Gabrielle Scheffer

Biography

Gabrielle joined the Geomicrobiology research group in 2020 as a PhD candidate working on the effects of microorganisms during shale operations. Gabrielle obtained her bachelor’s degree from University of Sherbrooke in Quebec in Microbiology and Molecular Biology with the only goal in mind of working in environmental microbiology. This led her to pursue her MSc degree with Dr. Lisa Gieg at the University of Calgary on the development of a biotechnological tool to replace the current use of toxic chemicals to degrade gelling agents during hydraulic fracturing processes. Her interest in hydraulic fracturing and environmental sciences then led her to the Geomicrobiology group to pursue her doctorate. Gabrielle’s PhD project will investigate the provenance and dispersion methods of halothermophilic spore-forming bacteria in hydraulic fracturing operations to control their detrimental effects, such as souring, corrosion, and bioplugging.