Im’s overarching research goal is to promote the development of sustainable biotechnologies for Water-Energy-Health-Climate nexus, by examining diverse catabolic activities of microbes, and by harnessing their activities for environmental engineering applications. In this vein, his primary research focus includes: (a) investigating biological and biologically mediated abiotic (BMAD) processes that influence contaminant fate and nutrient cycling in natural and engineered systems; (b) deciphering plant-microbe interactions using plant cell cultures for environmental engineering applications; (c) developing biotechnologies for control, reduction and utilization of greenhouse gases (CH4, N2O and fluorinated gases); and (d) understanding fate of emerging contaminants in the context of human health.
