1997 Lecturer | Dr. Peter J. Bottomly

About the Lecturer

The fourteenth annual Roscoe Ellis, Jr. Lecture was presented on 19 March 1997 by Dr. Peter J. Bottomley, Professor of Microbiology and Professor of Soil Science, Department of Microbiology and Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis. Dr. Bottomley's teaching is through the Department of Microbiology where he has responsibilities for a lecture-laboratory class in microbial ecology and a graduate-level class in environmental microbiology. He shares responsibility for the general microbiology course for undergraduate majors. Dr. Bottomley received the Carter Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching (1990) at Oregon State University.

Dr. Bottomley's research has focused around the cyanobacteria with emphasis on phosphate metabolism, phosphorylating mechanisms, control of N fixation, C and N metabolism, role of tryptophan metabolism in the control of N2 fixation, and heterocyst differentiation. Research has also focused around legumes, N fixation, and the microsymbionts Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium with emphasis on the basic science of bacterial ecology and applied aspects of the role of rhizobia on legume performance.

Current research is focused on environmental quality and the interactions between soil properties and microorganisms on the fate of agrichemicals in various cropping systems. Dr. Bottomley has authored or co-authored over 50 refereed journal articles and five book chapters. He received the Earl Price Award for Excellence in Research in 1989 from Oregon State University. Dr. Bottomley was named a Fellow in the American Society of Agronomy in 1996.