Assistant Professor, Ph.D.

 

Ph.D. 2010, Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. B.S. 2004, Biology, Minor in Chemistry and Physics, magna cum laude, Montana State University-Billings, Billings, MT. 

My research program is focused on applied and basic research related to the role of soil microorganisms in improving soil quality and crop performance. My responsibilities include developing a program that improves our understanding of microbial impacts on agronomic performance of dryland crops in central Montana and evaluating the potential for seed and soil-applied microorganisms to alleviate plant stresses, increase plant growth and yield for crops. In addition, I am responsible for managing the cereal crop variety testing program and contributing to forage crop research efforts.

Publications (last five years):

1. Eberly, J.O., Mayo, M.L., Carr, M.R., Crocker, F.H., and Indest, K.J. (2019) Detection of hexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) with a microbial sensor. J Gen Appl Microbiol

2. Mavrodi, O.V., Jung, C.M., Eberly, J.O., Hendry, S.V., Namjilsuren, S., Biber, P.D., Indest, K.J., and Mavrodi, D.V. (2018) Rhizosphere Microbial Communities of Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus From Restored and Natural Tidal Marshes on Deer Island, Mississippi. Front. Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.03049

3. Indest, K. J., Hancock, D. E., Crocker, F. C., Eberly, J. O., Jung, C. M., Blakeney, G.A., Brame, J., and Chappell, M. (2017) Biodegradation of insensitive munition formulations IMX101 and IMX104 in surface soils. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 44:987-995. doi: 10.1007/s10295-017-1930-3

4. Eberly, J. O., Indest, K. J., Hancock, D. E., Jung, C. M., Crocker, F. H. (2016) Metagenomic analysis of denitrifying wastewater enrichment cultures able to transform the explosive, 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO). J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2016, 1-11.

5. Indest, K. J., Eberly, J. O., Hancock, D. E., Jung, C. M., Carr, M. R., Blakeney, G. A. (2016) Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 TadA-homolog deletion mutants accumulate less polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) than the parental strain. J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol.

6. Indest, Karl, J., Eberly, Jed O., Hancock, Dawn E. (2015) Expression and Characterization of an N-oxygenase from Rhodococcus jostii RHAI. Journal of General and Applied Microbiology, Volume 61, 217-223

7. Indest, Karl J., Eberly, Jed O, Ringelberg, David B., & Hancock, Dawn E. (2014) The effects of putative lipase and wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase gene knockouts on triacylglycerol accumulation in Gordonia sp. KTR9. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, Volume 42, Issue 2, pp 219-227

8. Eberly, Jed. O., Ringelberg, David. B., & Indest, Karl. J. (2013) Physiological characterization of lipid accumulation and in vivo ester formation in Gordonia sp. KTR9. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, Volume 40, Issue 2, pp 201-208.

9. Indest, Karl J., Hancock, Dawn E., Jung, Carina M., Eberly, Jed O., Mohn, William W., Eltis, Lindsay D., and Crocker, Fiona H (2013) The role of nitrogen limitation in the transformation of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) by Gordonia sp. KTR9. Applied and Environmental Microbiology vol. 79 no. 5 1746-1750.

10. Eberly, Jed O. and Roger L. Ely. (2012) Photosynthetic accumulation of carbon storage compounds under CO 2 enrichment by the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol. 39:843-850

 

Recent Grants

2019

1. The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee.  Assessing agronomic practices to advance cereal production in Montana.  J.O. Eberly (PI). $35,000

2. Brewers Association. Winter and Spring 2 row Malt for Conventional and Organic Systems.

3. NCR SARE. Using native rhizobia to create a drought-resilient field pea production system.

2018

1. The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee.  Assessing agronomic practices to advance cereal production in Montana.  J.O. Eberly (PI). $35,000

2016

1. US Army Basic Research Program, Environmental Quality Focus Area “Epigenetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity induced by multiple abiotic stressors: harsh environment and insensitive munitions.”

2. ERDC Environmental Quality Focus Area, “Assessing the Environmental Impact of Synthetic Biology”.

3. ERDC Aquatic Plant Control Research Program, work unit title “Strategies for early detection of harmful algal blooms and predicting toxin release: Linking hyperspectral imaging to molecular techniques”.

4. US Army Basic Research Program, Environmental Quality Focus Area “Leveraging nature’s horizontal gene transfer (HGT) pathways to enhance in situ bioremediation potential.”

5. “Terrestrial Biogeochemical Processes in the Arctic/Subarctic.” Microbial Ecology Work Unit.

2015

1. ERDC Aquatic Plant Control Research Program, work unit title “Reducing eutrophication and the prevalence of harmful algal blooms”.

2014

1. US Army Basic Research Program, Environmental Quality Focus Area “Implications of signal timing and detection limits for routing efficacy of biological networks.”

2013

1. US Army Basic Research Program, Environmental Quality Focus Area “Engineered polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) materials: functionalized platforms for novel sensor development.”

2012

1. US Army Basic Research Program, Environmental Quality Focus Area “Riboswitch mediated signaling: a synthetic biology approach to developing microbial biosensors for detecting environmental contaminants.”

Patents

2014: Patent application submitted. “RNA aptamer specifically binding to RDX and use thereof”.