People | George W. Luther

• B.A., Chemistry, La Salle College, .
• Ph.D., Physical-Inorganic Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, .

My interests cover a wide range of areas including redox reactions in the environment, trace element speciation in marine waters and sediments including metal-ligand complexes, biogeochemical processes in marine environments, application of molecular orbital theory to geochemical processes, in situ electrochemistry and microelectrode technology.

Our group also emphasizes research that interfaces chemistry with biology with the view that chemistry drives biology.

• NASA Astrobiology Institute-BIOsphere of Mars: Ancient and Recent Studies (BioMARS). Subcontract from the University of California, Berkeley (Jillian Banfield, PI, University of California, Berkeley; David Emerson, ATCC, and Eric Roden from the University of Wisconsin-Madison).
• Metal sulfur complexes; metal sulfide multinuclear clusters and nanoparticles in the marine environment (David Rickard, University of Cardiff).
• Development of In situ redox sensor and microelectrode technology for the determination of biologically relevant species in sediments, waters and cultures (with Donald Nuzzio, Analytical Instrument Systems, Inc.; Bjorn Sundby, McGill University and Martial Taillefert, Georgia Institute of Technology).
• Sulfur and iron biogeochemistry at hydrothermal vents using in situ microelectrodes (with Tim Shank, WHOI; Rich Lutz, Rutgers University; Peter Girguis, Harvard University; and Chuck Fisher, Penn State). 
   
  Check out our  LAU Research Cruise:  May 16 - June 6, 2009
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• Anoxic environment research (Black Sea) with James Murray, Univ. of WA; Brad Tebo, Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Sergey Konovalov, Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Ukraine); Chesapeake Bay; Inland Bays of Delaware; Lakes.
• Metal speciation in the environment. Some of this work is done in conjunction with the Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment. (CSME)

• Amy Gartman, M.S. Student, (B.S., 2008, New York University) agartman@udel.edu
• Andrew Madison, M.S. student, (B.S., 2007, University of Delaware) amadison@udel.edu
• Katherine M. Mullaugh, Ph.D. student (B.S., 2004, Allegheny College) mullaugh@udel.edu
• Heather Nees, M.S. student (B.S., 2006, Muskingum College) hnees@udel.edu
• Mustafa Yucel, Ph.D. student (B.S., 2005, Middle East Technical University) - Ocean dynamics, climate, marine geochemistry and paleoceanography. myucel@udel.edu
• Christopher Janzen, Visiting Scholar from Susquehanna University. (Ph.D., Texas A&M University) janzen@susqu.edu
• Sergey Konovalov, Visiting Scholar from Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Ukraine. (Ph.D., Moscow State  University) - He is working with Dr. Luther's research group on the chemistry of the Black Sea. ocean@alpha.mhi.iuf.net

Marine Inorganic Chemistry (MAST850); Chemical Oceanography (MAST646); Electrochemistry Techniques. I have advised students in both the Oceanography program and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Course Info   Grad Office

Moore, T.S., K.M. Mullaugh, R.R. Holyoke, A.S. Madison, M. Yücel and G.W. Luther, III.  2009.  Marine chemical technology and sensors for marine waters:  potentials and limits.  Annual Reviews in Marine Science 1, 91-115.

Crespo-Medina, M., A.D. Chatziefthimiou, N.S. Bloom, G.W. Luther, III, D.D. Wright, J.R. Reinfelder, C. Vetriani and T. Barkay.  2009.  Adaptation of Chemosythetic microorganisms to elevated mercury concentrations in deep-sea hydrothermal vents.  Limnology and Oceanography 54, 41-49.

Clement, B.G., G.W. Luther, III and B.M. Tebo.  2009.  Rapid, oxygen-dependent microbial Mn(II) oxidation kinetics at sub-micromolar oxygen concentrations in the Black Sea suboxic zone.  Geochimical Cosmochimica Acta 73, 1878-1889.

Luther, III, G.W., B.T. Glazer, S. Ma, R.E. Trouwborst, T.S. Moore, E. Metzger, C. Kraiya, T.J. Waite, G. Druschel, B. Sundby, M. Taillefert, D.B. Nuzzio, T.M. Shank, B.L. Lewis and P.J. Brendel.  2008.  Use of voltammetric solid-state (micro)electrodes for studying biogeochemical processes:  laboratory measurements to real time measurements with an in situ electrochemical analyzer (ISEA).  Marine Chemistry 108, 221-235.

Ma, S., G.W. Luther, III, J. Keller, A.S. Madison, E. Metzger, J.P. Megonigal and D. Emerson.  2008.  Solid-state Au/Hg Microelectrode for the investigating of Fe and Mn cycling in a freshwater wetland:  implications for methane production.  Electroanalysis 20, 233-239.

Mullaugh, K.M., G.W. Luther, III, S. Ma, T.S. Moore, M. Yücel, E. Becker, E. Powdoski, C.R. Fisher, R.E. Trouwborst and B.K. Pierson.  2008.  Voltammetric (micro)electrodes for the in situ study of Fe2  oxidation kinetics in hot springs and S₂O32- production at hydrothermal vents.  Electroanalysis 20, 280-290.

Waite, T. J. , T. S. Moore, J. J. Childress, H. Hsu-Kim, K. M. Mullaugh, D. B. Nuzzio,A. N. Paschal, J. Tsang, C. R. Fisher and G. W. Luther, III.  2008. Thiosulfate at hydrothermal vents and redox-driven community structure. Journal of Shellfish Research 27, 163-168.

Nees, H.A., T. S. Moore, K. M. Mullaugh, R. R. Holyoke, C. P. Janzen, S. Ma, E. Metzger, T. J. Waite, M. Yücel, R. A. Lutz, T. M. Shank, C. Vetriani, D. B. Nuzzio and G. W. Luther, III. 2008. Mussel habitat chemistry at 9°50’ north east Pacific Rise, pre- & post-eruption. Journal of Shellfish Research 27, 169-175.

Lutz, R. A., T. M. Shank, G. W. Luther, III, C. Vetriani, M. Tolstoy, D. B. Nuzzio, T. S. Moore, F. Waldhauser, M. Crespo-Medina, A. Chatziefthimou, E. R. Annis, and A. J. Reed. 2008. Interrelationships between vent fluid chemistry, temperature, seismic activity and biological community structure at a mussel-dominated, deep-sea hydrothermal vent along the East Pacific Rise. Journal of Shellfish Research 27, 177-190.

Küepper, F.C.,L. J. Carpenter, G. B. McFiggans, C. J. Palmer, T. J. Waite, E.-M. Boneberg, S. Woitsch, M. Weiller, R. Abela, D. Grolimund, P. Potin, A. Butler, G. W. Luther III, P. M.H. Kroneck, W. Meyer-Klaucke, and M. C. Feiters. 2008. Iodide accumulation provides kelp with an inorganic antioxidant impacting atmospheric chemistry. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 105, 6954-6958

Luther, III, G.W. and E.A. Boyle.  2007.  Introduction:  Chemical Oceanography.  Chemical Reviews 107, 302-307.

Rickard, D. and G.W. Luther, III.  2007.  Chemistry of Iron Sulfides. Chemical Reviews 107, 514-562.

Rentz, J. A., C. Kraiya, G. W. Luther, III and D. Emerson. 2007. Control of ferrous iron oxidation within circumneutral microbial iron mats by cellular activity and autocatalysis. Environmental Science & Technology 41, 6084-6089.

Lewis, B.L., B.T. Glazer, P.J. Montbriand, G.W. Luther, III, D.B. Nuzzio, T. Deering, S. Ma and S. Theberge.  2007.  Short-term and interannual variability of redox-sensitive chemical parameters in hypoxic/anoxic bottom waters of the Chesapeake Bay.  Marine Chemistry, 105, 296-308.

Ma, S., G.W. Luther, III, R.W. Scarborough and M.G. Mensinger.  2007.  Voltammetry:  an in situ tool to monitor the health of ecosystems.  Electroanalysis 19,2051-2058.

Moore, T.S., D.B. Nuzzio, T.W. Deering and G.W. Luther, III.  2007.  Use of voltammetry to monitor O₂ using Au/Hg electrodes and to control physical sensors on an unattended observatory in the Delaware Bay.  Electroanalysis 19, 2110-2116. 

Trouwborst, R.E., A. Johnston, G. Koch, G.W. Luther, III and B.K. Pierson.  2007.  Biogeochemistry of Fe(II) oxidation in a photosynthetic microbial mat:  Implications for Precambrian Fe(II) oxidation.  Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 71, 4629-4643.  10.1016/j.gca.2007.07.018.

Konovalov, S.K., G.W. Luther, III and M. Yucel.  2007.  Porewater redox species and processes in the Black Sea sediments.  Chemical Geology 245, 254-274.

Complete Publication List

• Elizabeth Tsamakis , Oceanography (M.S., 1991), Laboratory Coordinator, Dept. of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. elitsa143@yahoo.com
• Joel Kostka, Marine Biosciences (Ph.D., 1992), Assistant Professor, Florida State University, Dept. of Oceanography, Tallahassee, FL. jkostka@ocean.fsu.edu
• Stephen Skrabal, Oceanography (Ph.D., 1993), Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC. skrabals@uncwil.edu
• Caroline Burkhard, Oceanography (M.S., 1994), Laboratory Instructor, Chemistry Department, Swarthmore College. cburkha1@swarthmore.edu
• Timothy Ferdelman, Oceanography (Ph.D., 1994), Research Associate, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany. tferdelm@mpi-bremen.de
• Paul Brendel, Analytical Chemistry (Ph.D., 1995), Honors Chemistry Teacher, Ward Melville High School, 380 Old Town Road, East Setauket, NY.
• Jingfeng Wu, Oceanography (Ph.D., 1995), Associate Professor, University of Alaska, International Arctic Research Center, Fairbanks, AK jwu@iarc.uaf.edu
• Stephen Theberge, Analytical Chemistry (Ph.D., 1999), Assistant Professor and Co-Director, Environmental Science, Merrimack College, Dept. of Chemistry, N. Andover, MA. STheberge@merrimack.edu
• David Ruppel, Oceanography (M.S., 1999), Ball Aerospace, Boulder, CO. druppel@ball.com
• Jeannette Popp, Oceanography (M.S., 1999), Aquatic Scientist, Anchor Environmental, Oakland, CA.
• Anna Farrenkopf, Oceanography (Ph.D., 2000), Eco Chemie B.V., Kanaalweb 29/G, 3526 KM Utrecht, The Netherlands. anna@ecochemie.nl
• Brian Glazer, Marine Biosciences (Ph.D., 2004), Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii, Department of Oceanography, 205 Marine Sciences Bldg., 1000 Pope Rd. Honolulu, HI. glazer@hawaii.edu
• Robert Trouwborst, Oceanography (Ph.D.,2006), Research Scientist Geochemistry, Deltares Institute.  robert.trouwborst@tno.nl
• Shufen "Sophie" Ma,  Oceanography (Ph.D, 2006) and Postdoctoral fellow.  Post Doc., University of California-Berkeley.  sfma@berkeley.edu
• Tommy Moore, Oceanography (Ph.D. , 2008) Department of Chemistry, University of Montana.  Tommy.Moore@mso.umt.edu
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• Charoenkwan Kraiya, Assistant Professor, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. kraiya@hotmail.com
• Karen Perry, Associate Professor, Okanagan University College, Chemistry Department, Ohanagan, British Columbia, Canada. karen.perry@ubc.ca
• Brent Lewis, Associate Professor, Coastal Carolina University, Marine Science Department. blewis@coastal.edu
• Martial Taillefert, Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia. mtaillef@eas.gatech.edu
• Gregory K. Druschel, Assistant Professor, University of Vermont, Department of Geology (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin). Gregory.Druschel@uvm.edu
• Amy Witter, Assistant Professor, Dickinson College (Ph.D., University of California, Davis) witter@dickinson.edu
• Heileen Hsu-Kim, Assistant Professor, Duke University, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. hsukim@duke.edu
• Edouard Metzger, Postdoctoral Fellow (Ph.D., Université Denis Diderot-Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris) edouard.metzger@univ-angers.fr
• Tim Rozan,  Assistant Professor, Environmental Chemistry, Department of Physical Sciences, Kutztown University.  (Ph.D. Yale University) rozan@kutztown.edu
• Jeffrey Tsang, Postdoctoral Fellow (Ph.D., Northern Territory University, Darwin, Australia) - Metal and sulfur geochemistry in the aquatic environment. jtsangj@hotmail.com
• Tim Waite, Science Teacher, Mariner Middle School, Cape Henlopen School District, Milton, DE. TWaite@cape.k12.de.us
• Rebecca Holyoke, Policy Analyst Fellowship, National Marine Sanctuaries Program (National Ocean Service, NOAA). rrholyoke@gmail.com