World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Environmental Sciences

D-Index
34
Citations
3998
World Ranking
9475
National Ranking
3397

Overview

Susan M. Pfiffner is affiliated with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the United States. Their research primarily spans the fields of Environmental Science and Earth and Planetary Sciences, with a notable focus on several subfields including Ecology, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Environmental Engineering.

Their work investigates multiple topics related to microbial ecology and environmental processes, with key subjects such as:

  • Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
  • Climate change and permafrost
  • Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
  • Polar Research and Ecology
  • Radioactive element chemistry and processing
  • Groundwater flow and contamination studies
  • Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping

Recent publications by Pfiffner illustrate a strong engagement with permafrost environments, microbial communities in extreme and ancient habitats, and environmental contamination studies. Some of the recent papers include:

  • Genomic reconstruction of fossil and living microorganisms in ancient Siberian permafrost (2021), published in Microbiome
  • Characterization of subsurface media from locations up- and down-gradient of a uranium-contaminated aquifer (2020), published in Chemosphere
  • Comparative Metagenomics of the Active Layer and Permafrost from Low-Carbon Soil in the Canadian High Arctic (2021), published in Environmental Science & Technology
  • Detection of the deep biosphere in metamorphic rocks from the Chinese continental scientific drilling (2021), published in Geobiology
  • Microbial life in 25-m-deep boreholes in ancient permafrost illuminated by metagenomics (2023), published in Environmental Microbiome

Pfiffner frequently collaborates with a number of researchers including Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya, Elizaveta Rivkina, Xiaofen Wu, Daniel E. Williams, and Maggie C. Y. Lau. These collaborations reflect consistent joint contributions to the fields of environmental microbiology, ecology, and geosciences.

Their research outputs are distributed across various specialized publication venues, notably:

  • Microbiome
  • Chemosphere
  • Environmental Science & Technology
  • Geobiology
  • Environmental Microbiome

Best Publications

  • Desulfotomaculum and Methanobacterium spp. Dominate a 4- to 5-Kilometer-Deep Fault

    Duane P. Moser;Thomas M. Gihring;Fred J. Brockman;James K. Fredrickson

  • Alkaliphilus transvaalensis gen. nov., sp. nov., an extremely alkaliphilic bacterium isolated from a deep South African gold mine.

    Ken Takai;Duane P. Moser;Tullis C. Onstott;Nico Spoelstra

  • Comparison between geochemical and biological estimates of subsurface microbial activities.

    T. J. Phelps;E. M. Murphy;Susan M. Pfiffner;David C. White

  • Microbes in thawing permafrost: the unknown variable in the climate change equation

    David E Graham;Matthew D Wallenstein;Tatiana A Vishnivetskaya;Tatiana A Vishnivetskaya;Mark P Waldrop

  • Methods for recovery of deep terrestrial subsurface sediments for microbiological studies

    T.J. Phelps;C.B. Fliermans;T.R. Garland;S.M. Pfiffner

  • Microbial incorporation of 13C-labeled acetate at the field scale: detection of microbes responsible for reduction of U(VI).

    Yun-Juan Chang;Philip E. Long;Roland Geyer;Aaron D. Peacock

  • Validation of signature polarlipid fatty acid biomarkers for alkane-utilizing bacteria in soils and subsurface aquifer materials

    David B. Ringelberg;John D. Davis;Glen A. Smith;Susan M. Pfiffner

  • Indigenous and contaminant microbes in ultradeep mines.

    T. C. Onstott;Duane P. Moser;Susan M. Pfiffner;Jim K. Fredrickson

  • An active atmospheric methane sink in high Arctic mineral cryosols

    M C Y Lau;B T Stackhouse;A C Layton;A Chauhan

  • The Origin and Age of Biogeochemical Trends in Deep Fracture Water of the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa

    T. C. Onstott;L.-H. Lin;M. Davidson;B. Mislowack

  • Commercial DNA extraction kits impact observed microbial community composition in permafrost samples

    Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya;Alice C. Layton;Maggie C. Y. Lau;Archana Chauhan

  • Microbial characterization of a JP-4 fuel-contaminated site using a combined lipid biomarker/polymerase chain reaction--denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE)-based approach.

    John R. Stephen;Yun Juan Chang;Ying Dong Gan;Aaron Peacock

  • Microbiological Comparisons within and across Contiguous Lacustrine, Paleosol, and Fluvial Subsurface Sediments

    T L Kieft;J K Fredrickson;J P McKinley;B N Bjornstad

  • Temporal Shifts in the Geochemistry and Microbial Community Structure of an Ultradeep Mine Borehole Following Isolation

    D. P. Moser;Tullis C. Onstott;J. K. Fredrickson;F. J. Brockman

  • Microbial community composition and diversity in Caspian Sea sediments

    Nagissa Mahmoudi;Michael S. Robeson;Hector F. Castro;Julian L. Fortney

  • Simulating the Cranfield geological carbon sequestration project with high-resolution static models and an accurate equation of state.

    Mohamad Reza Soltanian;Mohammad Amin Amooie;David R. Cole;David E. Graham

  • Geochemically Generated, Energy-Rich Substrates and Indigenous Microorganisms in Deep, Ancient Groundwater

    Thomas L. Kieft;Sean M. McCuddy;T. C. Onstott;Mark Davidson

  • Isolation of Halotolerant, Thermotolerant, Facultative Polymer-Producing Bacteria and Characterization of the Exopolymer

    S. M. Pfiffner;Michael J. McInerney;Gary E. Jenneman;Roy M. Knapp

  • Environmental proteomics reveals early microbial community responses to biostimulation at a uranium- and nitrate-contaminated site

    Karuna Chourey;Silke Nissen;Silke Nissen;Tatiana Vishnivetskaya;Manesh Shah

  • The unique chemistry of Eastern Mediterranean water masses selects for distinct microbial communities by depth.

    Stephen M. Techtmann;Julian L. Fortney;Kati A. Ayers;Dominique C. Joyner

  • Factors influencing the abundance and metabolic capacities of microorganisms in Eastern Coastal Plain sediments

    T. J. Phelps;Susan M. Pfiffner;K. A. Sargent;David C. White;David C. White

  • Deep Subsurface Microbial Biomass and Community Structure in Witwatersrand Basin Mines

    Susan M. Pfiffner;James M. Cantu;Amanda Smithgall;Aaron D. Peacock

Frequent Co-Authors

Tullis C. Onstott
Tullis C. Onstott Princeton University
Tommy J. Phelps
Tommy J. Phelps Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya
Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Anthony V. Palumbo
Anthony V. Palumbo Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Lyle G. Whyte
Lyle G. Whyte McGill University
David C. White
David C. White University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Robert L. Hettich
Robert L. Hettich Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Terry C. Hazen
Terry C. Hazen University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Lisa M. Pratt
Lisa M. Pratt Indiana University
James K. Fredrickson
James K. Fredrickson Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For students pursuing Environmental Sciences, expanding knowledge through related fields can enhance career prospects. One valuable option is a gis degree. Geographic Information Systems are crucial in analyzing environmental data and managing natural resources, offering hands-on skills applicable in government, conservation, and urban planning roles.

Leadership and policy skills are also essential in environmental careers. Online 1 year mpa programs prepare graduates for public administration and policy-making positions, enabling them to influence sustainable development and environmental regulations effectively.

Understanding social dynamics plays a significant role in addressing environmental challenges. Earning a bachelors degree in sociology online provides foundational knowledge about societal behaviors and structures, helping to design impactful community-based environmental programs.

For those seeking advanced expertise without extended research commitments, certain doctoral programs online no dissertation offer flexible pathways to enhance credentials and leadership potential in environmental science education and administration.

Best Scientists Citing Susan M. Pfiffner

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles