Dr. Maier investigates of the ability of bacteria to survive in extremely oligotrophic environments and development of a fundamental understanding of the biological factors and processes influencing the transport and fate of bacteria and contaminants in the environment. Also the study of microbial surfactants (biosurfactants) including discovery of new biosurfactants, elucidation of the role of biosurfactants in microbial survival, and the development of potential biomedical and environmental applications for these fascinating molecules.