen

Related Experience

Adjunct Professor of Biology

University of North Texas November 2011 - present

Director of Research

Agricen Sciences, Pilot Point, TX June 2010 - October 2013

Developed research and natural products discovery programs. These programs

consisted of up to five direct reports and close collaborations with

several academic groups. I helped set direction of the company for the

next five years, wrote research plans for all discovery programs and

presented budgets - including time allocations - for discovery programs to

the board. As a team leader, I set monthly milestones and weekly work-

plans for the group and reported progress to the board. I also set

policies for documentation of IP and instituted routine laboratory

meetings. I developed personnel through journal clubs and provided weekly

summary of pertinent literature to research and management teams. Major

accomplishments include:

. Applied metabolomics to the analysis of microbial products to

determine variation in metabolites associated with changes in

fermentation systems. This work included multivariate analysis of

metabolite profiles generated by NMR and MALDI-TOF.

. Applied metagenomic analysis to identify dominant microbes in

bioreactors and rhizosphere. This approach included pyrosequencing

of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes and functional screening of fosmid

clone libraries.

. Developed data analysis pipeline for greenhouse trials.

. Developed microbial prospecting program that discovered dozens of

proprietary plant growth promoting bacteria.

. Identified biochemicals in microbial product that promote root

system architecture. This work included solid phase extraction,

ethyl acetate partitioning and MPLC.

. Two patents submitted.

Lecturer

Simmons College, Boston, MA

January 2010 - May 2010

Staff Scientist

US Genomics, Woburn, MA

June 2006 - June 2009

Directed Environmental Testing Group, which consisted of up to three direct

reports. Achieved all milestones in the development and testing of an

automated biothreat detector that uses single molecule detection. These

milestones include:

. Developed automated system that purifies air samples for the

purposes of bioaerosol analysis.

. Surveyed bacterial diversity in bioaerosols and developed a model

of the ecology of airborne bacteria. This model informed the design

of a biothreat detector.

. Cloned and expressed genes involved in degradation of spore coats.

. Tested membrane used in automated DNA extraction and analysis

system.

. Developed qPCR protocols to quantify diverse bacteria.

Assistant Professor

McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA August

2004 - June 2006

Lecturer

California State University, Channel Islands

January 2004 - June 2004

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of California, Santa Barbara

July 1999 - June 2003

Visiting Professor

Lake Forrest College, Lake Forest, IL January

1999 - May 1999

Publications

Allen, M.S. and M.G. LaMontagne. in press. Genomic techniques for

determination of microbial community structure and function in Carrion

Ecology, Evolution and their Applications (Book Chapter).

Amaral-Zettler, L.A., J.D. Rocca, M.G. LaMontagne, M.R. Dennett, R.J.,

Gast. 2008. Changes in microbial community structure in the wake of

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Env. Sci. Technol. 42: 9072-9078.

Ehrhardt, C.J., R.M. Haymon, M.G. LaMontagne, and P.A. Holden. 2007.

Evidence for hydrothermal Archaea within the basaltic flanks of the East

Pacific Rise. Env. Microbiol. 9: 900-912.

Cao, Y., G.N. Cherr, A.L. C rdova, T.W.M. Fan, R.M. Higashi, M.G.

LaMontagne, K.M. Scow, J. Yuang, and P.A. Holden. 2006. Relationships

between sediment microbial communities and pollutants in two California

salt marshes. Micro. Ecol. 52: 619-633.

C rdova, A.L., Y. Cao, P.G. Green, H.M. Hwang, K. Kuivila, M.G. LaMontagne,

P.A. Holden, and K.M. Scow. 2006. Diversity, composition and geographical

distribution of microbial communities in California salt marsh sediments.

Appl. Env. Microbiol. 72: 3357-3366.

LaMontagne, M.G., I. Leifer, S. Bergmann, L.C. Van De Werfhorst and P.A.

Holden. 2004. Bacterial diversity in marine hydrocarbon seep sediments.

Env. Microbiol. 6: 799-808.

Field, K.G., E.C. Chern, L.K. Dick, J. Fuhrman, J. Griffith, P.A. Holden,

M.G. LaMontagne, J. Le., B. Olson, and M.T. Simonich. 2003. A comparative

study of culture-independent, library-independent genotypic methods of

fecal source tracking. J. Water and Health 1: 181-194.

LaMontagne, M.G., J.P. Schimel and P.A. Holden. 2003. Comparison of

subsurface and surface soil bacterial communities in California grassland

as assessed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms of PCR-

amplified 16S rRNA genes. Micro. Ecol. 46: 216-227.

LaMontagne, M.G. and P.A. Holden. 2003. Comparison of free-living and

particle-associated bacterial communities in a coastal lagoon. Micro.

Ecol. 46: 228-237.

LaMontagne, M.G., R. Duran and I. Valeila. 2003. Nitrous oxide sources and

sinks in coastal aquifers and coupled estuarine receiving waters. Sci.

Tot. Env. 309: 139-149.

Holden, P.A., M.G. LaMontagne, A.K. Bruce, W.G. Miller, and S.E. Lindow.

2002. Assessing the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa surface active gene

expression to hexadecane biodegradation in sand. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 68:

2509-2518.

LaMontagne, M.G., F.C. Michel Jr, P.A. Holden and C.A. Reddy. 2002.

Evaluation of extraction and purification methods for obtaining PCR-

amplifiable DNA from compost for microbial community analysis. J.

Microbiol. Methods 49: 255-264.

LaMontagne, M.G, V. Astorga, A.E. Giblin and I. Valiela. 2002.

Denitrification and the Stoichiometry of nutrient regeneration in Waquoit

Bay, Massachusetts. Estuaries 25: 272-281.

LaMontagne, M.G., G.J. Davenport, L-H. Hou and S.K. Dutta. 1998.

Identification and analysis of PCB dechlorinating anaerobic enrichments by

amplification: accuracy of community structure based on restriction

analysis and partial sequencing of 16s rRNA genes. J. Appl. Microbiol. 84:

1156-1163.

LaMontagne, M.G. and I. Valiela. 1995. Denitrification measured by a direct

N2 flux method in sediments of Waquoit Bay, MA. Biogeochem. 31: 63-83.

Johnson, R., M.G. LaMontagne and I. Valiela. 1994. Rate of denitrification

in submerged salt marsh sediment. Biol. Bull. 187: 289-290.

Valiela, I., K. Foreman, M.G. LaMontagne, D. Hersh, J. Costa, P. Peckol, B.

DeMeo-Anderson, C. D'Avanzo, M. Babione, C.-H. Sham, J. Brawley and K.

Lajtha. 1992. Couplings of watersheds and coastal waters: sources and

consequences of nutrient enrichment in Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts.

Estuaries 15: 443-457.

Valiela, I., M. Alber and M.G. LaMontagne. 1991. Fecal coliform loadings

and stocks in Buttermilk Bay, Mass., and management implications. Environ.

Manag. 15:659-674.

Financial Support

2006-07 "Percent Culturable of the Total Microbial Population as an

Indication of Marsh Ecosystem Health," M.G. LaMontagne, PI. Shearman

Research Initiative Fund, $2,330.

2006-07 "Enhancement of Undergraduate Education through Research in

Molecular Biology," M.G. LaMontagne, PI. Board of Reagents

(Louisiana) Support Fund, $16,367.

2005-06 "SGER: Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Water Quality and Bacterial

Communities

in Southeastern Louisiana," M.G. LaMontagne, PI, Brian Fry, Co-PI.

National Science Foundation. $22,517.

2006 "Undergraduate Education through Research in Metagenomics," M.G.

LaMontagne, PI. LI-COR Biosciences Genomics Education Matching Fund

Program, $50,056.

2005 "Undergraduate Education through Research in Molecular Biology." M.G.

LaMontagne, PI. Technology Advancement Student Committee, $1,000.

2005 "Undergraduate Education through Research in Molecular Biology,"

M.G. LaMontagne, PI. Gaming Revenue Program, $16,924.

2005 "Directed Multiple Displacement Amplification for Recovery of

Ribosomal Genes from Environmental samples," M.G. LaMontagne, PI.

Shearman Research Initiative Fund, $2,300.

2005 "Bacterial Community Structure in Restored and Natural Marshes,"

M.G. LaMontagne, PI. Entergy Corporation, $750.

2005 "Bacterial Community Structure in Restored and Natural Marshes,"

M.G. LaMontagne, A. Bello Co-PI. McNeese State University Alumni

Association, $750.

2005 "Bacterial Community Structure in Restored and Natural Marshes of

the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge," M.G. LaMontagne, PI. McNeese

State University College of Science fund for Endowed Professorships:

Miller Professorship, $1,000.

Invited Talks

"Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Water Quality and Bacterial Communities in

Southeastern Louisiana," Center for Urban Environmental Studies,

Northeastern University, Boston, MA, December 2nd, 2005

"Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Water Quality and Bacterial Communities in

Southeastern Louisiana," American Chemical Society - 40th Western Regional

Meeting, Orange, CA, January 25th, 2006

"Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Water Quality and Bacteria," The Wilkinson

College/Hobbs Institute Symposium Series, Chapman University, Orange, CA,

January 25th, 2006

Scientific Peer Reviewing

2003-present Reviewer for Microbial Ecology and other titles.

2004-present Proposal reviewer for EPA-SBIR and NOAA programs.

2006- April Review panel, NOAA-Cooperative Institute for Coastal and

Estuarine Environmental Technology.

Awards

Ketchum Prize, Best Paper by a Graduate Student. New England Estuarine

Research Society Spring Meeting 1992.

Arthur G. Humes Alumni Award, 2nd Prize, (graduate student research award),

1991 & 1992.

Professional Affiliation

American Society for Microbiology

Soil Science Society of America

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