Fall 2017 lab photo
Anna Engelbrektson and John Coates
Anna Engelbrektson and John Coates
Coates Lab 2014
Coates Lab 2014
Graduate Student Iain Clark
Graduate Student Iain Clark
Dana Loutey, Israel Figueroa, and Anna Engelbrektson
Dana Loutey, Israel Figueroa, and Anna Engelbrektson
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Welcome to the Coates Lab

John D. CoatesWe focus on environmental microbiology, specifically applied microbiology and bioremediation to clean up pollution and research environmentally friendly approaches to technology and oil extraction. The Coates Lab is located in the Department of Plant & Microbial Biology at UC Berkeley, as well as the Energy Biosciences Institute in Berkeley, CA.

Coates' Citations

Graduate Student Sophia Ewens highlighted by U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

Congratulations to Sophia Ewens, a 5th-year graduate student in the Coates Lab and a researcher in the Energy Biosciences Institute, on her recent publication in the journal PNAS. The study focuses on microbial redox cycling of phosphorous species, and it was highlighted by a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science publication, titled “Microbes Use Ancient Metabolism to Cycle Phosphorus."

Evidence of a seventh natural CO2 fixation pathway

Israel Figueora's work on dissimilatory phosphite oxidation in Phox-21 led to a proposal for a seventh natural carbon fixation pathway - the reductive glycine pathway - which was previously identified as solely synthetic.

What Can We Do with a Plastic-Eating Bacterium? An Interview with NPR

Shosuke Yoshida et al. recently discovered a bacterium that grows by degrading poly(ethylene terephthalate), a widely used plastic material. National Public Radio recently interviewed John on the significance of the finding and its potential use in remediating plastic pollution.

Microbial Sulfate Reduction

cartoon of microbial sulfate reduction
The production of the toxic and corrosive compound, hydrogen sulfide, by sulfate-reducing microorganisms is costly and dangerous from a public health and environmental perspective.

Fossil Fuel Bioprocessing

Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Could this be the next big thing? Extracting oil in environmentally friendly ways. See the video and read more.

Benzoate and Phenylacetate Degradation by a Novel Marine Chlorate-Reducing Bacterium

Scanning electron micrograph of strain NSS
A novel marine dissimilatory chlorate-reducing bacterium (CRB), Dechloromarinus chlorophilus strain NSS, catabolizes both benzoate and phenylacetate.

Dissimilatory Phosphite Oxidation by Microbes

phosphite oxidation graphic
The goal for this research is to elucidate the biochemical pathways and genes involved in DPO and to broaden our understanding of the microorganisms responsible for this process in the environment.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP), one of many undergraduate research programs available on campus
The Coates Lab is always looking for highly motivated undergraduates.

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