Gary Sayler, Beaman Distinguished University Professor of Microbiology, was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2012 for distinguished research, teaching and service contributions in microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology, particularly for development of microbial biosensors and molecular understanding of environmental hydrocarbon degradation. Sayler is the founding director of UT’s Center for Environmental Biotechnology and the UT–Oak Ridge National Laboratory Joint Institute for Biological Sciences.
His laboratory is focused on the interaction of anthropogenic disturbances of the environment and microbial process and community response, which can ameliorate environmental effects and potential health risks. This broad research program has an emphasis on molecular environmental diagnostics, metagenomics, and biotechnical problem solving while maintaining a fundamental ecological perspective on the role and function of microorganism in aquatic, terrestrial and waste treatment systems.