My research interests revolve around developing sustainable solutions for environmental problems by utilizing the symbiosis between humans and nature. In the Taillefert lab I study how we can use uranium-breathing bacteria to clean up uranium-contaminated groundwater at nuclear facilities.  Cost-effective remediation strategies that address nuclear waste spills are necessary to ensure that nuclear power is a safe alternative to fossil fuels.  My dissertation investigates the duality of uranium as both a toxic contaminant and an energy source for bacteria and the geochemical conditions that control the fate of uranium in the subsurface. 

Keaton completed his B.S. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech in 2010 and recently received the Best Talk Award at the 2013 EAS Graduate Student Symposium.  He currently serves on the steering committee for the Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium and is the founder and organizer of the Careers in Science seminar series.  Outside of the lab, Keaton can be found throwing pottery, globetrotting, or rocking out to live music.