Rate My Professor Kara De León

Kara De León, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma. She earned a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry with a minor in Spanish from Northwest Nazarene University in 2006, a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Montana State University in 2013, and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biochemistry at the University of Missouri in 2018. Her career includes roles as a research technician and assistant at Northwest Nazarene University (2004-2007), graduate research assistant at Montana State University's Center for Biofilm Engineering (2007-2013), postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Missouri as part of the Department of Energy's ENIGMA Science Focus Area (2013-2018), research scientist at the University of Missouri (January-August 2019), and Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology at the University of Oklahoma since August 2019, with promotion to Associate Professor.

De León's research in environmental microbiology, microbial genetics, and computational biology employs genomics, high-throughput and targeted mutant generation, and molecular methods to identify genetic requirements for microbial functions, particularly adaptation of anaerobic microbes in biofilms. Her interests encompass genetic drivers for sulfate-reducing bacteria phenotypes in subsurface environments, biofilm formation by Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, molybdate inhibition mechanisms, sulfonate utilization, wastewater-based epidemiology for pathogen monitoring, and microbial susceptibility to biocides under environmental stressors in oil and gas systems. She has received the OU Vice President for Research & Partnerships Award for Excellence in Transdisciplinary Convergent Research (2022), University of Oklahoma Junior Faculty Fellowship (2020), Missouri Branch American Society for Microbiology Peggy Cotter Travel Award (2019), American Society for Microbiology Travel Awards (2013, 2017), NSF-IGERT Fellowship (2008-2013), and Molecular Biosciences Program Fellowship (2007-2013). Key publications include Philo SE et al., 'Wastewater surveillance for bacterial targets: current challenges and future goals' (Appl Environ Microbiol, 2023); Jenneman GE and De León KB, 'Environmental stressors alter the susceptibility of microorganisms to biocides in upstream oil and gas systems' (Int Biodeterior Biodegrad, 2022); De León KB, 'mSphere of Influence: surface sensing in biofilm formation' (mSphere, 2021); Zane GM et al., 'Novel mode of molybdate inhibition of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough' (Front Microbiol, 2020); and De León KB et al., 'Unintended laboratory-driven evolution reveals genetic requirements for biofilm formation by Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough' (mBio, 2017).