Junko Munakata Marr

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Junko-outside-square-1-300x300-1 Junko Munakata MarrThe unifying theme for my research interests is water reclamation and resource recovery, primarily by using microorganisms in engineered systems. Bacteria and other microbes have useful and sometimes surprising metabolic capabilities that we can harness to remove organic pollutants and create valuable products. While microbial communities are inherently dynamic, we can apply molecular biology techniques to assess microbial communities in environmentally relevant systems. Understanding and ultimately controlling these dynamics is important in many applications of environmental engineering microbiology. For example, microbes form the heart of wastewater treatment, degrading organics while also generating methane under specific conditions; any change in microbial activity or populations during treatment may have significant implications for the treatment effectiveness. By understanding the community dynamics during the treatment process, we may be better able to control the treatment effectiveness. I am also interested in assessing the sustainability of new treatment approaches. Current research activities include optimization and microbial characterization of anaerobic primary and secondary treatment, biological nitrogen removal, and toxicity assessment of critical-minerals processing chemicals.

My teaching interests are diverse; I’ve taught 15 different classes at Mines! I strive to engage every student in each course. I have been actively involved in the Humanitarian Engineering program and teach elective courses (Sustainable Engineering Design, Onsite Water Reclamation and Reuse) that support that program as well as CEE.

Contact

Coolbaugh Hall 252
303-273-3421
junko@mines.edu

Education

  • PhD, Civil Engineering, Stanford University
  • MS, Civil Engineering, Stanford University
  • BS (with honor), Chemical Engineering, Caltech (California Institute of Technology)

Selected Publications

    • J. Callahan, C. Coffey, A.R. Pfluger, L. Figueroa and J. Munakata-Marr, “Performance analysis of three pilot-scale multi-compartment anaerobic baffled reactors treating domestic wastewater at psychrophilic temperatures in Colorado”, Water Environment Research, 95(12), e10957 (2023). DOI: 10.1002/wer.10957
    • O. Salmon, K. Rasmussen, S. Aurelius, G. Vanzin, J. Munakata-Marr, Y. Fujita, “Impacts of gadolinium and yttrium on the performance and microbial community composition of a bench-scale activated sludge system”, Environmental Science & Technology: Water 2(8): 1370-1379 (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00098
    • G. Vanzin, A. Pfluger, R. Almstrand, L. Figueroa, J. Munakata-Marr, “Succession of founding microbiota in an anaerobic baffled reactor treating low-temperature raw domestic wastewater”, Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology 8: 792-806 (2022). DOI: 10.1039/d2ew00014h
    • C. Coffey, D. Freedman, J. McQuarrie, L. Figueroa, J. Munakata-Marr, “Elimination of complex process control strategies in single-stage deammonification”, ES&T Engineering 1(9):1267-1274 (2021). DOI: 10.1021/acsestengg.1c00023
    • A. Pfluger, J. Callahan, J.R. Stokes-Draut, D. Ramey, S. Gagen, L. Figueroa, J. Munakata-Marr, “Lifecycle comparison of mainstream anaerobic baffled reactor and conventional activated sludge systems for domestic wastewater treatment”, Environmental Science & Technology 52 (18):10500–10510 (2018). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06684.
    • D. Ramey, J. Munakata-Marr and T. Cath, “Tailored water treatment using enhanced primary clarification for nutrient recovery and production of water for turfgrass irrigation”, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology 3:671-685 (2017). DOI: 10.1039/C7EW00019G
    • S. Phanwilai, C. Wantawin, A. Terada, P. Noophan and J. Munakata-Marr, “Resuscitation of starved suspended-and attached-growth anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria with and without acetate”, Water Science & Technology 75(1):115-127 (2017). DOI: 10.2166/wst.2016.483
    • A.W. Glossner, L.K. Gallagher, L. Landkamer, L. Figueroa, J. Munakata-Marr and K.W. Mandernack, “Factors controlling the co-occurrence of microbial sulfate reduction and methanogenesis in coal bed reservoirs”, International Journal of Coal Geology 165:121-132 (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.coal.2016.08.012
    • R.W. Holloway, L. Miller-Robbie, M. Patel, J.R. Stokes, J. Munakata-Marr, J. Dadakis and T.Y. Cath, “Life-Cycle Assessment of Two Potable Water Reuse Technologies: MF/RO/UV-AOP Treatment and Hybrid Osmotic Membrane Bioreactors”, Journal of Membrane Science 507:165-178 (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2016.01.045
    • D. Mao, A. Revil, R.D. Hort, J. Munakata-Marr, E.A. Atekwana and B. Kulessa, “Resistivity and self-potential tomography applied to groundwater remediation and contaminant plumes: Sandbox and field experiments”, Journal of Hydrology 530:1-14 (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.09.031
    • D.C. Vuono, J. Benecke, J. Henkel, W.C. Navidi, T.Y. Cath, J. Munakata-Marr, J.R. Spear and J.E. Drewes, “Disturbance and temporal partitioning of the activated sludge metacommunity”, International Society for Microbial Ecology Journal, 9:425-435 (2015). DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.139