Kevin Drace, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor of Biology

My laboratory works with small-scale gold miners in Africa and Latin America.

Globally, over 10 million people (including many women and children) risk their health and safety to mine for gold because they lack a better alternative. These communities face many problems, including the continued use of mercury in the gold mining process. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that can cause severe health complications, but unfortunately many miners see it as an essential part of the process. In fact, small-scale gold mining is now the largest source of global mercury pollution. We work with these communities to reduce mercury pollution through educational programs and training workshops.

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From a microbiology perspective, my laboratory studies what happens to mercury when it gets into the environment. Mercury doesn’t break down over time; however, under the certain circumstances bacteria can transform mercury into a form that allows it to accumulate in living organisms. With a better understanding or the factors that impact these biochemical reactions in bacteria, we may be able to decrease the impact of mercury pollution in these communities.