Ally Soren | Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Head Technician

Research Labs

Phone

443-482-2369

Biography

As an environmental research technician for the past 9 years, I have had an active role in many various research projects, most of which centered on the biogeochemistry of wetlands and the part they play in climate change. The Microbial Ecology lab is dedicated to gaining a better understanding of the controls of microbial mercury-methylation, in addition to working to help create solutions for mercury contamination.

Publications

Gilmour, Cynthia C., Soren, Ally Bullock, Gionfriddo, Caitlin M., Podar, Mircea, Wall, Judy D., Brown, Steven D., Michener, Joshua K., Urriza, Maria Soledad Goni and Elias, Dwayne A. (2021). Pseudodesulfovibrio mercurii sp. nov., a mercury- methylating bacterium isolated from sediment . International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 71 (3) https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004697
Podar, Peter T., Peyton, Kellie, Soren, Ally, Wilpiszeski, Regina L., Gilmour, Cynthia C., Elias, Dwayne A. and Podar, Mircea. (2021). Complete Genome Sequence of Desulfobulbus oligotrophicus Prop6, an Anaerobic Deltabacterota Strain That Lacks Mercury Methylation Capability . Microbiology Resource Announcements, 10 (5) https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00002-21
Gionfriddo, Caitlin M., Wymore, Ann M., Jones, Daniel S., Wilpiszeski, Regina L., Lynes, Mackenzie M., Christensen, Geoff A., Soren, Ally, Gilmour, Cynthia C., Podar, Mircea and Elias, Dwayne A. (2020). An Improved hgcAB Primer Set and Direct High-Throughput Sequencing Expand Hg-Methylator Diversity in Nature . Frontiers in Microbiology, 11 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.541554
Gilmour, Cynthia C., Bullock, Allyson L., McBurney, Alyssa, Podar, Mircea and Elias, Dwayne A. (2018). Robust Mercury Methylation across Diverse Methanogenic Archaea . mBio, 9 (2) https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02403-17
Gilmour, Cynthia, Bell, James Tyler, Soren, Ally Bullock, Riedel, Georgia, Riedel, Gerhardt, Kopec, A. D. and Bodaly, R. A. (2018). Distribution and biogeochemical controls on net methylmercury production in Penobscot River marshes and sediment. Science of The Total Environment, 640-641 , 555-569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.276
Gilmour, Cynthia C., Bell, Tyler, Soren, Ally, Riedel, Georgia, Riedel, Gerhardt, Kopec, Dianne, Bodaly, Drew and Ghosh, Upal. (2017). Activated carbon thin-layer placement as an in situ mercury remediation tool in a Penobscot River salt marsh. The Science of the total environment, 621 , 839-848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.050
Christensen, Geoff A., Wymore, Ann M., King, Andrew J., Podar, Mircea, Hurt, Richard A., Santillan, Eugenio U., Soren, Ally, Brandt, Craig C., Brown, Steven D., Palumbo, Anthony V., Wall, Judy D., Gilmour, Cynthia C. and Elias, Dwayne A. (2016). Development and Validation of Broad-Range Qualitative and Clade-Specific Quantitative Molecular Probes for Assessing Mercury Methylation in the Environment. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82 (19) , 6068-6078. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01271-16
Podar, Mircea, Gilmour, Cynthia C., Brandt, Craig C., Soren, Allyson, Brown, Steven D., Crable, Bryan R., Palumbo, Anthony V., Somenahally, Anil C. and Elias, Dwayne A. (2015). Global prevalence and distribution of genes and microorganisms involved in mercury methylation . Science Advances, 1 (9) https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500675
Bullock, Allyson L., Sutton-Grier, Ariana E. and Megonigal, J. Patrick. (2013). Anaerobic Metabolism in Tidal Freshwater Wetlands: III. Temperature Regulation of Iron Cycling . Estuaries and Coasts, 36 (3) , 482-490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9536-5
Gilmour, Cynthia C., Podar, Mircea, Bullock, Allyson L., Graham, Andrew M., Brown, Steven D., Somenahally, Anil C., Johs, Alex, Hurt, Richard A., Bailey, Kathryn L. and Elias, Dwayne A. (2013). Mercury Methylation by Novel Microorganisms from New Environments . Environmental science & technology, 47 (20) , 11810-11820. https://doi.org/10.1021/es403075t
Keller, Jason K., Sutton-Grier, Ariana E., Bullock, Allyson L. and Megonigal, J. Patrick. (2013). Anaerobic Metabolism in Tidal Freshwater Wetlands: I. Plant Removal Effects on Iron Reduction and Methanogenesis . Estuaries and Coasts, 36 (3) , 457-470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9527-6
Graham, Andrew M., Bullock, Allyson L., Maizel, Andrew C., Elias, Dwayne A. and Gilmour, Cynthia C. (2012). A Detailed Assessment of the Kinetics of Hg-Cell Association, Hg Methylation, and MeHg Degradation in Several Desulfovibrio Species. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78 , 7337-7346. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01792-12