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Energy and Environment Directorate

Andy Plymale

Andy Plymale

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
PO Box 999
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 371-7828

Biography

Andrew Plymale has been conducting research at the nexus of geochemistry and microbiology for over 30 years. His experience includes work with soils, subsurface sediments, groundwater, hypersaline microbial mats, and in vitro pure and mixed microbial cultures. Andrew’s research at PNNL has included studies of the biotic and abiotic formation and dissolution of radionuclide minerals, the physiology and ecology of phototrophic and chemoautotrophic microorganisms, and the toxicity of groundwater contaminants to native populations of bacteria. Andrew has co-authored over 25 peer-reviewed journal articles on subsurface contaminant biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and related fields.

Research Interests

  • radiochemistry
  • geochemistry of radionuclides and heavy metals
  • biogeochemistry
  • anaerobic microbiology
  • microbial ecology and physiology
  • technical and scientific communication
  • glass biocorrosion and mineral bioweathering

Education and Credentials

  • B.S., Agronomy (soil science), The Ohio State University, 1985
  • M.S., Technical Communication, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1991

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • American Society for Microbiology
  • The Geochemical Society
  • American Chemical Society

Awards and Recognitions

  • Microbial methods of reducing technetium, US patent 6,218,171. Wildung, RE, TR Garland, YA Gorby, NJ Hess, SW Li, and AE Plymale. Issued April 7, 2001.

PNNL Publications

2025

  • Parker G.D., A.E. Plymale, L. Hanley, and X. Yu. 2025. "ToF-SIMS spectral analysis of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 biofilms." Results in Surfaces and Interfaces 18, no. _:Art. No. 100396. PNNL-SA-203069. doi:10.1016/j.rsurfi.2024.100396

2024

  • Asmussen R.M., C.E. Bagwell, D.R. Dixon, L.R. Hare, S.K. Johansen, C.D. Johnson, and P.D. Meyer, et al. 2024. Nitrate and Nitrite at Hanford - From Tanks to Natural Attenuation. PNNL-35629. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Nitrate and Nitrite at Hanford - From Tanks to Natural Attenuation
  • Thorpe C., R. Crawford, R.J. Hand, J. Radford, C.L. Corkhill, C.I. Pearce, and J.J. Neeway, et al. 2024. "Microbial interactions with phosphorus containing glasses representative of vitrified radioactive waste." Journal of Hazardous Materials 462. PNNL-SA-189634. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132667

2023

  • Zhang Y., A.E. Plymale, J. Son, Q. Huang, W. Chen, and X. Yu. 2023. "Reducing the matrix effect in mass spectral imaging of biofilms using flow-cell culture." Frontiers in Chemistry 11. PNNL-SA-185317. doi:10.3389/fchem.2023.1203314

2022

  • Doll C.G., A.E. Plymale, C.J. Thompson, M.J. O'Hara, and M.V. Olarte. 2022. Determination of Biogenic Content by 14C in fuels using Liquid Scintillation Analysis Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP). PNNL-32719. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Determination of Biogenic Content by 14C in fuels using Liquid Scintillation Analysis Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP)
  • Perez L., R. Parashar, A.E. Plymale, and T.D. Scheibe. 2022. "Contributions of biofilm-induced flow heterogeneities to solute retention and anomalous transport features in porous media." Water Research 209. PNNL-SA-164581. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2021.117896

2021

  • Doll C.G., A.E. Plymale, A. Cooper, I.V. Kutnyakov, M.S. Swita, T.L. Lemmon, and M.V. Olarte, et al. 2021. "Determination of low-level biogenic gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel in blends using the direct liquid scintillation counting method for 14C content." Fuel 291. PNNL-SA-157538. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2020.120084
  • Emerson H.P., C.I. Pearce, C.H. Delegard, K.J. Cantrell, M. Snyder, M. Thomas, and B.N. Gartman, et al. 2021. "Influences on Subsurface Plutonium and Americium Migration." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 5, no. 2:279-294. PNNL-SA-147891. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00277
  • Plymale A.E., J.R. Wells, C.I. Pearce, C.J. Brislawn, E.B. Graham, T. Cheeke, and J.L. Allen, et al. 2021. "Niche partitioning of microbial communities at an ancient vitrified hillfort: implications for vitrified radioactive waste disposal." Geomicrobiology Journal 38, no. 1:36-56. PNNL-SA-150253. doi:10.1080/01490451.2020.1807658

2020

  • Pearce C.I., E. Cordova, W.L. Garcia, S.A. Saslow, K.J. Cantrell, J.W. Morad, and O. Qafoku, et al. 2020. "Evaluation of materials for iodine and technetium immobilization through sorption and redox-driven processes." Science of the Total Environment 716. PNNL-SA-138462. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136167
  • Sveistyte A., T.M. Gibbins, K.J. Tyrrell, C.J. Miller, M.H. Foley, A.E. Plymale, and A.T. Wright, et al. 2020. "Simple analysis of primary and secondary bile salt hydrolysis in mouse and human gut microbiome samples using fluorogenic substrates." Chembiochem 21, no. 24:3539-3543. PNNL-SA-152472. doi:10.1002/cbic.202000370
  • Wei W., A.E. Plymale, Z. Zhu, X. Ma, F. Liu, and X. Yu. 2020. "In Vivo Molecular Insights into Syntrophic Geobacter Aggregates." Analytical Chemistry 92, no. 15:10402-10411. PNNL-SA-151938. doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00653

2019

  • Yang X., R. Parashar, N. Sund, A.E. Plymale, T.D. Scheibe, D. Hu, and R.T. Kelly. 2019. "On Modeling Ensemble Transport of Metal Reducing Motile Bacteria." Scientific Reports 9. PNNL-SA-134947. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-51271-0

2018

  • Pearce C.I., R.J. Serne, S.A. Saslow, W. Um, R.M. Asmussen, M.D. Miller, and O. Qafoku, et al. 2018. "Characterizing Technetium in Subsurface Sediments for Contaminant Remediation." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 2, no. 11:1145-1160. PNNL-SA-130781. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.8b00077
  • Plymale A.E., J.R. Wells, E.B. Graham, O. Qafoku, S.M. Brooks, and B.D. Lee. 2018. "Bacterial productivity in a ferrocyanide-contaminated aquifer at a nuclear waste site." Water 10, no. 8:Article No. 1072. PNNL-SA-135770. doi:10.3390/w10081072

2017

  • Geng T., C.R. Smallwood, E.L. Bredeweg, K.R. Pomraning, A.E. Plymale, S.E. Baker, and J.E. Evans, et al. 2017. "Multimodal Microfluidic Platform for Controlled Culture and Analysis of Unicellular Organisms." Biomicrofluidics 11, no. 5:054104. PNNL-SA-129125. doi:10.1063/1.4986533
  • Wei W., R.E. Komorek, Y. Zhang, A.E. Plymale, R. Yu, B. Wang, and Z. Zhu, et al. 2017. "Characterization of Syntrophic Geobacter Communities Using ToF-SIMS." Biointerphases 12, no. 5:05G601 1-11. PNNL-SA-125721. doi:10.1116/1.4986832
  • Xu F., Y. Liu, J.M. Zachara, M.E. Bowden, D.W. Kennedy, A.E. Plymale, and C. Liu. 2017. "Redox transformation and reductive immobilization of Cr(VI) in Columbia River hyporheic zone sediments." Journal of Hydrology 555. PNNL-SA-130775. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.10.016

2016

  • Anderson L.N., P.K. Koech, A.E. Plymale, E.V. Landorf, A. Konopka, F. Collart, and M.S. Lipton, et al. 2016. "Live Cell Discovery of Microbial Vitamin Transport and Enzyme-Cofactor Interactions." ACS Chemical Biology 11, no. 2:345-354. PNNL-SA-108145. doi:10.1021/acschembio.5b00918

2015

  • Lee J., J.K. Fredrickson, A.E. Plymale, A. Dohnalkova, C.T. Resch, J.P. McKinley, and L. Shi. 2015. "An autotrophic H2-oxidizing, nitrate-respiring, Tc(VII)-reducing A cidovorax sp. isolated from a subsurface oxic-anoxic transition zone." Environmental Microbiology Reports 7, no. 3:395-403. PNNL-SA-97986. doi:10.1111/1758-2229.12263
  • Liu Y., C. Liu, R.K. Kukkadapu, J.P. McKinley, J.M. Zachara, A.E. Plymale, and M.D. Miller, et al. 2015. "99Tc(VII) Retardation, Reduction, and Redox Rate Scaling in Naturally Reduced Sediments." Environmental Science & Technology 49, no. 22:13403-13412. PNNL-SA-111587. doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b03273
  • Rodionova I.A., X. Li, A.E. Plymale, K. Motamedchaboki, A. Konopka, M.F. Romine, and J.K. Fredrickson, et al. 2015. "Genomic distribution of B-vitamin auxotrophy and uptake transporters in environmental bacteria from the Chloroflexi phylum." Environmental Microbiology Reports 7, no. 2:204-210. PNNL-SA-104615. doi:10.1111/1758-2229.12227

2014

  • Lee J., J.M. Zachara, J.K. Fredrickson, S.M. Heald, J.P. McKinley, A.E. Plymale, and C.T. Resch, et al. 2014. "Fe(II)- and Sulfide-Facilitated Reduction of 99Tc(VII)O4- in Microbially Reduced Hyporheic Zone Sediments." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 136. PNNL-SA-97893. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2013.08.017
  • Wilkins M.J., D.W. Hoyt, M.J. Marshall, P.A. Alderson, A.E. Plymale, L.M. Markillie, and A.E. Tucker, et al. 2014. "CO2 exposure at pressure impacts metabolism and stress responses in the model sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris strain Hildenborough." Frontiers in Microbiology 5. PNNL-SA-103791. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2014.00507

2013

  • Konopka A., A.E. Plymale, D.A. Carvajal, X. Lin, and J.P. McKinley. 2013. "Environmental Controls on the Activity of Aquifer Microbial Communities in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site." Microbial Ecology 66, no. 4:889-896. PNNL-SA-90038. doi:10.1007/s00248-013-0283-3

2012

  • Plymale A.E., V.L. Bailey, J.K. Fredrickson, S.M. Heald, E.C. Buck, L. Shi, and Z. Wang, et al. 2012. "Biotic and Abiotic Reduction and Solubilization of Pu(IV)O2·xH2O(am) as Affected by Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA)." Environmental Science & Technology 46, no. 4:2132-2140. PNNL-SA-82367. doi:10.1021/es2030752

2011

  • Plymale A.E., J.K. Fredrickson, J.M. Zachara, A. Dohnalkova, S.M. Heald, D.A. Moore, and D.W. Kennedy, et al. 2011. "Competitive Reduction of Pertechnetate (99TcO4-) by Dissimilatory Metal Reducing Bacteria and Biogenic Fe(II)." Environmental Science & Technology 45, no. 3:951-957. PNNL-SA-77182.
  • Shi L., S.M. Belchik, A.E. Plymale, S.M. Heald, A. Dohnalkova, K. Sybirna, and H. Bottin, et al. 2011. "Purification and Characterization of [NiFe]-Hydrogenase of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 77, no. 16:5584-5590. PNNL-SA-77194.

2009

  • Fredrickson J.K., J.M. Zachara, A.E. Plymale, S.M. Heald, J.P. McKinley, D.W. Kennedy, and C. Liu, et al. 2009. "Oxidative Dissolution Potential of Biogenic and Abiogenic TcO2 in Subsurface Sediments." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 73, no. 8:962-976. PNNL-SA-61187. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2009.01.027
  • Jaisi D.P., H. Dong, A.E. Plymale, J.K. Fredrickson, J.M. Zachara, S. Heald, and C. Liu. 2009. "Reduction and long-term immobilization of technetium by Fe(II) associated with clay mineral nontronite." Chemical Geology 264, no. 1-4:127-138. PNNL-SA-65652. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.02.018
  • Marshall M.J., A. Dohnalkova, D.W. Kennedy, A.E. Plymale, S.H. Thomas, F.E. Loffler, and R. Sanford, et al. 2009. "Electron donor-dependent radionuclide reduction and nanoparticle formation by Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans strain 2CP-C." Environmental Microbiology 11, no. 2:534-543. PNNL-SA-57365.

2008

  • Marshall M.J., A.E. Plymale, D.W. Kennedy, L. Shi, Z. Wang, S.B. Reed, and A. Dohnalkova, et al. 2008. "Hydrogenase- and Outer Membrane c-Type Cytochrome-Facilitated Reduction of Technetium(VII) by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1." Environmental Microbiology 10, no. 1:125-136. PNNL-SA-52126. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01438.x
  • Peretyazhko T., J.M. Zachara, S.M. Heald, R.K. Kukkadapu, C. Liu, A.E. Plymale, and C.T. Resch. 2008. "Reduction of Tc(VII) by Fe(II) Sorbed on Al (hydr)oxides." Environmental Science & Technology 42, no. 15:5499-5506. PNNL-SA-58538. doi:10.1021/es8003156

2005

  • Kelly S.D., K.M. Kemner, S.C. Brooks, J.K. Fredrickson, S.L. Carroll, D.W. Kennedy, and J.M. Zachara, et al. 2005. "Ca-UO2-CO3 Complexation - Implications for Bioremediation of U(VI)." Physica Scripta T115. PNNL-SA-65625. doi:10.1238/Physica.Topical.115a00915

2004

  • Fredrickson J.K., J.M. Zachara, D.W. Kennedy, R.K. Kukkadapu, J.P. McKinley, S.M. Heald, and C. Liu, et al. 2004. "Reduction of TcO4- by sediment-associated biogenic Fe(II)." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 68, no. 15:3171-3187. PNNL-SA-42096.

2003

  • Brooks S.C., J.K. Fredrickson, S.L. Carroll, D.W. Kennedy, J.M. Zachara, A.E. Plymale, and S.D. Kelly, et al. 2003. "Inhibition of bacterial U(VI) reduction by calcium." Environmental Science & Technology 37, no. 9:1850-1858. PNNL-SA-39586.

2000

  • Fredrickson J.K., H.M. Kostandarithes, S.W. Li, A.E. Plymale, and M.J. Daly. 2000. "Reduction of Fe(III) Cr(VI), and Te(VII) by Deinococcus Radiodurans R1." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66, no. 5:2006-2011. PNNL-SA-32607.
  • Wildung R.E., Y.A. Gorby, K.M. Krupka, N.J. Hess, S.W. Li, A.E. Plymale, and J.P. McKinley, et al. 2000. "Effect of Electron Donor and Solution Chemistry on the Products of Dissimilatory Reduction of Technetium by Shewanella putrefaciens." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66, no. 6:2451-2460. PNNL-SA-33104.

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