University of Minnesota
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
http://www.cfans.umn.edu
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Department of Soil, Water, and Climate

Brandy Toner

toner@umn.edu | 612-624-1362brandytoner
www.tc.umn.edu/~toner/

450 Borlaug Hall
1991 Upper Buford Circle
St Paul, MN 55108


Education:

B.S. 1997 Bemidji State University Environmental Studies
M.S. 1999 University of California, Berkeley Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ph.D. 2004 University of California, Berkeley Environmental Science, Policy Management


My research addresses chemical and biological processes that result in the cycling of metals in the environment.  I approach these processes from the perspective of metal speciation:  What is the form of the metal, and how will its form affect transport, fate, and bioavailability.  My favorite metals are iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn).  These two transition metals are prevalent in terrestrial and aquatic environments.  They both form chemically reactive minerals – Fe oxyhydroxides and Mn oxides –  that influence, and sometimes control, the partitioning of other elements, like arsenic (As) between the solid and aqueous phases.  Iron and Mn are also interesting study subjects because microbial activity can make their speciation delightful complex.

Classes:
SOIL 5311 Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy
SOIL 8110 Environmental Surface Chemistry

Graduate Programs:
Environmental Engineering
Water Resources Science
Land and Atmospheric Science
Geology & Geophysics

Selected Publications:
Breier, J. A., Rauch, C. G., McCartney, K., Toner, B. M., Fakra, S. C., White, S. N., and German, C. R., in review. A suspended particle rosette multi-sampler for discrete, biogeochemical sampling in low particle density waters. Deep Sea Research Part I.

Toner, B. M., Fakra, S. C., Manganini, S. J., Santelli, C. M., Marcus, M. A., Moffett, J. W., Rouxel, O., German, C. R., and Edwards, K. J., 2009. Preservation of Iron(II) by Carbon-Rich Matrices in Hydrothermal Plumes. Nature Geoscience 2, 197-201.

Toner, B. M., Santelli, C. M., Marcus, M. A., Wirth, R., Chan, C. S., McCollom, T. M., Bach, W., and Edwards, K. J., 2009. Biogenic iron oxide formation at Mid-Ocean Ridge hydrothermal vents: Juan de Fuca Ridge. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 73, 388-403.

Toner, B.; Manceau, A.; Webb, S. M.; Sposito, G., Zinc sorption to biogenic hexagonal-birnessite particles within a hydrated bacterial biofilm. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2006, 70, 27-43.

Villalobos, M.; Lanson, B.; Manceau, A.; Toner, B.; Sposito, G., Structural model for the biogenic Mn oxide produced by Pseudomonas putida. Am. Mineral. 2006, 91, 489-502.

Toner, B.; Manceau, A.; Marcus, M. A.; Millet, D. B.; Sposito, G., Zn sorption by a bacterial biofilm. Environ Sci Technol 2005, 39, 8288-8294.

Toner, B.; Fakra, S.; Villalobos, M.; Warwick, T.; Sposito, G., Spatially resolved characterization of biogenic manganese oxide production within the biofilm of Pseudomonas putida strain MnB1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2005, 71, (3), 1300-1310.

Toner, B.; Sposito, G., Reductive dissolution of biogenic manganese oxides in the presence of a hydrated biofilm. Geomicrobiol. J. 2005, 22, 171-180.

Villalobos, M.; Toner, B.; Bargar, J.; Sposito, G., Characterization of the manganese oxide produced by Pseudomonas putida strain MnB1. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2003, 67, (14), 2649-2662.