Dr. Radu Popa

Dr. Radu Popa
Associate Professor
Department of Biology
Portland State University
http://www.rpopa.net/

CONTACT INFORMATION

Office: SB1 Room 529
Lab: SB1 Room 511
Phone Office: 503 725 9503
Phone Lab: 503 725 3804
Fax: 503 725 3888
Email: rpopa@pdx.edu

US MAIL

Portland State University
Department of Biology
P.O. Box 751
Portland OR 97207-0751

STREET ADDRESS

Portland State University
Department of Biology
1719 SW 10th
Portland, Oregon 97201

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

	Selected publications
	Professional activities

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Microbial ecology

	The life cycle of magnetic bacteria.
	The structure and evolution of microbial populations.

Geomicrobiology

	Microbial biosignatures in silicate minerals from Earth and Mars rocks.
	Microbial extremophiles (oligotrophs living in silicates at low pH in dH2O).

Astrobiology

	The connection between energy flux and the origin of order and complexity in prebiotic systems.
	The role of minerals in the origin of biochirality and information in prebiotic systems.

COURSES

	BI 480 Microbiology (spring and fall)
	BI 488 (microbiology laboratory) (spring and fall)
	BI 510 Global biogeochemistry (winter) Astrobiology / Xenobiology seminar (winter)

CURRICULUM VITAE

Education

	Post Doctoral: California Institute of Technology / Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA)
	Ph.D., University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)
	Ph.D., University of Bucharest (Romania)
	M.S., The American University (Washington, DC)

EDUCATION

Post.Doc. Advisor:	2000-2002, California Institute of Technology / Jet Propulsion Laboratory Dr. Kenneth H. Nealson
Ph.D. Microbiology Advisor:	1996-2000, Univ. of Cincinnati, Dept. Biology Dr. Brian K. Kinkle
Ph.D. Ecology Advisor:	1993-1998, Univ. of Bucharest, Dept. Ecology. Romania Dr. Angheluta Vadineanu
M.S. Evol. Biology Advisor:	1994-1996, The American University, Dept. Biology Dr. David Culver
B.A. Biology Advisor:	1979-1983, Univ. Bucharest, Romania Dr. Maria Suciu

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2005 -present	Associate Professor, Microbiology, Portland State University, Portland, OR.
2002-2005	Research Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
2000-2002	Post Doctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.
1986-1994	Research scientist, the Research Institutes of the Romanian Academy of Sciences, Romania.

LECTURES

2005	R. Popa, Searching for life in a Big ~EBig Universe, Syposium Omnis Celula, Univ. Barcelona, Spain, 12/1.
2005	R. Popa, Evolutionary crossroads (from the origin of life to geomicrobiology), Carnegie Inst., Washington D.C., 4/4/.
2005	R. Popa, Biominerals - the "missing link" between the origin of life and exobiology? ISSM-ISEB Conference, Jackson,WY., 08/14-19.
2005	R. Popa, Evolutionary crossroads, (from the origin of life to geo-microbiology), Portland State University, OR.
2005	R. Popa, Microbes, the true Dwarfs of Moria, (miners, masons and chemists of the underworld), Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.
2005	R. Popa, The sequential origin of biochirality, Gordon Conference, Origin of life, 01/16-20/2005, Ventura, CA.
2004	R. Popa, Mechanisms of magnetite biomineralization, Sediment Nanomagnetism Workshop, Univ. Minnesota, MN.
2004	R. Popa, Biomineralization: between theory and practice, Central Institute of Biology, Romania.
2004	R. Popa, The crystal face of life, University of California, Merced, CA.
2004	M.R. Fisk, R. Popa, M.C. Storrie-Lombardi and E.P. Vincenzi, Olivine alteration on Earth and Mars, 35th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, USA.
2003	R. Popa, Astrobiology: The science and practice of a material independent vision of life, SCASM 67th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
2003	R. Popa, Searching for molecular fossils of the primal bio-mineral connection, Earth Sciences, Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
2003	R. Popa, Molecular fossils of the primal bio-mineral connection - crystals and life, the two non-parallel worlds. Univ. Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
2003	R. Popa, The new science of geobiology and applications in astrobiology, AGOURON-Geobiology, Catalina, CA.
2003	R. Popa, Connections between geobiology, astrobiology and microcrystalline nanotechnologies, McNeer scholar program, Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
2003	K.H. Nealson and R. Popa, Microbial Magnetite Formation: Interaction of Biotic and Abiotic Factors, EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly, France.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

	American Society of Microbiology
	International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life
	Geological Society of America
	American Geophysical Union

REVIEW PANELS

2004-present	Scientific reviewer Environmental Forensics
2004-present	Scientific reviewer grant applications CNCSIS, Romania
2003-present	Scientific Reviewer, Applied and Environmental Microbiology
2003-Present	Scientific Reviewer, National Geographic, Romania

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

Books and book chapters

2005	Nealson K.H. and R. Popa, Metabolic diversity in the microbial world: relevance to exobiology, In: Gadd G.M., K.T. Temple and H.M. Lapin-Scott (eds.), 65th Symposium of the Society for General Microbiology, Micro-organisms and Earth Systems, Advances in Geomicrobiology, 151-171, Cambridge University Press.
2005	Nealson K.H. and R. Popa, Introduction and Overview: What do we know for sure? Chapter 1. in Lüttge A. and R. Rye (eds.), Quantitative Approaches Towards Biogeochemistry: Processes, Scaling, and Interfaces, American Journal of Science, Yale University, New Haven, 500 p.
2004	Popa R., Between Necessity and Probability: Searching for the Definition and Origin of Life, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.
1995	Zeller N. and R. Popa, 1995, General Biology I - Laboratory Manual, Chapters 3 and 4, Enzymes: Assays with salivary amylase; Respiration and fermentation, 33-46, The American University, Washington DC.
1994	Danielopol, D.L., M. Creuzé des Châtelliers, F. Moeszlacher, P. Pospisil and R. Popa, Adaptation of Crustacea to interstitial habitats: a practical agenda for ecological studies, in Gibert J., D.L. Danielopol and J.A. Stanford (eds.), Groundwater Ecology, Academic Press, 8:218-243.
1992	Sarbu S.M. and R. Popa, A unique chemoautotrophically based cave ecosystem, in A.I. Camacho (ed.), The Natural History of Biospeleology, 7:637-666, Madrid.

Selected list of published articles

2006	Popa R., K.H. Nealson, and D. Capone, Follow the nitrogen; A mantra that makes geobiological sense! (Science, in press).
2006	Fisk M.R., R. Popa, O.U. Mason, M.C. Storrie-Lombardi, and E.P. Vincenzi, Iron-magnesium silicate bioweathering on Earth (and Mars?), (Astrobiology, in press).
2005	Abboud R., R. Popa, V. Souza-Egipsy, C.S. Giometti, S. Tollaksen, J.J. Mosher, R.H. Findlay and K.H. Nealson, Low temperature growth of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71:811-816.
2004	Kus E., R. Abboud, R. Popa, K. Nealson and F. Mansfeld, The concept of bacterial battery, Corrosion Science, 47:1063-1069.
2004	Popa R. and B.K. Kinkle, Controlled Mineralization of Pyrite by Thiomonas thermosulfatus str.51, Geomicrobiol. J., 21:193-206.
2004	Popa R., A. Badescu and B.K. Kinkle, Pyrite framboids as biomarkers for iron-sulfur systems, Geomicrobiol. J. 21:1-14.
2003	Fisk M.R., M.C. Storrie-Lombardi, S. Douglas, G.D. McDonald, R. Popa and A.I. Tsapin, Evidence of Biological Activity in Hawaiian Subsurface Basalts, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys, 4:1525-2027.
2003	R. Popa, The Moon and the Origin of Life, Omnis Cellula, University of Barcelona, Spain.
2002	Cox L, R. Popa, K.H. Nealson and D. Bazylinsky, Organization of P-, S- and Fe-inclusions in a freshwater Magnetococcus, Geomicrobiol. J., 19:387-406.

Selected list of posters

2005	Kus E., R. Abboud, R. Popa, K.H. Nealson and F. Mansfeld, An electrochemical evaluation of the bacterial battery, 208th meeting of the Electrochemical society, Oct 16-21, Los Angeles.
2005	C. Drennen, R. Popa and K.H. Nealson, Biogeochemistry of phosphorus exchange in magnetic bacteria, 2nd Annual Southern California Geobioloy Symposium, Apr. 23, USC.
2005	H. Harris, R. Popa, K.H. Nealson, M. Romine and Jim Fredrickson, Screening deletion mutants for optimizing microbial fuel cells, 2nd Annual Southern California Geobioloy Symposium, Apr. 23, USC.
2005	D. Kwok and R. Popa, The effect of magnetic fields on Shewanella cells, 2nd Annual Southern California Geobioloy Symposium, Apr. 23, USC.
2004	R. Popa, R.T. Schelble, S. Douglas and K.H. Nealson, Searching for biosignatures in pyrite framboids, AGU Fall Meeting, Dec 13-17, San Francisco.
2004	R. Popa, D. Kwok, L. Lam, A. Aggarwal, V. Souza Egipsy and K.H. Nealson, Stress-Induced Dwarf Magnetosomes at the Superparamagnetic-Single Domain Boundary, 104th ASM General meeting.
2004	R. Popa, C. Takehana, C. Tse, V. Chen and K.H. Nealson, The Triple Guidance System of Magnetic Bacteria, 104th ASM General meeting.
2004	R. Popa, K. Cheng and G. Lamielle, Coupling the Periodic Life Cycle of Marine Magnetococci with the Nutrient Cycles, 104th ASM General meeting.
2003	Schelble, R.T., R. Popa, S. Douglas, K.H. Nealson, Pyrite Framboids: A possible biosignature for the study of ancient sediments, AGU General Meeting, Dec 13-17, San Francisco,.
2003	Popa R., K.H. Nealson, M. Fisk and V. Souza-Egipsy, Micron-size tunnels in olivines as biosignatures in basaltic lava, 3rd European Workshop on Exo/Astrobiology, Madrid.
2003	Nash C.Z., R. Popa, L.E. Bertani, M. Andrews and J.L. Kirschvink, Extremophilic magnetotactic Archea and the evolution of magnetotaxis, Gordon Research Conference, Origin of Life, Lewiston, ME.
2003	Lam L., D. Kwok, A. Aggarwal, R. Popa and K.H. Nealson, Physical interference upon magnetite biogenesis in Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum AMB1, CEA-CREST, 4th Annual Env. Sci. Conf., Pasadena, CA.
2003	Tse C., C. Takehana, V. Chen, R. Popa and K.H. Nealson, Effect of sulfide sensitivity on migration patterns in magnetic bacteria, CEA-CREST, 4th Annual Environmental Science Conference, Pasadena, CA.