Professor of Biology
Areas of Expertise: Characterization of novel microbes isolated in the north central Pennsylvania region; microbial systematics and taxonomy; evolutionary genomics, bioinformatics and metabolomics
Jeff Newman has played a major role in bringing 21st century technology into the biology curriculum. In the classroom, cutting-edge technologies such as NextGen DNA sequencing, bioinformatics and microbial identification technologies have been incorporated into the Introductory Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry and Genome Analysis courses.
In the research lab, Newman has mentored investigative projects by a large number of students, and has taken many to present their research at American Society for Microbiology annual meetings (students presented in New Orleans & Boston), an international conference in Pune, India as well as undergraduate research conferences.
Past research has focused on a purine biosynthetic enzyme that is a potential target for developing new antibiotics. More recently, his lab has been studying new species of bacteria that have been discovered by Lycoming College students in the nearby Loyalsock Creek, a major tributary of the Susquehanna River. This work has been advanced by a $328,000 Major Research Instrumentation Grant from the National Science Foundation to purchase:
- Biolog Omnilog Combo II System for Metabolic Fingerprinting of Bacteria and Phenotype Microarrays
- Microbial ID Inc Gas Chromatograph-based Microbial Identification System for Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) Analysis
- Agilent 1200 High Performance Liquid Chromatography System
Outside the College, Newman and his wife, Karen, keep busy and active with hiking, biking, gardening, golf and playing basketball and volleyball.