Professor
The Water Center

Research Interests

• Legionella-protozoa interactions
• Development of new microbial aquatic toxicity assays
• Protozoan-bacterial trophic interactions
• Detection of novel human pathogens associated with amoebae 

Area of Specialization

Legionella-protozoa interactions and cooling tower biocide effects.   Development of new microbial aquatic toxicity assays. Protozoan-bacterial trophic interactions.

Education

Ph.D. Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1978
M.S. Zoology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1974 
B.S. Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 1972

Experience

1992-Present Professor, Center for the Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources, Tennessee Technological University

1987-1992     Associate Professor, Center for the Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources, Tennessee Technological University

Recent Publications

Newsome, A.L., M.B. Farone, S.G. Berk, and J.H. Gunderson.  2001.  Free-living amoebae as opportunistic hosts for intracellular bacterial parasites. J. Eukaryotic Microbiol. (Supplement) p. 13S-14S.

Black, W., and S.G. Berk. 2003.  Cooling towers as environmental sources of non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J.  64:238-242.

Brandl, M.T., B. Rosenthal, A.F. Haxo, and S.G. Berk.   Survival of Salmonella enterica Thompson in vesicles of the ciliate, Tetrahymena sp.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. (In press).

Recent Presentations

Black, W. and S.G. Berk. 2000.  Isolation of Mycobacteria from Cooling Towers and Results of Coculture with Protozoa. 100th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, CA.  May 2000.

Wimberley, D.N. and S.G. Berk.  2000.  Interactions between Several Species of Legionella and Potential Protozoan Hosts.  100th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, CA.  May 2000.

Berk, S.G., A.L. Farone, M.B. Farone, A.L. Newsome, J.A. Ventrice and J.H. Gunderson.  2000.   A New Legionella-like Organism Capable of Infecting a Human Macrophage Cell Line.  100th Genreal Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, CA.  May, 2000.

Berk, S.G., M. Farone, A.L. Farone, J.H. Gunderson.  2000.   A Procedure for Screening Cooling Tower Samples for Amoebae Infected with Potentially Pathogenic Legionella Species.  5^th International Conference on Legionella.  Ulm, Germany, September, 2000.

Dodson, T., A.L. Newsome, and S.G. Berk.  2000.  Impact of Protozoa on Form and Distribution of Legionella.  5^th International Conference on Legionella.  Ulm, Germany, September, 2000.

Farone, M.B. A.L. Farone, J.A. Ventrice, S.G. Berk, A.L. Newsome, and J.H. Gunderson.  2001.  A novel Legionella-like bacterium from infected soil amoebae.  101^st General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Orlando, FL. May, 2001.

Newsome, A.L., M.B. Farone, and S.G. Berk.  2001.  Free-living amoebae as opportunistic hosts for intracellular bacterial parasites.  VII International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists.  Cincinnati, OH, June, 2001.

Berk, S.G. 2001.  Protozoa—Accomplices in Legionnaire’s Disease?  Panel presentation at the International Water Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, October, 2001.

Berk, S.G., M.B. Farone, N. Uddin, A.L. Newsome, R.A. Johnson, M.C. Fischer, K.S. Redding, J.D. Currie, A.M. Burnett, M. Farsian, R.S. Ting, J.A. Ventrice, and J.H. Gunderson.  2002.  Occurrence of amoebae infected with potential human pathogens in natural and man-made habitats.  102^nd General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Salt Lake City, UT, May, 2002.

Farone, M.B., A.L. Farone, R.A. Johnson, S.G. Berk, J.A. Ventrice, and J.H. Gunderson.  2002.  A novel Legionella-like amoeba pathogen associated with infected amoebae from a cooling tower.  102^nd General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Salt Lake City, UT, May, 2002.

Berk, S.G., J.S. Thomas, and R.S. Ting.  2003.  Protozoan phagosomes enhance survival of L. pneumophila in a low humidity environment.  103^rd General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., May, 2003.

Garduno, E., S.G. Berk, and R.A. Garduno.  2003.  Production of infectious legionellae-laden pellets by Tetrahymena sp.  103^rd General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., May, 2003.

Berk, S.G., K.S. Redding, J.S. Thomas, W.L. Williams.  2004.  Ciliate phagosomes enhance survival of Legionella pneumophila exposed to UV irradation.  104^th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA, May, 2004.

Brandl, M.T., A.F. Haxo, and S.G. Berk.  2004.  Enhanced survival of Salmonella enterica thompson in vesicles secreted by Tetrahymena sp. compared with planktonic cells.  104^th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA, May, 2004.

 

Contact Information:

E-Mail:  sberk@tntech.edu

Personal Web Page

Full Vita

Mailing Address:

Tennessee Technological University
Water Resources Center
P.O. Box 5033
Cookeville, TN  38505

Telephone:  931-372-3451 (voice-mail available)

---