David Bressler

Biography

Dr. David Bressler is appointed with the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences where he is a Full Professor. Dr. Bressler earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Cell Biotechnology from the University of Alberta. Following his studies, Dr. Bressler held a two-year Research Manager position, under Dr. Murray Gray. The position, which included the instruction of two senior courses per year in Chemical and Materials Engineering (University of Alberta), also included an office and weekly participation at Syncrude Research.

Research Interest

Dr. Bressler’s general area of research is the industrial application of chemical, thermal, and biological systems for the catalytic conversion of conventional agricultural products to platform chemicals, fuels, and value-added commodities. The recognition of novel mechanisms and the optimization of catalytic biochemical pathways are of special interest. His research program is unique in that it utilizes a multidisciplinary approach combining industrial microbiology, biotechnology, and analytical chemistry with previous experience in petrochemical conversions and upgrading in conjunction with scale-up and engineering. Much of the biological work involves production, modification, purification, and design of biocatalytic systems. Research capacity: Dr. Bressler’s laboratory at the University of Alberta is extremely well-equipped to support a variety of research projects under the umbrella of biorefining conversions and fermentations. The laboratory boasts extensive analytical capacity including GCs with an array of detectors and a GC-MS, HPLC with DAD and RID, Rapid Resolution LC, and a microplate reader. A major feature of the lab is a fermentation suite comprised of twelve 5L and four 10L bench-scale bioreactors and five shaking incubators. The suite is supported by a full-time technician. The lab also houses a full molecular biology suite, a custom-built pyrolysis reactor, nanomembrane bioreactor, anaerobic chamber, and microscopes with phase contrast and digital image capture capability. Scale-up and engineering support by the Bio-Industrial Technologies Division of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (stationed at the University of Alberta’s Agri-Food Discovery Place) also enhances the research capacity of his group.