Taylor Weiss

Taylor Weiss

Assistant Professor,
Environmental and Resource Management, The Polytechnic School
Other ASU affiliations
SSEBE AzCATI
Senior Global Futures Scientist, Global Futures Scientists and Scholars
  • taylor.l.weiss@asu.edu
  • Phone: 480-727-1959
  • Fax: (480) 727-5636
  • 7418 East Innovation Way South ISTB-3, Room 203G Mesa, AZ 85212
  • Mail code: 4280
    Campus: Poly
  • ‌
Biography Research Teaching Public Work Industry Experience
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Long Bio

Taylor Weiss is an assistant professor in the environmental and resource management (ERM) program at Arizona State University. As a member of the Polytechnic School and The Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI), he conducts research in the design and implementation of carbon-capturing algae consortia for sustainable bioproduction. He specialized in the engineering of integrated system and novel platforms to quantitate algae in the environment. 

Weiss has a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester, where he conducted undergraduate research on enzymatic bioremediation using tyrosinase. Earning an National Institutes of Health (NIH) Training Fellowship while at Texas A&M University, Weiss completed specialized training in Biophysics while earning his doctorate studying the molecular biology and biochemistry of the hydrocarbon-producing alga Botryococcus braunii. He also completed postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis primarily focused on the ultrastructure and biochemistry of algal cell walls, especially Nannochloropsis gaditana. Prior to joining ASU, he further  completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Michigan State University designing a photosynthetic algae-bacteria consortia for the sustainable bioproduction of PHB, a bioplastic precursor.

 

Education
  • Ph.D. Biochemistry; Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 2012
  • B.S. Biochemistry; University of Rochester, NY 2006
Research Website URL
https://faculty.engineering.asu.edu/taylorlweiss/
Google Scholar URL
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=JiH9SjIAAAAJ
Experts.asu.edu URL
https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/taylor-weiss
Research Interests

Weiss is passionate about the development of ASU's Algae-Food/Energy/Water Nexus and the formation of many interdisciplinary projects which further renewable bioproduct innovation, promote sustainable agriculture, and benefit human health. His currently funded research projects and collaborations included enhancing algae carbon capture, evaluating promising strains for algal biofuels and healthcare products, investigating algal agricultural risk management strategies, and pursuing novel sensors for algal applications. He also supports numerous student projects and areas of Arizona public interest which intersect with algae, including addressing the consequences of the Colorado River water shortage, the development of wastewater "carbon foundries,"  innovations in food and microplastics waste management, bio-enhanced adhesives and asphalts, plus ethical water resource and land development practices.  

Publications

Cole GM, Greene JM., Quinn JC, McDaniel B, Kemp L, Simmons D, Hodges T, Nobles D, Weiss, TL, McGowen J, and McDaniel S. Integrated techno-economic and life cycle assessment of a novel algae-based coating for direct air carbon capture and sequestration. Journal of CO2 Utilization, (2023) 69:102421.

Weiss TL, Young E, Ducat D. A synthetic, light-driven consortium of cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria enables stable polyhydroxybutyrate production. Metab. Eng. (2017) 44:236-245.

Browne DR, Jenkins J, Schmutz J, Shu S, Barry K, Grimwood J, Chiniquy J, Sharma A, Niehaus TD, Weiss TL, Koppisch AT, Fox DT, Dhunganaa S, Okada S, Chappell J, Devarenne TP. Draft nuclear genome sequence of the lipid hydrocarbon accumulating green microalga Botryococcus braunii, race B (Showa). Genome Announc. (2017) 5: e00215-17.

Deng L, Senseman SA, Gentry TJ, Zuberer DA, Camargo ER, Weiss TL, Devarenne TP. Effect of selected herbicides on growth and lipid content of Nannochloris oculata. J. Aquat. Plant. Manage. (2015) 53:28-35.

Scholz MJ, Weiss TL, Jinkerson RE, Jing J, Roth R, Goodenough U, Posewitz MC, Gerken HG. Ultrastructure and composition of the Nannochloropsis gaditana cell wall. Eukaryot. Cell. (2014) 13(11):1450-1464.

Goodenough U, Blaby I, Casero D, Gallaher SD, Goodson C, Johnson S, Lee J-H, Merchant SS, Pellegrini M, Roth R, Rusch J, Singh M, Umen JG, Weiss TL, Wulan T. The path to triacylglyceride obesity in the sta6 strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Eukaryot. Cell (2014) 13:591-613.

Kim HS, Weiss TL, Thapa HR, Devarenne TP, Han A. A microfluidic photobioreactor array demonstrating high-throughput screening for microalgal oil production. Lab Chip (2014) 14:1415-1425.

Chun HJ, Weiss TL, Devarenne TP, Lanne J. Vibrational spectra and DFT calculations of squalene. J. Mol. Struct. (2013) 1032:203-206.

Deng L, Senseman SA, Gentry TJ, Zuberer DA, Weiss TL, Devarenne TP, Camargo ER. Effect of selected herbicides on growth and hydrocarbon content of Botryococcus braunii (Race B). Ind. Crops Prod. (2012) 39:154-161.

Molnár I, Lopez D, Wisecaver JH, Devarenne TP, Weiss TL, Pellegrini M, Hackett JD. Bio-crude transcriptomics: Gene discovery and metabolic network reconstruction for the biosynthesis of the terpenome of the hydrocarbon oil-producing green alga, Botryococcus braunii race B (Showa). BMC Genomics. (2012) 13:576.

Weiss TL, Roth R, Goodson C, Vitha S, Black I, Azadi P, Rusch J, Holzenburg A, Devarenne TP, Goodenough U. Colony organization in the green alga Botryococcus braunii (Race B) is specified by a complex extracellular matrix. Eukaryot. Cell. (2012) 11:1424-1440.

Weiss TL, Johnston JS, Fujisawa K, Okada S, Devarenne TP. Genome size and phylogenetic analysis of the A and L races of Botryococcus braunii. J. Appl. Phycol. (2011) 23:833–839.

Weiss TL, Johnston JS, Fujisawa K, Sumimoto K, Okada S, Chappell J, Devarenne TP. Phylogenetic placement, genome size, and GC content of the liquid-hydrocarbon-producing green microalgae Botryococcus braunii strain Berkeley (Showa) (Chlorophyta). J. Phycol. (2010) 46:534–540.

Weiss TL, Chun HJ, Okada S, Vitha S, Holzenburg A, Laane J, Devarenne TP. Raman spectroscopy analysis of botryococcene hydrocarbons from the green microalga Botryococcus braunii. J. Biol. Chem. (2010) 285:32458-32466.

Courses
2025 Spring
Course Number Course Title
MIC 493 Honors Thesis
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
CEE 599 Thesis
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
2024 Fall
Course Number Course Title
CEE 599 Thesis
MIC 492 Honors Directed Study
BDE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 533 Water/Wastewater Treat. Tech.
2024 Summer
Course Number Course Title
CEE 595 Continuing Registration
BDE 792 Research
CEE 599 Thesis
2024 Spring
Course Number Course Title
ERM 599 Thesis
MIC 493 Honors Thesis
ERM 593 Applied Project
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
CEE 599 Thesis
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
2023 Fall
Course Number Course Title
CEE 599 Thesis
MIC 492 Honors Directed Study
BDE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 599 Thesis
ERM 533 Water/Wastewater Treat. Tech.
ERM 593 Applied Project
ERM 584 Internship
2023 Summer
Course Number Course Title
CEE 595 Continuing Registration
BDE 792 Research
ERM 593 Applied Project
ERM 593 Applied Project
CEE 599 Thesis
2023 Spring
Course Number Course Title
MIC 493 Honors Thesis
ERM 593 Applied Project
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
CEE 599 Thesis
ERM 599 Thesis
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
2022 Fall
Course Number Course Title
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
MIC 492 Honors Directed Study
BDE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 599 Thesis
ERM 533 Water/Wastewater Treat. Tech.
ERM 593 Applied Project
2022 Summer
Course Number Course Title
CEE 792 Research
CEE 595 Continuing Registration
CEE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
ERM 593 Applied Project
ERM 593 Applied Project
CEE 599 Thesis
2022 Spring
Course Number Course Title
MIC 493 Honors Thesis
ERM 593 Applied Project
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
CEE 599 Thesis
ERM 599 Thesis
ERM 592 Research
BDE 792 Research
ERM 590 Reading and Conference
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
EGR 499 Individualized Instruction
BDE 799 Dissertation
2021 Fall
Course Number Course Title
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
MIC 492 Honors Directed Study
BDE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 593 Applied Project
ERM 533 Water/Wastewater Treat. Tech.
ERM 599 Thesis
ERM 533 Water/Wastewater Treat. Tech.
BDE 799 Dissertation
2021 Summer
Course Number Course Title
CEE 792 Research
CEE 595 Continuing Registration
CEE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
CEE 599 Thesis
2021 Spring
Course Number Course Title
ERM 593 Applied Project
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
CEE 599 Thesis
ERM 599 Thesis
ERM 592 Research
2020 Fall
Course Number Course Title
CEE 599 Thesis
CEE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 593 Applied Project
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
ERM 599 Thesis
2020 Summer
Course Number Course Title
CEE 792 Research
CEE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
2020 Spring
Course Number Course Title
ERM 593 Applied Project
CEE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
ERM 592 Research
2019 Fall
Course Number Course Title
CEE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 503 Principles of Toxicology
ERM 494 Special Topics
ERM 598 Special Topics
ERM 599 Thesis
Professional Associations

Algae Biomass Organization (ABO)

Service

Contributing member of the Arizona Advanced Water Purification (AWP) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR)

Consulting

Consulting experience regarding algae, bioplastics, food waste, and water/wastewater treatment. 

Expertise Areas
Biochemistry
Bioengineering
Biophysics
Biotechnology
Chemical Biology
Energy and Sustainability
Environmental and Resource Management
Environmental Technology Management
Food, Water, and Energy Nexus
Innovation
Microbes
Microbiology
Photosynthesis
Remote Sensing
Risk Management
Sustainability
Sustainable Engineering
Synthetic Biology
Systems Engineering
UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy
Water Resource Management
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