Taylor Weiss
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Phone: 480-727-1959
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Fax: (480) 727-5636
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7418 East Innovation Way South ISTB-3, Room 203G Mesa, AZ 85212
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Mail code: 4280Campus: Poly
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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.
- Ph.D. Biochemistry; Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 2012
- B.S. Biochemistry; University of Rochester, NY 2006
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.
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 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. |
2025 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| BDE 792 | Research |
| CEE 599 | Thesis |
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| MIC 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEE 599 | Thesis |
| CEE 792 | Research |
| BDE 799 | Dissertation |
| CEE 599 | Thesis |
| BDE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| BDE 799 | Dissertation |
| BDE 792 | Research |
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 |
Algae Biomass Organization (ABO)
Contributing member of the Arizona Advanced Water Purification (AWP) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR)
Consulting experience regarding algae, bioplastics, food waste, and water/wastewater treatment.