Krassimira R. Hristova is a Research Associate Professor of Environmental Microbiology in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at the University of California, Davis, CA. Dr. Hristova's research interests include biodegradation and bioremediation of MTBE and gasoline contaminants; quantitative molecular methods in microbial ecology, genome analyses of environmental organisms, and molecular biosensors for environmental monitoring. She has a BS in Biology, and MS and PhD, in Microbiology, from the "Sent Kliment Ochridski University", Sofia, Bulgaria. Dr. Hristova's research activities in the last ten years include understanding the complex role of microbial communities and environmental factors in biodegradation of MTBE and BTEX in field experiments at Port Hueneme, North Hollywood, Site 60 at Vandenberg, and Glennville, California. Her recent work contributed to elucidation of aerobic MTBE degradation pathway and the effects of MTBE and BTEX exposure on microbial community structure and function.