Biography
Dr. Bakermans is a professor of microbiology at Penn State Altoona. She joined the biology faculty in 2009. Her research on the physiology and adaptations of bacteria that live in permafrost (permanently frozen soils) of the Arctic has resulted in over 30 peer-reviewed publications to date and the edited book Microbial Evolution under Extreme Conditions. Dr. Bakermans's research is relevant to understanding how thawing permafrost contributes to global carbon cycling. Dr. Bakermans began her study of cold-adapted microorganisms from permafrost during a postdoc at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and continues to consult for NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection because her research also has relevance to identifying the limits of life on Earth and life elsewhere in the solar system.
Research Interests
Microbial physiology and ecology
Cold-adapted bacteria
Arctic and Antarctic permafrost
Genomics
Education
Ph D, Microbiology, Cornell University
BS, Biochemistry and Civil Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute