Erin M. Bertrand
PhD Student, MIT/WHOI Joint Program
Chemical Oceanography
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
360 Woods Hole Rd MS 51, Watson 115
Woods Hole, MA02543
(508) 289-2835
Education
BatesCollege, Lewiston, ME
Bachelor of Science, May, 2005
Double Major, Chemistry and Environmental Studies (Honors), GPA: 3.87/4.0,Magna Cum Laude
School for International Training,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Fall, 2003.
Coursework in Mongolian language, culture, development; Independent study in medicinal plant conservation.
Lewis S. MillsHigh School, Burlington, CT
Highest honors all semesters, National Honors Society, Graduated Salutatorian, 2001
Professional Experience
2006-present PhD Student, WHOI/MIT Joint Program in Chemical Oceanography
2005-2006 Research Assistant II, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Marine Chemistry and
Geochemistry Dept.
2005 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Summer Student Fellow
2003-2005 Research Assistant: Department of Chemistry, BatesCollege, Lewiston, ME
2003-2005 Teaching Assistant: Environmental Studies Program and Chemistry Department, Bates
College
2004 Research Assistant: Dept. of Biological and Environmental Engineering, CornellUniversity,
Ithaca, NY
2004 Campus Organizing Fellow: Envirocitizen, Boston, MA
Awards and Fellowships
2009 Ocean Ventures Fund Student Research Award- competitive internal grant for $13,800
2008 Coastal Ocean Institute Student Research award- competitive internal grant for $3,500
2007 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
2006 EPA STAR Fellowship
2006 Honorable Mention NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
2005 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Summer Student Fellowship
2005 Drake R. Bradley Award for excellence in Undergraduate Research at BatesCollege
2005 Bates College Chemistry Department Lawrence Award for Excellence in Research
2005 Maine Campus Compact Unsung Heroes Student Award for fostering community engagement
2004 NSF-DOE funded Environmental and Molecular Science Institute’s Center for Environmental
Bioinorganic ChemistryUndergraduate Summer Research Fellowship
2003 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowship
2002 Dana Scholarship for academic achievement, leadership and community service
Honors
Magna Cum Laude, BatesCollege
Honors in Chemistry and Environmental Studies, BatesCollege
Phi Beta Kappa, 2005
Sigma Xi, 2005
Publications
In Review. Iron Conservation by Reduction of Metalloenzyme Inventories in the Marine Diazotroph
Crocosphaerawatsonii.M. A. Saito, E. M. Bertrand,V. V. Bulygin, D. M. Moran, S.
Dutkiewicz, F. M. Monteiro, M. J. Follows, F. W. Valois, J. B.Waterbury. Science.
In Prep.Profiling vitamin B12 biosynthesis gene diversity in the Ross Sea: the identification of a
new group of polar B12-biosynthesizers by gene. E.M Bertrand, M.A.
Saito, Y.J. Jeon, B.A.NeilanEnvironmental Microbiology.
In Prep. Proteomics of vitamin B12 and iron colimitation in marine diatoms
E.M. Bertrand, Bulygin, V.,Saito, M.A. PLOS Biology.
2007. Vitamin B12 and iron co-limitation of phytoplankton growth in the RossSea.
E. M. Bertrand, Saito, M. A. Rose, J.M., Riesselman, C.R., Lohan, M.C., Noble, A.E.,
Lee, P.A., Ditullio, G.R. Limnology and Oceanography. 52 (3) 1079-1093
2007. Profiling Mechanisms of AlkaneHydroxylase ActivityIn Vivo Using the Diagnostic
Substrate Norcarane.Rozhkova-Novosad, E A., Chae, J.C., Zylstra, G.J., Bertrand, E.M.Alexander-Ozinskas, M., Deng, D., Moe, L.A., Groves, J.T.,Austin, R.N.Chemistry and Biology. 14: 165-172
2005 Reaction mechanisms of non-hemediironhydroxylases characterized in whole cells.
E. Bertrand, R. Sakai, E. Rozhkova-Novosad, L. Moe, B. G. Fox, J.T. Groves, R. N. Austin. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 99: 1998–2006
Talks and Posters Presented (From 2005)
February, 2010. Proteomics of iron and vitamin B12limitation and colimitation inmarine diatoms. Oral
presentation Ocean Science Meeting, Portland, OR
August, 2009. Proteomics of iron and vitamin B12limitation and colimitation inmarine diatoms.
Poster presentation, Chemical Oceanography Gordon Conference, Tilton, NH.
August, 2008. Profiling vitamin B12 biosynthesis gene diversity in the RossSea: the identification of a
new group of polar B12-biosynthesizers by genes. Poster presentation, ISME Meeting Cairns,
Australia.
June, 2008. Iron limitation of bacterial and phytoplankton growth in the RossSea:
Implications for Vitamin B12 cycling, uptake, and limitation. Poster presentation, Environmental Bioinorganic Chemistry Gordon Conference, Waterville Valley, NH.
October, 2007. Vitamin B12 and Cobalt in Phytoplankton Ecology: Insight from the Aureococcus
anophagefferensgenome. Invited talk, AureococcusanophagefferensGenome Jamboree,
South Hampton, NY.
September, 2007. Iron limitation of bacterial and phytoplankton growth in the RossSea:
Implications for Vitamin B12 cycling, uptake, and limitation. Poster presentation, 10th
Symposium on Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Faro, Portugal.
June, 2007. Vitamin B12 and iron colimitation in the RossSea, Antarctica. Invited talk, Center
for Environmental Bioinorganic Chemistry (CEBIC) Summer Conference 2007,
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
June, 2006. Contrasting vitamin B12 and cobalt uptake by the phytoplankton populations in the
Costa Rica Upwelling Dome. Poster presentation, ASLO Summer Meeting 2006
Victoria, British Columbia
June, 2005 “Substrate-based mechanistic inquiries into alkane hydroxylation by AlkB in
Pseudomonas putida GPo1 and uncharacterized alkanehydroxylases in bacteria from
deep-sea hydrothermal vents.” Invited talk, Center for Environmental Bioinorganic
Chemistry (CEBIC) Summer Conference 2005, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
March, 2005 “Mechanistic Studies of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Metalloenzymes in Pristine,
Polluted and Extreme Environments.” Poster presentation, Trace Metal Biogeochemistry
Session, Division of Geochemistry, American Chemical Society National Meeting, San
Diego, CA.
January, 2005 “Substrate-based mechanistic inquiries into alkane hydroxylation by AlkB in
Pseudomonas putida GPo1 and uncharacterized alkanehydroxylases in bacteria from
extreme environments.” Invited talk, Bioinorganic Chemistry Gordon Research Graduate
Research Seminar, Ventura, CA.
Educational and Community Service
Teaching Assistant for MIT/WHOI Joint Program class Marine Chemistry, Fall 2008
Under professors Scott Doney and Ben Van Mooy
Responsible for leading weekly recitation sessions, designing and grading problem sets.
Participation in cruise outreach projects communicating with elementary, high school, and
undergraduate students via the web while at sea:
Falmouth, MA Public School Science Fairs Judge, 2006- present
Volunteer, elementary school classrooms, Falmouth, MA Public Schools for “The Artistic
Oceanographer” program, 2006- present