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Joanna Mott, Ph.D.
Chair of Life Sciences Department
Professor of Biology
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Education
- 1984 Ph.D. Soil Science (Microbiology), Texas A&M University
- 1980 M.Sc. Biology, University of Waterloo, Canada
- 1976 B.Sc. First Class Honours, Biological Sciences, University of Aston in Birmingham, U.K.
Research Interests
Dr. Mott is a Professor in the Department of Life Sciences, with research and teaching centered on environmental and public health microbiology, particularly coastal water quality issues. Her research currently focuses on recreational water quality, marine pathogens e.g. Vibrio vulnificus, and bacteria source tracking. The research laboratory, with funding through multiple grants, is very active and employs both graduate and undergraduate students. Two undergraduate students have been awarded American Society for Microbiology Undergraduate Fellowships under her mentorship. The lab is responsible for bacteria (enterococci) monitoring at 51 beach stations in the 4 local counties through the Texas Beach Watch Program, as well as examining sources of fecal indicator bacteria in several coastal water segments using a variety of current techniques. She frequently collaborates with other faculty on projects, for example on molecular characteristics of Vibrio vulnificus, mycorrhizal associations of coastal plants and microbial aspects of mariculture.
Current active projects:
- Recreational water quality assessment
- Bacteria source tracking for two coastal water segments
- Incidence and ecology of Vibrio vulnificus in south Texas coastal waters
- Antibiotic resistance profiling of environmental bacteria
- Fecal bacteria in sediments and agricultural land run-off
Publications
E.A. Casarez, S.D. Pillai, J.B. Mott, M. Vargas, K.E. Dean, and G.D. DiGiovanni. 2006. Direct comparison of four bacterial source tracking methods and use of composite data sets. Accepted. J. Appl. Microbiol. Oct. 2006
D.F. Moore, M.H. Zhowandai, D. M. Ferguson, C. McGee, J.B. Mott and C.J. Stewart*. 2006. Comparison of 16S rRNA sequencing with conventional and commercial phenotypic techniques for identification of environmental enterococci. J. Appl. Microbiol. 100:1272-1281
George D. Di Giovanni, Elizabeth A. Casarez, Joanna B. Mott, and Suresh D. Pillai. 2006. Comparison of Four Library-Dependent E. coli Source Tracking Methods for the Identification of Human and Animal Fecal Pollution American Water Works Association Water Quality Technology Conference, November 5-9, 2006, Denver, Colorado. Peer reviewed proceedings paper.
Parsons, TAMU-AREC-EP, TAMU-CC (Mott), TAMU. 2006. Assessment of bacterial sources impacting Lake Waco and Belton Lake. Final report submitted to Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board. 2005, Final version Feb. 2006.
Rifai, H., P. Jensen, J. Mott and R. Lehman. 2005. Total Maximum Daily Loads for Fecal Pathogens in Buffalo Bayou and Whiteoak Bayou. Final Report. November 2005, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. 200 pp.
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/implementation/water/tmdl/22buffalobayou/22-wo8-finalreport.pdf
Mott, J.B. and R. Lehman. 2005. Bacteria Source Tracking in Copano Bay. Submitted to Texas General Land Office, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. June 2005. 190 pp. A report of the Coastal Coordination Council pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA03NOS4190102
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/implementation/water/tmdl/42-bst-phase2finalrpt.pdf
Mott, J. and R. Lehman. 2005. Copano Bay Bacteria Source Tracking Project. Stakeholder Meeting Presentation for the Copano Bay Bacteria Total Maximum Daily Load Project. Nov. 8, 2005. Welder Wildlife Refuge.
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/implementation/water/tmdl/42-nov05-bst.pdf
Rifai, H., P. Jensen, J. Mott and R. Lehman. 2004. Total Maximum Daily Loads for Fecal Pathogens in Buffalo Bayou and Whiteoak Bayou. Final Report. September 2004, Revision January 2005. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/implementation/water/tmdl/22-whitoak-finalreport-wo6.pdf
Di Giovanni, G. D., W. Q. Betancourt, A. Galindo, A. E. Sisk, J. .Hernandez, J. B. Mott, and S. D. Pillai. 2004. Surface water sleuths:strategy for E. coli bacterial source tracking in Texas. Proceedings of the AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference, [on CD-ROM]. American Water Works Association, Denver, Colo. (full peer reviewed paper)
Mott, J.B., P.J. Brown* and J.C. Stewart*. 2003. Investigation to evaluate use of Biolog microplates (carbon source utilization) as a bacterial source tracking technique for Texas coastal waters. Final Report. Texas General Land Office. A Publication of the Coastal Coordination Council pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA07020134. 29 pp.(115 pp)
Mott, J.B., P.J. Brown* and L. Rush*. 2002. Study to compare IDEXX Enterolert with EPA Method 1600 as methods to enumerate enterococci in recreational beach waters. Final Report. Texas General Land Office. 55 pp.
Mott, J. B. and R.L. Lehman. 2002. DNA fingerprinting to identify sources of bacteria in coastal waters of Texas. Final Report – Phase III. A Publication of the Coastal Coordination Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA070Z0134.
Mott, J.B., B. E. Seidel* and S.L. Heilman*. 2001. Impact of storm drain outflow after rainfall on shoreline water quality of Corpus Christi Bay, Texas. Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program Publication #35. Sept. 2001.TNRCC. 120 pp.
Mott, J. B. and R.L. Lehman. 2001. DNA fingerprinting to identify sources of bacteria in coastal waters of Texas. Final Report – Phase II. A Publication of the Coastal Coordination Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA870Z0251. 63 pp.
Mott, J.B., S. Heilman* and B. Seidel*. 2001 Microbiological monitoring and assessment of storm drain runoff within the CBBEP project area. Final Report. Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program.
Price*, M.M. and J.B. Mott. 2001. Application of antibiotic resistance patterns to differentiate sources of Escherichia coli in coastal waters of Texas. Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission Final Report. August 2001.
Mott, J.B. 2000. Part III. Beneficial Microorganisms. Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizae. In: Compendium of Sorghum Diseases, 2nd edition. American Phytopathological Society Press, Minnesota, USA. (book chapter)
Heilman*, S.L., B. Nicolau and J.B. Mott. 2000. Fecal coliforms, enterococci, Escherichia coli and total coliforms as indicators of water quality in Oso Bay, Corpus Christi, Texas. Center for Coastal Studies Report #TAMU-CC-0001-CCS
Mott, J. B. and R.L. Lehman. 2000. DNA fingerprinting to identify sources of bacteria in coastal waters of Texas. Final Report – Phase I. 01/20/00. Contract # 99-122 R. A Publication of the Coastal Coordination Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award. 2 pp.
Keyes*, K.L., J.B. Mott, S.S. Barnes and D.A. Jensen. 1999. Remediation of brine contaminated soil using Atriplex spp. (Chenopodiaceae). Proceedings of the International Oil Spill Conference. March 7-11, 1999. Seattle, WA. (full peer reviewed paper)
