David Vuono

IMG_7967-2-944x1024 David Vuono
I am an environmental engineer and applied microbiologist. I have 15+ years’ experience in water and wastewater process engineering and 13+ years’ experience in applied environmental microbiology. My research program is based on bridging the microbiology/engineering nexus, by incorporating a cross-scales system approach, from microbial physiology, bioinformatics and data science, to applied engineered systems and landscape scale microbial ecology.

My primary interests are in nitrogen removal and recovery processes, drinking water contaminant attenuation and biodegradation, and bioaerosol impacts on water resources and terrestrial systems.

Current Projects

  • Bioaerosols characterization and transport from wildland fire smoke
  • Granular sludge technologies and synthetic communities for nitrogen removal in water and wastewater treatment
  • Nitrifier physiology
  • PFAS biodegradation
  • Resource recovery and water treatment from gold mining
DJI_0571-1024x682 David Vuono

Education

· 2014 PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

· 2011 MSc. in Environmental Science and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

· 2005 BSc in Biological Sciences, University of Vermont

· 2001 HSD – Valley Forge Military Academy, Wayne, PA

Selected Publications

Complete list of publications on Google Scholar

1. Ellington A.J., Walters K., Christner B.C., Fox S., Bonfantine K., Walker C., Lampman P*, Vuono D.C., Strickland M., Lambert K., Kobziar L.N. (2024) Dispersal of microbes from grassland fire smoke to soils ISME Journal Accepted.

2. Bonfantine K., Vuono D.C., Christner, B.C., Moore, R., Fox, S., Dean, T., Betancourt, D., Watts, A.C., and Kobziar L.N. (2024) Evidence for wildland fire smoke transport of microbes from terrestrial sources to the atmosphere and back. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 129:e2024JG008236.

3. Hammer V., Vanneste J., Alejo-Zapata F.D., Zea J., Bolaños-Sosa H.G., Zevallos Rojas C.A., Figueroa L.A., Malone A, Bellona C, Vuono D.C† (2024) Characterization of medium and small-scale gold processing operations, wastewaters, and tailings in the Arequipa region of Peru. Science of the Total Environment. 174034.

4. Vuono D.C.†, Kobziar L.N., Moore R., Christner B.C., Dean T., Betancourt D., Watts A.C., Aurell J., Gullett B. (2022) Wildland fire smoke alters the composition, diversity, and potential atmospheric function of microbial life in the aerobiome. ISME Communications. 2(1) 1-9.

5. Vuono D.C., Lipp, B., Staub, C., Loney E.*, Harrold, Z., Grzymski J.J. (2019) A real-time multiplexed microbial growth intervalometer for capturing high resolution growth curves. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10(1135) 1-9.

6. Vuono D.C., Read R.W., Hemp J., Sullivan B., Arnone J., Neveux I., Blank R., Loney E.*, Miceli D., Winkler M., Chakraborty R., Stahl D., Grzymski J. (2019) Resource concentration modulates the fate of dissimilated nitrogen in a dual-pathway Actinobacterium. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10(3) 1-13.

7. Vuono D.C. & Regnery J., Li D., Jones Z.L., Holloway R., Drewes J.E. (2016) rRNA gene expression of abundant and rare activated sludge microorganisms and growth-rate induced micropollutant removal. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(12), 6299-6309.

8. Vuono D.C., Benecke J., Henkel J., Navidi W., Holloway R. Cath Y., Munakata-Marr J., Spear J., Drewes J.E. (2015). Disturbance and temporal partitioning of the activated sludge metacommunity. International Society of Microbial Ecology (ISME) Journal. 9. 425-435

Professional Experience

· 08/2019 – Present Research Assistant Professor – Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mines, Golden, CO

· 05/2019 – Present Chief Scientific Officer – MAGI-Instruments, Lumenautix LLC, Reno, NV

· 11/2015 – 07/2019 Post-Doctoral Fellow – Joseph J. Grzymski Lab, Desert Research Institute (DRI), Reno, NV. Topics:

· 01/2015 – 10/2015 DOE ENIGMA Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – David A. Stahl and Mari Winkler Labs, University of Washington (UW) Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Seattle, Washington).

· 09/2014 – 12/2014 Research Associate – Tzahi Y. Cath Lab CSM Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering Golden, CO