Publications

Manuscripts in Review

  1. Photodegradation of plastics shapes the diversity of microbial communities and functions in seawater Sun, Y., Grim, S. L., James, B. D., Reddy, C. M., and Ward, C. P. ChemRxiv. In review at Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.
  2. Chronic sunlight-driven mobilization of persistent, bioactive carbon and vanadium from asphalt to downstream aquatic systems Ward, C. P., Schwartz, G., Sun, Y., Messenger, S., Frye-Jones, J., Italiane, D., Swarr, G., Aguilera, M., and Rodgers, R. In review at PNAS.

Peer-Reviewed Papers

  1. Bioconversion of selenite to selenium nanoparticles by Paenibacillus polymyxa P10: metabolic basis and potential for wastewater treatment Zhou, J., Sang, C., Liu, Z., Li, W., Sun, Y., Zhang, J., Wang, S., and Zeng, X. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, e00704-26, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00704-26
  2. Reversible control of microbial As(III) oxidation by nitrous oxide availability in flooded paddy soils Liu, S., Li, Y., Zeng, X., Sun, Y., Li, L., and Jia, Y. Environmental Science & Technology, 60 (35): 24687–24700, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c04988
  3. Incomplete denitrifying bacteria drive N2O fluxes in ancient Siberian permafrost microcosms Sun, Y., Wu, X., Zanina, O. G., Rivkina, E. M., Lloyd, K. G., Loeffler, F. E., and Vishnivetskaya, T. A. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 102(5), fiag034, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiag034
  4. Temperature controls the lifetimes and microbial communities degrading cellulose diacetate in the coastal ocean Sun, Y., James, B. D., Houston, R. K., Edwards, B., Izallalen, M., Mazumde, S., Shankar, R., Reddy, C. M., and Ward, C. P. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(36), 19468-19478, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c05334
  5. Strategies for designing circular, sustainable, and nonpersistent consumer plastic products: a case study of drinking straws James, B. D., Sun, Y., Pate, K., Irving, B., and Ward, C. P. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(34), 18177-18189, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c05448
  6. Presence of micro and nanoplastics affects degradation of chlorinated solvents Murdoch, F. K., Sun, Y., Fuller, M. E., Lilly, J., Wilson, J., Mullins, L., Hill, A., Loffler, F. E., and Kucharzyk, H. K. Toxics, 13(8), 656, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13080656
  7. Microbial ecology of permafrost soils: populations, processes, and perspectives Waldrop, M. P., Ernakovich, J. G., Schaefer, S. R., Mackelprang, R., Tas, N., Vishnivetskaya, T. A., Li, Z., Ricketts, M. P., Leewis, M. C., Hewitt, R., Hultman, J., Sun, Y., et al. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 36(2), 245-258, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2264
  8. pH selects for distinct N2O-reducing microbiomes in tropical soil microcosms Sun, Y., Yin, Y., He, G., Cha, G., Ayala-del-Rio, H., Konstantinidis, K. T., and Loffler, F. E. ISME Communications, ycae070, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycae070
  9. Foaming enables material-efficient bioplastic products with minimal persistence James, B. D., Sun, Y., Pate, K., Perri, S. T., Shankar, M., Reddy, C. M., and Ward, C. P. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 12(43), 16030-16040, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c05822
  10. Pore confinement enhances but surface adhesion reduces bacterial cell-to-cell conjugation Sun, H., Radosevich, M., Sun, Y., Millet, L., Qian, S., and Zhuang, J. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-024-01841-w
  11. Nitrous oxide inhibition of methanogenesis represents an underappreciated greenhouse gas emission feedback Yin, Y., Murdoch, F. K., Murdoch, R., Yan, J., Chen, G., Xie, Y., Sun, Y., and Loffler, F. E. The ISME Journal, 18(1), wrae027, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrae027
  12. Strategies to reduce the environmental lifetimes of drinking straws in the coastal ocean James, B. D., Sun, Y., Perri, S. T., Edwards, B., Reddy, C. M., and Ward, C. P. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 12(6), 2404-2411, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c07391
  13. The relative contributions of Mn(III) and Mn(IV) in manganese dioxide polymorphs to bisphenol A degradation Yang, S., Shobnam, N., Sun, Y., Loffler, F. E., and Im, J. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 461, 132596, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132596
  14. Distinct microbial communities degrade cellulose diacetate bioplastics in the coastal ocean Sun, Y., Mazzotta, M. G., Miller, C. A., Apprill, A., Izallalen, M., Mazumde, S., Perri, S. T., Edwards, B., Reddy, C. M., and Ward, C. P. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, e01651-23, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01651-23
  15. Inhibition of methylmercury and methane formation by nitrous oxide in Arctic tundra soil microcosms Zhang, L., Yin, Y., Sun, Y., Liang, X., Graham, D., Pierce, E., Loffler, F. E., and Gu, B. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(14), 5655-5665, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c09457
  16. Mn(III)-mediated bisphenol A degradation: mechanisms and products Sun, Y., Wang, C., May, A. L., Chen, G., Yin, Y., Im, J., and Loffler, F. E. Water Research, 235, 119787, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.119787
  17. Genome-wide expression analysis unravels fluoroalkane metabolism in Pseudomonas sp. strain 273 Xie, Y., Ramirez, D., Chen, G., He, G., Sun, Y., Murdoch, F. K., and Loffler, F. E. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(42), 15925-15935, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c03855
  18. Domestic plant food loss and waste in the United States: environmental footprints and mitigation strategies Sun, H., Sun, Y., Jin, M., Ripp, S. A., Sayler, G. S., and Zhuang, J. Waste Management, 150, 202-207, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2022.07.006
  19. Degradation of adsorbed bisphenol A by soluble Mn(III) Sun, Y., Im, J., Shobnam, N., Fanourakis, S. K., He, L., Anovitz, L. M., Erickson, R. P., Sun, H., Zhuang, J., and Loffler, F. E. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(19), 13014-13023, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c03862
  20. Biologically mediated abiotic degradation (BMAD) of bisphenol A by manganese-oxidizing bacteria Shobnam, N., Sun, Y., Mahmood, M., Loffler, F. E., and Im, J. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 417, 125987, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125987
  21. Effects of strong reductive process on transformation of heavy metals in protected vegetable soil Sun, Y., Zeng, X., Yang, L., Shi, Y., Chen, X., and Zhuang, J. The Journal of Applied Ecology, 28(11), 3759-3766, 2017.