Dr. Paul D. Frymier
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Virginia: Engineering and optimization of photosynthetic routes to biohydrogen; development and implementation of biosensors and sustainable energy.
Engineering of photosystems to enhance electron transport in biological photoactive systems, optimization of biological hydrogen production, reactor design for improved yield and power in microbial fuel cells
Brief Bio
Dr. Frymier earned his B.S. degree Magna Cum Laude (1985) and his M.S. degree (1987) in Aerospace Engineering from North Carolina State University. Following his MS degree, he served in the US Peace Corps in the Gambia, West Africa until 1989. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1995. His dissertation research included experimental studies and theoretical modeling of subsurface migration and substrate degradation by chemotactic bacteria. In 1995, Dr. Frymier joined the University of Tennessee as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2001. His research projects have included the development of whole cell and enzyme-based biosensors, modeling and reactor design for the bioproduction of commodity chemicals, real-time environmental toxicity monitoring, and cell migration and chemotaxis. His current research interests include the study of microbial fuel cells and biological systems based on algae and cyanobacterial photosynthetic and electron transport systems for the production of electricity and hydrogen.
Research Areas
» Thermal and temporal stability of hydrogen from the isolated, metalized photosystems of thermophyllic cyanobacteria
» Improving the kinetics of electron transport in isolated photosystems and cytochromes
» Enhanced electricity and hydrogen production from microbial fuel cells
Selected Awards and Honors
University of Tennessee College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award, 2009
University of Tennessee Chancellor's Citation for Excellence in Teaching, 2009
University of Tennessee College of Engineering Leon and Nancy Cole Superior Teaching Award, 2007
University of Tennessee College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award for the Department of Chemical Engineering, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008
University of Tennessee Chemical Engineering Excellence Award, 2004
University of Tennessee College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award for the Department of Chemical Engineering , 1999
University of Tennessee College of Engineering Allied Signal Outstanding Faculty Teaching and Research Award, 1997
Professional Activities
» Member of AIChE
» Member of ASEE
Selected Publications
Frymier, PD, Asmiova, M, and Morton, S., "Comparison of Three Bacterial Toxicity Assays for Imidazolium-derived Ionic Liquids", Journal of
Environmental Engineering, to appear December 2009.
Myers, N, Iwuchukwu, I, Vaughn, P, O'Neill, H, Frymier, P, Bruce, B,
"Self-assembled Photosynthetic Nanoparticle for Cell-free
Hydrogen Production", in press, Nature Nanotech, 2009.
O'Lenick, Christopher J., Bienkowski, Paul R., Frymier, Paul D. and Weinstein, Richard N., "Effect of Bacterial Chemotaxis on Biodegradation in a Porous Medium," Bioremediation Journal, 12(3), 131 -144, 2008.
Weeks ML, Rahman T, Frymier PD, Islam SK, and McKnight, TE “A Reagentless Enzymatic Amperometric Biosensor Using Vertically Aligned Carbon NanoFibers (VACNF)”, Sensors & Actuators: B. Chemical, in press (Ms. Ref. No.: SNB-D-07-011202008).
Ren, S., and P.D. Frymier, “Development of a three-stage system for wastewater toxicity monitoring. A design and feasibility study”, Water Environment Research 78(9): 965-973, 2006.
Ren, S., and P.D. Frymier, “Toxicity of metals and organic chemicals evaluated with bioluminescence assays”, Chemosphere, 58 (5), 543-550, 2005.
Contact Dr. Frymier
419 Dougherty Engineering Bldg.
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-2200
Tel: (865) 974-4961
Email: pdf_at_utk_dot_edu