Syed Hashsham

Contact Information

Engineering Research Complex
1449 Engineering Research Ct
Room: A126
East Lansing , MI 48824

(517) 355-8241

hashsham@msu.edu

Professor

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Biography

Dr. Syed Hashsham is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research interests lie at the intersection of three closely related areas: (i) understanding how complex microbial communities work; (ii) development of parallel detection tools; and (iii) development/evaluation of processes relevant to environmental biotechnology. For complex communities (e.g., in bioreactors, gut, or environment), he studies the abiotic and biotic factors that makes a microbial system stable or unstable with respect to function and community structure. As part of projects funded by NIH, EPA, and MEDC to develop parallel detection tools, his team has developed a low cost hand-held gene analyzer capable of quantifying genetic markers within 30 minutes. Projects related to development of processes relevant to environmental biotechnology encompass a number of activities ranging from studies focusing on chlorinated solvents, methanogenesis, and microbial corrosion. As part of the NIEHS Superfund Research Center, he is leading Project 4 focusing on remediation of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans.

Education

  • Ph.D., Environmental Engineering and Science, University of Illinois 1996
  • M.S., Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay 1986
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, India 1984

Research Interests

  • Understanding Complex Microbial Communities
  • Development of Parallel Detection Tools
  • Development and Evaluation of Processes Relevant to Environmental Biotechnology

Research Lab

Environmental Genomics Lab

Selected Publications

  1. Tiancong Gao, Haixia Tian, Leilei Xiang, Ziqi Wang, Yuhao Fu, Jing Shi, Xin Wen, Xin Jiang, Wenxiang He, Syed A. Hashsham, and Fang Wang. Characteristics of bacterial community and extracellular enzymes in response to atrazine application in black soil. Environmental Pollution 343 (2024) 123286.
  2. Zhi Mei, Yuhao Fu, Fang Wang, Leilei Xiang, Fang Hu, Jean Damascene Harindintwali, Mingyi Wang, Marko Virta, Syed A. Hashsham, Xin Jiang, James M. Tiedje. Magnetic biochar/quaternary phosphonium salt reduced antibiotic resistome and pathobiome on pakchoi leaves. Journal of Hazardous Materials 460 (2023) 132388.
  3. Yuhao Fu, Qingyuan Dou, Kornelia Smalla, Yu Wang, Timothy A. Johnson, Kristian K. Brandt, Zhi Mei, Maoyuan Liao, Syed A. Hashsham, Andreas Schäffer, Hauke Smidt, Tong Zhang, Hui Li, Robert Stedtfeld, Hongjie Sheng, Benli Chai, Marko Virta, Xin Jiang, Fang Wang, Yong‐Guan Zhu, and James M. Tiedje. Gut Microbiota Research Nexus: One Health Relationship Between Human, Animal, and Environmental Resistomes.mLife. (December 2023 | Volume 2 | Issue 4 | 350–364).
  4. Muhammad Saeed, Muhammad Rais1, Ayesha Akram, Maggie R. Williams, Kenneth F. Kellner, Syed A. Hashsham & Drew R. Davis. Development and validation of an eDNA protocol for monitoring endemic Asian spiny frogs in the Himalayan region of Pakistan. Scientific Reports (2022) 12:5624
  5. Maggie R. Williams, Robert D. Stedtfeld, Tiffany M. Stedtfeld, Robert B. Crawford, Tomomi Kuwahara, Norbert E. Kaminski, James M. Tiedje, Syed A. Hashsham. MicroRNA-based host response to toxicant exposure is influenced by the presence of gut microbial populations. Science of the Total Environment , 797 (2021) 149130.
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MSU Scholar

MSU Scholars (Publications)

Google Scholar

Google Scholar (Publications)

Awards

  • Distinguished Faculty Award, Michigan State University (2011)
  • Distinguished Service Award, AEESP Internet Resource Committee member and chair (2007-2010)
  • Withrow Distinguished (Junior) Scholar Award, Michigan State University (2007)
  • Edwin Willits Associate Professor Award, One of four chaired Associate Professors in the College of Engineering (2005-2009)
  • Session Chair, International Water Association’s 2nd Leading Edge Conference on Sustainability, Nov 8-10, 2004,Sydney, Australia.
  • Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Service as Chair of the MS Thesis Award Subcommittee, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (2004)
  • Lilly Teaching Fellowship Award, Michigan State University, Office of the Vice President (2003-2004)
  • Racheff Travel Award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995)
  • Member, Tau Beta Pi, University of Texas at Arlington (1991)
  • Ranked 2nd in M. Tech. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (1986)
  • GATE Fellowship, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (1984)
  • Member, Vice Chancellor’s Student Council for Academic Excellence, AMU, Aligarh, (1984) Ranked 2nd, Class of 1984.
  • Merit Scholarships during the last three years of B.Sc. Engineering (1981-1984)

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