Jenine McCutcheon, University of Waterloo

Research

Bioremediation Environmental geochemistry Exopolymers Geomicrobiology Microbe-mineral interactions Microbialite Microbial mat Mineral nucleation

Latest papers

Atmospheric Deposition of Local Mineral Dust Delivers Phosphorus to the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Environmental science & technology · 2026 · first author
Microbially mediated carbon dioxide removal for sustainable mining.
PLoS biology · 2023 · first author
Mineral phosphorus drives glacier algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Nature communications · 2021 · first author

All 3 publications

Latest funding

Deciphering the structure and chemistry of microbial mat-fluid-mineral interactions in three-dimensions for application to environmental challenges
NSERC · 2021 · Principal investigator
$12,500
Deciphering the structure and chemistry of microbial mat-fluid-mineral interactions in three-dimensions for application to environmental challenges
NSERC · 2021 · Principal investigator
$120,000

All 2 grants and awards

3 publications.

01

Atmospheric Deposition of Local Mineral Dust Delivers Phosphorus to the Greenland Ice Sheet.

McCutcheon J, McQuaid JB, Canha N, Barr SL, Lutz S, Roddatis V, Mayanna S, Tedstone AJ, Tranter M, Benning LG

Environmental science & technology2026First author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c13873 PMID: 41529105

02

Microbially mediated carbon dioxide removal for sustainable mining.

McCutcheon J, Power IM

PLoS biology2023First author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002026 PMID: 36943797

03

Mineral phosphorus drives glacier algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

McCutcheon J, Lutz S, Williamson C, Cook JM, Tedstone AJ, Vanderstraeten A, Wilson S, Stockdale A, Bonneville S, Anesio AM, Yallop ML, McQuaid JB, Tranter M, Benning LG

Nature communications2021First author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20627-w PMID: 33495440

Deciphering the structure and chemistry of microbial mat-fluid-mineral interactions in three-dimensions for application to environmental challenges

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Discovery Launch Supplement

Principal investigators: McCutcheon, Jenine

$12,500

Deciphering the structure and chemistry of microbial mat-fluid-mineral interactions in three-dimensions for application to environmental challenges

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: McCutcheon, Jenine

Keywords: geomicrobiology; environmental geochemistry; microbe-mineral interactions; mineral nucleation; microbial mat; exopolymers; microbialite; bioremediation

$120,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2021

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Bioremediation Dear Professor McCutcheon, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Atmospheric Deposition of Local Mineral Dust Delivers Phosphorus to the Greenland Ice Sheet." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Deciphering the structure and chemistry of microbial mat-fluid-mineral interactions in three-dimensions for application to environmental challenges" (2021), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]