Bryan Berger
· Professor, Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Virginia · Biomedical Engineering
Active 1980–2026
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About
Bryan Berger is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Virginia with a joint appointment in biomedical engineering. He received his BS in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1999 and his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 2006. Following his doctoral studies, he was a post-doctoral fellow in the department of biochemistry & biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine from 2006 to 2009. His research laboratory, the Berger lab, utilizes biotechnology to address significant biomedical, environmental, and industrial challenges. The work conducted in his lab is highly interdisciplinary, involving close collaborations with clinical, government, and industry partners. His research interests include synthetic biology, biomanufacturing, biotechnology, biofilms, biomineralization, biosurfactants, and biosensors. Berger's contributions include developing novel biofungicides to combat fungicide resistance in agriculture and creating technologies for detecting and containing environmental contaminants such as PFAS. His work aims to translate biotechnological innovations into market solutions, emphasizing sustainability, human health, and environmental health.
Research topics
- Biochemistry
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Combinatorial chemistry
- Stereochemistry
- Environmental chemistry
- Microbiology
- Chromatography
Selected publications
A genetically-encoded biosensor for direct detection of perfluorooctanoic acid
Scientific Reports · 2023-09-13 · 34 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorDetermination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water at the low levels set by regulatory officials has been a major focus for sensor developing researchers. However, it is becoming more apparent that detection of these contaminants in soils, foods and consumer products is relevant and necessary at part per billion and even part per million levels. Here, a fluorescent biosensor for the rapid detection of PFOA was engineered based on human liver fatty acid binding protein…
Biotechnology and Bioengineering · 2021 · 27 citations
Senior authorCorrespondingPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic fluorinated chemicals with surface active and water-repellent properties. The combination of wide-spread use in numerous consumer and industrial products and extended biological half-lives arising from strong carbon-fluorine bonds has led to significant accumulation of PFAS in humans. As most human interaction with PFAS comes from ingestion, it is important to be able to detect PFAS in drinking water as well as in agricult…
Journal of Biological Chemistry · 2021 · 25 citations
Polysaccharide lyases (PLs) are a broad class of microbial enzymes that degrade anionic polysaccharides. Equally broad diversity in their polysaccharide substrates has attracted interest in biotechnological applications such as biomass conversion to value-added chemicals and microbial biofilm removal. Unlike other PLs, Smlt1473 present in the clinically relevant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain K279a demonstrates a wide range of pH-dependent substrate specificities toward multiple, diverse po…
Environmental Science Advances · 2024-01-01 · 20 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authoruptake into hemp stems and leaves, with an approximate maximum of 2% PFAS removed from soil in the most successful area. Degradation of PFAS by HTL was nearly 100% for carboxylic acids, but a portion of sulfonic acids remained. HTL also decreased precursor PFAS and extractable organic fluorine. In conclusion, while hemp phytoremediation does not currently offer a comprehensive solution for PFAS-contaminated soil, this project has effectively reduced PFAS levels at the Loring site and underscores…
Disrupting Irreversible Bacterial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation with an Engineered Enzyme
Applied and Environmental Microbiology · 2021 · 17 citations
Senior authorCorrespondingIn this study, the ability of an engineered enzyme to reduce bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation of several foodborne pathogens was demonstrated, representing a promising option for enhancing or replacing chlorine and other chemical sanitizers in food processing applications. Specifically, significant reductions of biofilms of the pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes are observed, as are reductions in initial adhesion. Enzymes have the added…
Recent grants
CAREER: Scalable Synthesis of Designed Biosurfactants to Enhance Drug Bioavailability
NSF · $338k · 2018–2022
NSF · $1.5M · 2017–2018
NSF · $200k · 2017–2019
Frequent coauthors
- 43 shared
Christopher J. Kiely
Lehigh University
- 37 shared
Steven McIntosh
Lehigh University
- 34 shared
Li Lu
Kunming University
- 24 shared
C. Morgan
Australian National University
- 22 shared
Leah C. Spangler
Virginia Commonwealth University
- 21 shared
Rebecca Conte
Lehigh University
- 19 shared
Eric W. Kaler
- 19 shared
Qian He
Institute for Sustainability
Labs
Education
B.S., Chemical Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
University of Delaware
Awards & honors
- National Science Foundation CAREER Award 2015
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