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EVEN PhD Candidate, Natalie Hull, was recently featured in an article written by CU Engineering explaining why she is so passionate about her research. Growing up in rural Kentucky, Hull experienced well water that had been contaminated by heavy metals from mining, and sewage from pipes emptied into a creek near her house. It is no surprise that when it came time to choose a PhD topic, she chose to focus on water purification and disinfection. 

Hull studies UV wavelength-specific molecular and cellular disinfection mechanisms and novel mercury-free UV sources for sustainable drinking water treatment in small US systems, as part of the . As a professional researcher after her MS, she studied microbial ecology of humidifiers and drinking water in Dr. Norm Pace’s Lab at CU Boulder, and studied toxicity and microbial ecology of fracking flowback in ’s Lab at CU Boulder.

Hull’s research looks into the different wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation that will best kill dangerous pathogens in the water we drink. As she put it, she is trying to “understand and optimize the molecular mechanisms of UV disinfection at all different wavelengths.” This means she experiments with different UV wavelengths, using various combinations and doses, to find the most effective means for killing microbes in drinking water.

“I’m excited to do the intense biology research that informs technology development that will help people like those in my hometown,” Hull said.