USC.edu

Jan Amend

Professor of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences
Jan Amend
Email janamend@usc.edu Office ACB 304 Office Phone (213) 740-0652

Research & Practice Areas

Climate Science, Geobiology, Geochemistry

  • Summary Statement of Research Interests

    The Amend Lab carries out research in microbial geochemistry with particular interests in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems, the deep subsurface biosphere, energetics of microbial metabolisms in extreme environments, novel microbial culturing techniques, the biogeochemistry of arsenic, the origin and early evolution of life, microbial processes under energy limiting conditions, thermodynamic properties of biomolecules at elevated temperatures, and astrobiology.

    Research Keywords

    Hydrothermal systems, energetics of microbial metabolism, geomicrobiology of arsenic, origin of life, astrobiology, extremophiles, thermophiles, novel culturing techniques

  • Journal Article

    • Amend, J. P., Burcea, L. C., Meyer-Dombard, D. R.Microbial diversity in alkaline hot springs of Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea. Extremophiles. pp. (in revisioni).
    • Amend, J. P., McCollom, T. M., Hentscher, M., Bach, W. (2011). Catabolic and anabolic energy for chemolithoautotrophs in deep-sea hydrothermal systems hosted in different rock types. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta. Vol. 75, pp. 5736-5748.
    • LaRowe, D. E., Dale, A. W., Amend, J. P., Van Cappellen, P.Thermodynamic limitations on microbially catalyzed reaction rates. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta. pp. (in revision).
    • Lin, H. -., Cowen, J. P., Olson, E. J., Amend, J. P., Lilley, M. D.Inorganic chemistry, gas compositions and dissolved organic carbon in fluids from sedimented young basement in Juan de Fuca Ridge. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta. pp. (in revision).
    • Meyer-Dombard, D. R., Osburn, M. R., Amend, J. P. (2011). Microbial diversity in biofilm deposited at an arsenic-rich shallow-sea hydrothermal vent. Chemical Geology. pp. (accepted for publication).
    • Meyer-Dombard, D. R., Price, R. E., Pichler, T., Amend, J. P. (2011). Prokaryotic populations in arsenic-rich shallow-sea hydrothermal sediments of Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea. Geomicrobiology Journal. pp. (in press).
    • Meyer-Dombard, D. R., Shock, E. L., Amend, J. P.Effects of trace element concentrations on culturing thermophiles. Extremophiles. pp. (in revision).
    • Summons, R. E., Amend, J. P., Bish, D., Buick, R., Cody, G. D., Des Marais, D. J., Dromart, G., Eigenbrode, J. L., Knoll, A. H., Sumner, D. Y. (2011). Preservation of martian organic and environmental records: Final report of the Mars Biosignature Working Group. Astrobiology. pp. DOI: 10.1089/ast.2010.0506.
    • Akerman, N. H., Price, R. E., Pichler, T., Amend, J. P. (2011). Energy sources for chemolithotrophs in an arsenic- and iron-rich shallow-sea hydrothermal system. Geobiology. Vol. 9, pp. 436-445.
    • Osburn, M. R., Amend, J. P. (2010). Thermogladius shockii gen. nov., sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote from Yellowstone National Park, USA. Archives of Microbiology. Vol. 193, pp. 45-52.
    • Shock, E. L., Holland, M., Meyer-Dombard, D., Amend, J. P., Osburn, G. R., Fischer, T. P. (2010). Quantifying inorganic sources of geochemical energy in hydrothermal ecosystems, Yellowstone National Park, USA. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta. Vol. 74, pp. 4005-4043.
    • Amend, J. P. (2009). A brief review of microbial geochemistry in the shallow-sea hydrothermal system of Vulcano Island (Italy). Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen der Bergakademie Freiberg. Vol. 39, pp. 61-67..
    • Rusch, A., Amend, J. P. (2008). Functional characterization of the microbial community in geothermally heated marine sediments. Microbial Ecology. Vol. 55, pp. 723-736.
    • Amend, J. P. (2007). Il Vulcano: from Hephaistos to Helgeson. Geochemical News. Vol. 133 (October)
    • Hoehler, T. M., Amend, J. P., Shock, E. L. (2007). A “Follow the Energy” approach for astrobiology. Astrobiology. Vol. 7, pp. 819-823.
    • Price, R. E., Amend, J. P., Pichler, T. (2007). Enhanced geochemical gradients in a marine shallow-water hydrothermal system: unusual arsenic speciation in horizontal and vertical pore water profiles. Applied Geochemistry. Vol. 22, pp. 2595-2605.
    • Rogers, K. L., Amend, J. P., Gurrieri, S. (2007). Temporal changes in fluid chemistry and energy profiles in the Vulcano Island hydrothermal system. Astrobiology. Vol. 7, pp. 905-932.
    • Skoog, A., Vlahos, P., Rogers, K. L., Amend, J. P. (2007). Concentrations, distributions, and energy yields of dissolved neutral aldoses in a shallow hydrothermal vent system of Vulcano, Italy. Organic Geochemistry. Vol. 38, pp. 1416-1430.
    • Pichler, T., Price, R., Amend, J. P., Meyer-Dombard, D. R., Hsia, N. P., Hallock, P., McCloskey, B. J., Karlen, D. (2006). A natural laboratory to study arsenic geobiocomplexity. EOS. Vol. 87, pp. 221-226.
    • Rogers, K. L., Amend, J. P. (2006). Energetics of potential heterotrophic metabolisms in the marine hydrothermal system of Vulcano Island, Italy. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Vol. 70, pp. 6180-6200.
    • Amend, J. P., Teske, A. (2005). Expanding frontiers in deep subsurface microbiology. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. Vol. 219, pp. 131-155.
    • Kappler, A., Emerson, D., Edwards, K., Amend, J. P., Gralnick, J. A., Gratwohl, P., Hoehler, T., Straub, K. L. (2005). Microbial activity in biogeochemical gradients — new aspects of research. Geobiology. Vol. 3, pp. (in press).
    • McCollom, T. M., Amend, J. P. (2005). A thermodynamic assessment of energy requirements for biomass synthesis by chemolithoautotrophic micro-organisms in oxic and anoxic environments. Geobiology. Vol. 3, pp. 135-144.
    • Meyer-Dombard, D. R., Shock, E. L., Amend, J. P. (2005). Archaeal and bacterial communities in geochemically diverse hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, USA. Geobiology. Vol. 3, pp. 211-227.
    • Rogers, K. L., Amend, J. P. (2005). Archaeal diversity and geochemical energy yields in a geothermal well on Vulcano Island, Italy. Geobiology. Vol. 3, pp. 319-332.
    • Rusch, A., Walpersdorf, E., deBeer, D., Gurrieri, S., Amend, J. P. (2005). Microbial communities near the oxic/anoxic interface in the hydrothermal system of Vulcano Island, Italy. Chemical Geology. Vol. 224, pp. 169-182.
    • Rusch, A., Amend, J. P. (2004). Order-specific 16S rRNA targeted oligonucleotide probes for (hyper)thermophilic archaea and bacteria. Extremophiles. Vol. 8, pp. 357-366.
    • Svensson, E., Skoog, A., Amend, J. P. (2004). Concentration and distribution of dissolved amino acids in a shallow hydrothermal vent system, Vulcano Island (Italy). Organic Geochemistry. Vol. 35, pp. 1001-1014.
    • Amend, J. P., Meyer-Dombard, D. R., Sheth, S. N., Zolotova, N., Amend, A. C. (2003). Palaeococcus helgesonii. Archives of Microbiology. Vol. 179, pp. 394-401.
    • Amend, J. P., Rogers, K. L., Shock, E. L., Gurrieri, S., Inguaggiato, S. (2003). Energetics of chemolithoautotrophy in the hydrothermal system of Vulcano Island, southern Italy. Geobiology. Vol. 1, pp. 37-58.
    • Tor, J. M., Amend, J. P., Lovley, D. R. (2003). Metabolism of organic compounds in anaerobic, hydrothermal sulfate-reducing marine sediments. Environmental Microbiology. Vol. 5, pp. 583-591.
    • Amend, J. P. (2002). Geochemical energy sources for thermophiles in shallow marine hydrothermal systems. Geochemistry of the Earth’s Surface. Vol. 6, pp. 255-258.
    • Amend, J. P., Helgeson, H. C. (2001). Response to ‘Group additivity calculations of the thermodynamic properties of unfolded proteins in aqueous solution: a critical comparison of peptide-based and HKF models’. Biophysical Chemistry. Vol. 89, pp. 265-267.
    • Amend, J. P., Plyasunov, A. V. (2001). Carbohydrates in thermophile metabolism: Calculation of the standard molal thermodynamic properties of aqueous pentoses and hexoses at elevated temperatures and pressures. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Vol. 65, pp. 3901-3917.
    • Amend, J. P., Shock, E. L. (2001). Energetics of overall metabolic reactions of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Archaea and Bacteria. FEMS Microbiology Reviews. Vol. 25, pp. 175-243.
    • Amend, J. P., Helgeson, H. C. (2000). Calculation of the standard molal thermodynamic properties of aqueous biomolecules at elevated temperatures and pressures. II. Unfolded proteins. Biophysical Chemistry. Vol. 84, pp. 105-136.
    • Gugliandolo, C., Italiano, F., Maugeri, T. L., Inguaggiato, S., Caccamo, D., Amend, J. P. (1999). Submarine hydrothermal vents of the Aeolian islands: Relationship between microbial communities and thermal fluids. Geomicrobiology Journal. Vol. 16, pp. 105-117.
    • Amend, J. P., Amend, A. C., Valenza, M. (1998). Determination of volatile fatty acids in the hot springs of Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy. Organic Geochemistry. Vol. 28, pp. 699-705.
    • Amend, J. P., Shock, E. L. (1998). Energetics of amino acid synthesis in hydrothermal ecosystems. Science. Vol. 281, pp. 1659-1662.
    • Amend, J. P., Helgeson, H. C. (1997). Group additivity equations of state for calculating the standard molal thermodynamic properties of aqueous organic molecules at elevated temperatures and pressures. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Vol. 61, pp. 11-46.
    • Amend, J. P., Helgeson, H. C. (1997). Calculation of the standard molal thermodynamic properties of aqueous biomolecules at elevated temperatures and pressures. Part 1.-. Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday Transactions. Vol. 93 (10), pp. 1927-1941.
    • Amend, J. P., Helgeson, H. C. (1997). Solubilities of the common L-. Pure and Applied Chemistry. Vol. 69 (5), pp. 935-942.
    • Helgeson, H. C., Amend, J. P. (1994). Relative stabilities of biomolecules at high temperatures and pressures. Thermochimica Acta. Vol. 245, pp. 89-119.

    Other

    • Amend, J. P., McCollom, T. M. (2009). Energetics of biomolecule synthesis on early Earth. Chemical Evolution II: From the Origins of Life to Modern SocietyAmerican Chemical Society.
    • Shock, E. L., Holland, M., Meyer-Dombard, D. R., Amend, J. P. (2005). Geochemical sources of energy for microbial metabolism in hydrothermal ecosystems: Obsidian Pool, Yellowstone National Park. Geothermal Biology and Geochemistry of Yellowstone National ParkThermal Biology Institute.
    • Amend, J. P., Rogers, K. L., Meyer-Dombard, D. R. (2004). Microbially mediated sulfur-redox: energetics in marine hydrothermal vent systems. Sulfur Biogeochemistry – Past and PresentThe Geological Society of America.
    • Amend, J. P. (2001). Hyperthermophiles and geochemical energy in the thermal springs of Panarea. Water-Rock InteractionBalkema.
    • Amend, J. P., Shock, E. L. (2000). Thermodynamics of amino acid synthesis in hydrothermal systems on early Earth. Perspectives in amino acid and protein geochemistryOxford University Press.
    • Shock, E. L., Amend, J. P., Zolotov, M. Y. (2000). The early Earth vs. the origin of life. Origin of the Earth and MoonThe University of Arizona Press.
    • Shock, E. L., Amend, J. P., Chan, G. W. (1999). Geochemistry of hydrothermal ecosystems. Geochemistry of the Earth’s surface/A.A. Balkema.
    • Helgeson, H. C., Richard, L., Owens, C. E., Amend, J. P. (1995). The organic-inorganic interface in hydrothermal systems. Water-Rock Interaction (Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction).

  • Editorships and Editorial Boards

    • Editorial Board, Astrobiology”, 2010-2011
    • Review Editor, Frontiers in Microbiology”, 2010-2011
    • Editorial Board, Geobiology”, 2010-2011
    • Editorial Board, Geochemical Transactions”, 2010-2011
    • Associate Editor, Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences”, 2010-2011