Fatai Olabemiwo

Affiliation

Wesleyan University

Track

Biography

Fatai A. Olabemiwo, Ph.D., recently completed his doctorate in Biology at Wesleyan University, where his research focused on evolving novel Bacillus strains capable of degrading nanoplastics while promoting plant growth. His work combined experimental evolution, genomics, and transcriptomics to identify functional adaptations that enhance plastic biodegradation under environmentally relevant conditions. Fatai has published multiple first-author papers on microbial plastic degradation, including studies on hormetic responses, genetic mutations, and plastic-induced transcriptional programs. As a graduate student, Fatai served as Vice President of the Wesleyan University Graduate Student Association, where he organized professional development initiatives and mentored undergraduates in environmental microbiology. He has presented at national and international conferences and was invited to speak as a panelist at Wesleyan’s Earth Day event. Fatai’s research addresses urgent sustainability challenges by developing practical microbial solutions to plastic pollution. His work aims to support field-deployable bioremediation strategies that are both cost-effective and scalable for agricultural and environmental use. Outside of research, Fatai enjoys ping-pong, bowling, go-karting, and exploring new cinema releases.