American Society for Microbiology honors Richard W. Castenholz

The 2009 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) USFCC/J. Roger Porter Award is being presented to Richard W. Castenholz, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oregon. This award recognizes outstanding efforts by a scientist who has demonstrated the importance of microbial biodiversity through sustained curatorial or stewardship activities for a major resource used by the scientific community.

Dr. Castenholz is known for isolating and curating hundreds of cultures of cyanobacteria, especially thermophilic species, and as Michael Madigan, Ph.D., one of Castenholz's supporters notes, "Dick Castenholz is the world expert in the field of cyanobacterial ecology and systematics." His research has led to global exploration of these organisms in marine, alkaline, geothermal, acidic, endolithic, cold, hypersaline, and oligotrophic habitats. He merged his extensive collection with that of E. Imre Friedmann, Ph.D., and created the Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Castenholz is the curator and director of this unique collection of extremophilic microorganisms which holds over 1,200 strains and has a searchable website. His generosity in sharing cultures has been invaluable to the scientific community. .

Dr. Castenholz received his Ph.D. in botany from Washington State University; he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Source: American Society for Microbiology