INL - Researchers - Frank Roberto

Current Projects

Development of rapid nucleic acid assays and genotyping methods for the Category B select agent and zoonotic pathogen, Brucella. Co-investigator with D. Newby, INL
Development of a transformation system to perform metabolic engineering with the moderately acidophilic bacterium, Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius. Co-investigator with B. Lee, INL
Genomic sequencing and analysis of thermoacidophilic crenarchaeota and their viruses in Yellowstone National Park. Co-investigator with M. Young, Montana State University (MSU)
Metagenomic analysis of acidic thermal environments in Yellowstone National Park [part of the Yellowstone Metagenome Project to be sequenced by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI)], B. Inskeep, Montana State University, lead investigator
Metagenomic analysis of viral populations associated with acidic thermal environments in Yellowstone National Park (JGI Laboratory Science Program project). Co-investigator with M. Young, MSU

Research Interests

Brucella genomics and brucellosis in wildlife
Physiology, genetics, and genomics of acidophilic and thermoacidophilic microbes Metagenomic analysis of thermoacidophilic microbial communities and their viruses
Biosafety

Education

BS, biochemistry, 1980, University of California, Davis.
PhD, biochemistry (plant physiology minor), 1985, University of California, Riverside.
Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1984-1988, Dept. of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis.

Patents

U.S. Patent No. 6,051,420 - Method for the decontamination of soil containing solid organic explosives therein
U.S. Patent No. 6,576,449 B2 - Microbial Production of Epoxides
U.S. Patent No. 6,987,170 B1 - Cloning and Expression of Recombinant Adhesive Protein Mefp-1 of the Blue Mussel Mytilus edulis

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Selected Publications

Snyder, J.C., B.Wiedenheft, M. Lavin, F.F. Roberto, J. Spuhler, A.C. Ortmann, T. Douglas, and M. Young. Virus movement maintains local virus population diversity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 104,19102-19107 (2007).
Silverman, H.G. and F.F.Roberto. Understanding mussel adhesion. Marine Biotechnol 9, 661-681 (2007).
Viamajala, S., W.A. Smith, R.K. Sam, W.A. Apel, J.N. Petersen, A.L. Neal, F.F. Roberto, D.T. Newby, and B.M. Peyton. Isolation and characterization of Cr(VI) reducing Cellulomonas spp from subsurface soils:Implications for long-term chromate reduction. Bioresource Technol. 98, 612-622 (2007).

Quatrini, R., C. Appia-Ayme, Y. Denis, J. Ratouchniak, F. Veloso, J. Valdes, C. Lefimil, S. Silver, F. Roberto, O. Orellana, F. Denizot, E. Jedlicki, D. Holmes and V. Bonnefoy. Global analysis of the ferrous iron and sulphur energetic metabolism of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans by microarray transcriptome profiling. Hydrometallurgy 83, 263-272 (2006).
Young, M., B. Wiedenheft, J. Snyder, J. Spuhler, F. Roberto, and T. Douglas. Archaeal viruses from Yellowstone's high temperature environments. In:Geothermal biology and geochemistry in Yellowstone National Park, W.P. Inskeep and T.R. McDermott (Editors), Montana State University Publications, Bozeman, MT, pp. 289-304 (2005).
Wiedenheft, B., K. Stedman, F. Roberto, D. Willits, A.-K. Gleske, L. Zoeller, J. Snyder, T. Douglas, and M. Young. Comparative genomic analysis of hyperthermophilic archaeal fuselloviridae viruses. J. Virol. 78, 1954-1961 (2004).
Rice, G., L.Tang, K. Stedman, F. Roberto, J. Spuhler, E. Gillitzer, J. E. Johnson, T. Douglas and M. Young. The structure of a thermophilic archaeal virus shows a dsDNA viral capsid type that spans all domains of life. Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 101, 7716-7720 (2004).
Snyder, J .C., J. Spuhler, B. Wiedenheft, F. F. Roberto, and M. J. Young. Effects of culturing on the population structure of a hyperthermophilic virus from Yellowstone National Park. Microbial Ecol. 48,561-566 (2004).
Newby, D.T., D. W. Reed, L .M. Petzke, A. L. Igoe, M. E. Delwiche, F. F. Roberto, J. P. McKinley, M. J. Whiticar, and F. S. Colwell, 2004. Diversity of methanotroph communities in a basalt aquifer proximal to a TCE plume. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 48, 333-344 (2004).
Johnson, D.B., N. Okibe, and F.F. Roberto. Novel thermo-acidophilic bacteria isolated from geothermal sites in Yellowstone National Park: physiological and phylogenetic characteristics. Arch. Microbiol. 180, 60-68 (2003).
Newby, D.T., T. L. Hadfield, and F.F. Roberto. Real-time PCR Detection of Brucella abortus: a Comparative Study of SYBR Green I, 5'-exonuclease, and Hybridization Probe Assays. Appl. Environ. Microbiol 69, 4753-4759 (2003).
Marchbank, A.R., E. Kirby, and F.F. Roberto. The application of biologically mediated leaching methods - A comprehensive review. CIM Bulletin 96, 143-147 (2003).
Roberto, F.F., J.M. Barnes and D.F. Bruhn. Evaluation of a GFP reporter gene construct for environmental arsenic detection. Talanta 58, 181-188 (2002).
Radtke, C.W. D.M. Smith, G. S. Owen, and F.F. Roberto. Field demonstration of acetone pretreatment and composting of particulate-TNT-contaminated soil. Bioremediation J. 6, 191-204 (2002).
Roberto, F.F. Bioleaching of Minerals. In:The Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology, G. Bitton and R.S. Burlage (Editors), J. Wiley and Sons, Inc. , New York, pp 641-650 (2002).

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Additional Material

Affiliate Faculty Member, Idaho State University, University of Idaho, Texas Tech University
Certified Biological Safety Professional and Specialist Microbiologist, Biological Safety
Chair, INL Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and External Member, Idaho State University IBC

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Idaho National Laboratory

Current Projects

Research Interests

Education

Patents

Selected Publications

Additional Material