Rudolf Jaffè, Ph.D.

Director, SERC

Professor, Chemistry (Environmental Geochemistry)

Dr. Jaffè's expertise is in the area of environmental organic geochemistry and biogeochemistry. He is particularly interested in the application of molecular marker analysis in biogeochemical cycling of carbon by determining the origin, fate and transport of organic matter in tropical and subtropical aquatic environments. This research has been focused on both present-day environments as well as paleo-reconstructions in estuarine, lacustrine and wetland ecosystems. In addition, his group is heavily involved in studying the environmental dynamics of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM), in a variety of aquatic environments ranging from the Arctic to the Tropics. These studies include the molecular characterization of DOM components using a suite of state-of-the-art analytical techniques, as well as photo-degradation and bioavailability determinations, and address issues concerning climate change, land-use and anthropogenically impacted biogeochemical cycles. His research also includes the study of DOM-Metal interactions and associated environmental implications. Analytical techniques include GC, HPLC, GC/MS, GCirMS, pyrolysis-GC/MS, GC-AED, solid state 13C- and 15N-NMR, XPS, TMAH thermo-chemolysis, SEC, and various spectroscopic techniques including Emission Excitation Matrix fluorescence with Parallel Factor Analysis.