UC Santa Barbara chemical engineering and bioengineering professor Michelle O’Malley has been selected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the highest distinctions awarded by the organization which has more than 260,000 members in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields. O'Malley was one of fifty-nine researchers selected as Fellows in the Class of 2026.
The Cliff R. Scholle Professor of Chemical Engineering was recognized for “novel contributions to advance environmental biotechnology through the isolation, characterization, and engineering of unusual microbes and microbial consortia for sustainable chemical production, bioremediation, and natural product discovery.” Beyond her research contributions, the committee praised her service and leadership within ACS, noting her role in “improving programming and establishing a leadership pipeline for the division through consistent service as [The Division of Biochemical Technology (BIOT)] BIOT Division Chair, Program Chair, and for leading cross-division collaborations on the chemistry of microbes.”
“Being named an ACS Fellow is especially meaningful because my work has always lived at the intersection of engineering, chemistry, and microbiology,” O’Malley said. “I’m honored to have been nominated by the Division of Biochemical Technology within ACS. BIOT has been my intellectual home since I was a graduate student. It’s a unique division within ACS because BIOT’s membership is equally divided between academia and industry – this network has helped me and my research team maintain a balance between basic science discovery and translation into industry.”
O’Malley directs the National Science Foundation BioFoundry for Extreme and Exceptional Bacteria, Archaea, and Fungi, known as ExFAB. Established through a six-year, $22 million NSF grant, the open-access facility gives researchers at UCSB and across the country the specialized tools needed to study microbes that are difficult, and in some cases nearly impossible, to grow and analyze in conventional laboratories.
Her group is particularly interested in microorganisms that thrive in complex environments, from compost piles and soil to the seafloor and the digestive systems of large herbivores and even humans. By uncovering how those organisms break down plant matter, neutralize waste, and produce valuable molecules and metabolites, the researchers aim to develop cleaner approaches to manufacturing chemicals, remediating pollution, and discovering new medicines.
That expertise recently earned O’Malley’s team a place in the inaugural phase of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, a national effort to use artificial intelligence and advanced scientific tools to accelerate discovery. Her project will generate detailed experimental data to help AI predict how complex communities of microbes will behave. The long-term goal is to design microbial communities that can reliably break down plant material and convert it into useful chemicals and other products, work that will draw on the specialized anaerobic research capabilities available through ExFAB.
The ACS distinction adds to a long list of honors for O’Malley. She has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Department of Energy Early Career Award, and the Allan P. Colburn Award for Excellence in Publications by a Young Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She is also an elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Academy of Microbiology.
