Bio

Hector Hugo Hernández is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Chemistry at MIT in 2008 and worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate with Prof. Janelle Thompson in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

While a student at MIT, he earned the MIT Energy Initiative Fellowship (2008-2010), the NIH/NIGMS Ruth L. Kirschstein Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (2004-2006), and participated in the NIH Biotechnology Training Program, MIT (2001-2004). Hernández's student service to the Institute in the spirit of Dr. King was recognized with a 2003 MLK Leadership Award.

As an MLK Visiting Scholar, Prof. Hernández continued his innovative research on aqueous phase microbial growth within a supercritical CO2 atmosphere. The work will contribute significantly to understanding the biochemical reactions associated with subsurface injection and storage of CO2. He also led a team of graduate and undergraduate students in the characterization of microbial communities isolated from a Carbon Sequestration injection site.

Since his time at MIT, Dr. Hernández’s Microbial Environmental and Chemical Engineering Laboratory (MECEL) at Masdar has focused on applying biotechnology tools and engineering principles to microbial systems to address challenges facing society in the areas of energy, climate change, diminishing nutritional resources, and bioremediation of ecosystems in the United Arab Emirates.

Publications

Selected Publications:

• Mieseler M, Atiyeh MN, Hernandez HH, Ahmad F. Direct enrichment of perchlorate reducing microbial community for efficient electroactive perchlorate reduction in biocathodes. J. of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, 8 August 2013. Published Online 8 August 2013

• Santos S., Stefancich M, Hernandez HH, Chiesa M, Thomson NH. Hydrophylicity of a single DNA molecule. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2012, 116 (4), pp 2807–2818

• Akerboom J, Vélez Rivera JD, Rodríguez Guilbe MM, Alfaro Malavé EC, Hernandez HH, Tian L, Hires SA, Marvin JS, Looger LL, Schreiter ES. Crystal structures of the GCaMP calcium sensor reveal the mechanism of fluorescence signal change and aid rational design. J. Biol. Chem., Mar 2009; 284: 6455 - 6464

• Hernandez HH, Jaquez OJ, Hamill MJ, Elliott SJ, Drennan CL. Thioredoxin Reductase from T. Acidophilum: a new twist on redox regulation. Biochemistry. 2008 Sep 16;47(37):9728-37
• Hamill MJ, Chobot SE, Hernandez HH, Drennan CL, Elliott SJ. Direct electrochemical analyses of a thermophilic thioredoxin reductase: interplay between conformational change and redox chemistry. Biochemistry. 2008 Sep 16;47(37):9738-46
• Chobot SE, Hernandez HH, Drennan CL, Elliott SJ. Direct Electrochemical Characterization of Archaeal Thioredoxins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2007; 46(22) :4145-7

• Midelfort KS, Hernandez HH, Lippow SM, Tidor B, Drennan CL, Wittrup KD. Substantial energetic improvement with minimal structural perturbation in a high affinity mutant antibody. J Mol Biol. 2004 Oct 22;343(3):685-701

• Barber MJ, Desai SK, Marohnic CC, Hernandez HH, Pollock VV.  Synthesis and bacterial expression of a gene encoding the heme domain of assimilatory nitrate reductase. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2002 Jun 1;402(1):38-50.

 Conference Papers

• Al Harethi A, Rodriguez J, Hernandez HH. Isolation and characterization of microalgae strains for biopolymer and bioplastic production, ANTEC Mumbai, Society of Plastic Engineers, Mumbai, India, 2012
• Al Harethi A, Rodriguez J, Hernandez HH. Isolation and characterization of high saline tolerant algae strains from the United Arab Emirates, EnerBiomassa’12, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, 2012
• Alhajeri T, Rodriguez J, Hernandez HH. Analysis of ballast water microorganisms and their inactivation using approved IMO technologies, Emirati Swiss Friendship Forum, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2012
• Vergnetti G, Tsai IT, Hernandez HH, Al Hajri T. Integration of Ballast Water Treatment and Fresh Water Production for Abu Dhabi: An Economic Assessment, COSA 2012, Bangkok, Thailand, 2011
• Kida Y, Ates A, Hernandez HH, Timko MT, Green WH. Supercritical water desulfurization of model sulfur compounds, 9th International Symposium on Heavy Oil Upgrading, Production and Characterization, ACS National Meeting, San Diego, California, USA, 2012

At MIT

MIT welcomes 8 MLK visiting professors and scholars
September 17, 2010

Faculty discuss curriculum, endowment
October 25, 2006

Academic Resource Center awards
June 1, 2005

Housing help proposed for faculty
March 24, 2005

News You Can Use
March 16, 2005

Professor King, graduate student, alumna win MLK Leadership awards
​February 5, 2003