Biosystems Engineering

Haiquan Li

Assistant Professor, Biosystems Informatics
Assistant Professor, Statistics-GIDP
Member of the General Faculty
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
520-626-8014

Work Summary

Dr. Li is an Assistant Professor of Biosystems Informatics and a faculty member in the Statistics and Data Science Graduate Interdisciplinary Program and the UA Cancer Center. He was trained in computer science and statistics, focusing on developing novel applied data science approaches for research in biomedicine, agriculture, and engineering. He received a distinguished paper award from the American Medical Informatics Association in 2011.

Research Interest

Dr. Li is an Assistant Professor of Biosystems Informatics and a faculty member in the Statistics and Data Science Graduate Interdisciplinary Program and the UA Cancer Center. Trained in computer science and statistics, he works in multiple applied data science fields, such as translational bioinformatics, health informatics, data mining/machine learning, plant informatics, and built environments. His recent research focuses on integrating heterogeneous biological knowledge and fusing multi-omics data to unveil genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying polygenic diseases (complex diseases) and their comorbidities. He has received NIH funding for studying common biological mechanisms among chronic overlapping pain conditions. He is an associate editor for BMC Bioinformatics and Frontiers in Genetics. He has served on multiple NIH study sections and special emphasis panels relating to bioinformatics, genomics, and health informatics.

Jana M U'Ren

Assistant Professor, Ecosystem Genomics
Assistant Professor, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Assistant Professor, Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Assistant Professor, Genetics - GIDP
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 621-1607

Work Summary

We study the biodiversity, biogeography, evolutionary origins, and ecological roles of plant-associated microorganisms. We use a combination of traditional culture-based microbiology, functional assays, and next-generation 'omics tools to study microbial symbiont communities in diverse lineages of land plants at scales ranging from local to global. We are interested in characterizing the biotic and abiotic factors shaping the assembly of plant-associated fungal communities, how community structure and diversity impacts ecosystem function, and the evolutionary dynamics of fungal symbiont evolution in the context of closely related pathogens and saprotrophs.

Research Interest

I am an integrative microbial ecologist with training in microbial ecology, evolutionary biology, mycology, and genomics. I am an Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Genomics in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and the BIO5 Institute. I completed a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia and my PhD in Plant Pathology from University of Arizona’s School of Plant Sciences. Keywords: plant-microbe interactions, comparative genomics, microbial ecology, fungal endophytes

Bonnie L Hurwitz

Assistant Professor, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Assistant Professor, Genetics - GIDP
Assistant Professor, Statistics-GIDP
Clinical Instructor, Pharmacy Practice-Science
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-9819

Work Summary

Our lab focuses on large-scale –omics datasets, high-throughput computing, and big data analytics. We leverage these technologies to answer questions related to the relationship between microbes, their hosts, and the environment. In particular, we focus on viral-host interactions and co-evolution given environmental factors (i) in aquatic systems and (ii) for phage treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

Research Interest

Dr. Bonnie Hurwitz is an Assistant Professor of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Arizona and BIO5 Research Institute Fellow. She has worked as a computational biologist for nearly two decades on interdisciplinary projects in both industry and academia. Her research on the human/earth microbiome incorporates large-scale –omics datasets, high-throughput computing, and big data analytics towards research questions in “One Health”. In particular, Dr. Hurwitz is interested in the relationship between the environment, microbial communities, and their hosts. Dr. Hurwitz is well-cited for her work in computational biology in diverse areas from plant genomics to viral metagenomics with over 1200 citations

Gene A Giacomelli

Professor, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Professor, Applied BioSciences - GIDP
Professor, Plant Science
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-9566

Work Summary

Gene Giacmomelli's research focus includes controlled environment plant productions systems [greenhouse and growth chamber] research, design, development and applications, with emphases on: crop production systems, nutrient delivery systems, environmental control, mechanization, and labor productivity.

Research Interest

Gene Giacomelli, PhD, is the director of the CEAC, or interdisciplinary education, research and outreach program for greenhouse and other advanced technology systems. Here at the University of Arizona, he teaches Controlled Environment Systems, which is an introduction to the technical aspects of greenhouse design, environmental control, nutrient delivery systems, hydroponic crop production, intensive field production systems, and post-harvest handling and storage of crops. His research interests include controlled environment plant productions systems (greenhouse and growth chamber) research, design, development and applications, with emphases on: crop production systems, nutrient delivery systems, environmental control, mechanization, and labor productivity.

Kathryn L Farrell-Poe

Department Head, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Specialist, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-9120

Work Summary

Kathryn Farell-Poe's work focuses on developing extension environment education programs including: Composting: On-Farm, Backyard, and Municipal; Groundwater; Hazardous Chemicals in the Home - Use, Storage, and Disposal; Nonpoint Source Pollution; Recycling, Precycling; Safe Drinking Water; Onsite Wastewater/Septic Education

Research Interest

Dr. Farrell-Poe is the head of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Her work focuses on developing extension education programs in cooperation with county faculty and their clientele including county, state, and federal agency staff, local public officials, elementary and secondary teachers, farmers, and ranchers.

Joel L Cuello

Professor, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Professor, Applied BioSciences - GIDP
Professor, Arid Lands Resources Sciences - GIDP
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 621-7757

Research Interest

Joel Cuello, PhD, focuses his research on applying engineering to put biological systems to work. His collaborative research projects, which have been sponsored by DOE, NASA and USDA, among others, are divided into two major thrusts: Bioprocess Engineering and Controlled-Environment Engineering.With bioprocess engineering, Dr. Cuello’s concentrations are on design and scale up of bioreactors for production of biofuels and biochemicals from algae, plant cells and organs. Also, he explores the optimization of algae and cell-culture productivity through biochemical and environmental strategies. Also, he attends to wastewater treatment using algae, microbial mat and hydroponics.In regard to controlled-environment engineering, Dr. Cuello’s concentrations -- for both Earth and Space applications -- are on design of novel lighting systems, including hybrid solar-electric lighting systems, light-emitting diode arrays, and water-cooled high-intensity discharge lamps. He complements this work with trying to design bioproduction systems, including a hybrid hydroponics-and-aquaculture system.

Lingling An

Associate Professor, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Associate Professor, Public Health
Associate Professor, Statistics-GIDP
Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute
Member of the General Faculty
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 621-1248

Research Interest

Lingling An, PhD, conducts research in the interdisciplinary boundaries of many fields such as statistical sciences, biological and medical sciences, genomics and genetics. Her statistical group's major research interests include development and application of statistical and computational methods for analysis of high-dimensional genomic/genetic, metagenomic/ metatranscriptomic, and epigenomic data. The overlying vision is to develop rigorous, timely and useful statistical and computational methodologies to help biologists/geneticists to ask, answer, and disseminate biologically interesting information in the quest to understand the ultimate function of DNA and gene network.