Ameet Pinto
http://www.pintolab.com/
Environmental Engineering
Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gj-0rtMAAAAJ&hl=en

Ameet Pinto

Professor, Carlton S. Wilder Early-Career Professor, Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration, Brook Byers Institute for Sustaiable Systems
Email Address
ameet.pinto@ce.gatech.edu
Telephone
404.385.4579
Office Building
Ford Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) Building
Office Room Number
3226
Biography

Dr. Ameet J. Pinto is a Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology (GT). Before that, they were an Assistant Professor at Northeastern University (NU) (2016-2021) and a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (2012-2015) at the University of Glasgow (UG), UK. Dr. Pinto’s research focuses on microbial ecosystems in the engineered water cycle with the vision of creating microbial management frameworks to maximize their beneficial and minimize their detrimental impacts. Their research has been successfully supported by a blend of government, non-profit, and industry and has been recognized by prestigious national and international awards. Dr. Pinto’s advisees have won regional/national scientific competitions, found success in industrial roles, and in academia. Dr. Pinto’s educational activities broadly cater to the training needs of environmental engineers in the classroom and the engineering profession. They have also developed a track record of professional service at the national and international levels with highly regarded professional organizations and top-tier scientific journals. 

Research

Dr. Pinto’s research involves the characterization and management of microbial communities in the engineered water cycle at the interface of environment, infrastructure, and health. Their group applies and develops experimental and computational approaches to translate ecological/physiological theory into industry practice.  

 

Education
  • B.Chem.Eng ICT, Mumbai 2003
  • M.S. (Civil Engineering) University of Alaska Fairbanks 2005
  • Ph.D. (Civil Engineering) Virginia Tech 2009
Teaching

Dr. Pinto teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on biological process design and modeling, water and wastewater treatment processes, and microbiome engineering.  

Distinctions & Awards
  • 2025 Georgia Institute of Technology CEE Research Innovation Award 
  • 2024 Fellow, International Water Association 
  • 2023 International Water Association MEWE Mid-Career Award. 
  • 2022 Selected to the “Forum on Microbial Threats”, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. 
  • 2019 Paul L Busch Award for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research, The Water Research Foundation. 
  • 2019 CEE Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Virginia Tech 
  • 2018 International Society of Microbial Ecology and International Water Association’s joint BioCluster Award (Rising Star category) 
  • 2018 National Science Foundation Early Faculty CAREER Award 
  • 2015 Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Bright IDEAS Award, UK 
  • 2014 Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Sponsorship Award, UK 
Publications
  1. Khan, F., Gincley, B., Busch, A., Tolofari, D.L., Norton, J.W., Varga, E., McKay, R.M.L, Fuentes-Cabrera, M., Slawecki, T., Pinto, A.J. Integrating machine learning with flow-imaging microscopy for automated monitoring of algal blooms. Environmental Science & Technology. 59(7) 19885-19898. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c06078 
  2. Gincley, B., Khan, F., Alam, M.M., Hartnett, E., Kim, G-Y., Molitor, H., Fisher, A., Bradley, I., Guest, J.S., Pinto, A.J. (2025). Morphotype-resolved characterization of microalgal communities in a nutrient recovery process with ARTiMiS flow imaging microscopy. Water Research.  (283) 123801. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.123801 
  3. He, H., Huo, L., Oosthuizen-Vosloo, S., Pieper, K., Stubbins, A., Yoon, B., and Pinto, A.J. (2025) Building plumbing influences the microdiversity and community assembly of the drinking water microbiome. Water Research. 123244. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.123244. 
  4. Sudharshan, A., Dai, Z., Gabrielli, M.#, Oosthuizen-Vosloo, S., Konstantinidis, K.T., and Pinto, A.J. (2024). New drinking water genome catalog identifies a globally distributed bacterial genus adapted to disinfected drinking water systems. Environmental Science and Technology. 58(37) 16475-16487. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c05086 
  5. Gincley, B., Khan, F., Hartnett, E., Fisher, A., and Pinto, A.J. (2024) Introducing ARTiMiS: A low cost flow imaging microscope for microalgal monitoring. Environmental Science and Technology. 58(30) 13023-13034. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01928 
  6. Johnston, J., Vilardi, K., Cotto, I., Sudarshan, A., Bian, K., Klaus, S., Bachmann, M., Parson, M., Wilson, C., Bott, C., and Pinto, A.J. (2024). Metatranscriptomic analysis reveals synergistic activities of comammox and anammox bacteria in full-scale attached growth nitrogen removal system. Environmental Science and Technology. 58(29) 13023-13034. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04375 
  7. Vilardi, K., Johnston, J., Dai, Z., Cotto, I., Tuttle, E., Patterson, A., Stubbins, A., Pieper, K., and Pinto, A.J. (2024). Nitrogen source influences the interactions of comammox bacteria with aerobic nitrifiers. Microbiology Spectrum. 12 (5), e03181-23. 10.1128/spectrum.03181-23 
  8. Gabrielli, M., Dai, Z., Delafont, V., Timmers, P., van der Wielen, P., Antonelli, M., and Pinto, A.J. (2023). Identifying eukaryotes in drinking water metagenomes and factors influencing their biogeography.  Environmental Science & Technology. 57, 3645-3660. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09010  
  9. Vosloo, S., Huo, L., Chauhan, U., Cotto, I., Gincley, B., Vilardi, K., Yoon, B., Pieper, K.J., Stubbins, A., and Pinto, A.J. (2023) Gradual recovery of building plumbing-associated microbial communities after extended periods of altered water demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Environmental Science & Technology 57(8): 3248-3259. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07333  
  10. Cotto, I., Vilardi, K.J. , Huo, L., Fogarty, E.C., Khunjar, W., Wilson, C., De Clippeleir, H., Gilmore, K., Bailey, E., Lucker, S., Pinto, A.J. (2023). Low diversity and microdiversity of comammox bacteria in wastewater systems suggests wastewater-specific adaptation within the Ca. Nitrospira nitrosa cluster. Water Research. 229(1): 119497. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119497.  

In the News

Three researchers pose with their technology

Georgia Tech Researchers Commercialize New Technology for Faster Water and Environmental Monitoring

Skopii helps water utilities, environmental teams, and industry partners quickly understand what is happening with microbiology in the environment and engineered systems without waiting for complex lab tests. The platform combines a compact imaging device with built-in artificial intelligence that analyzes samples on the spot. 

Georgia Tech Research
Read more about Georgia Tech Researchers Commercialize New Technology for Faster Water and Environmental Monitoring
Four people pose in front of a table in a conference room

Environmental Engineering Team Named Finalist in Nationwide Algae Competition

A Georgia Tech team was one of the four top finalists selected to win $10,000 in the 2022-2023 AlgaePrize Competition. The competition is hosted by The U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), in partnership with the Algae Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Read more about Environmental Engineering Team Named Finalist in Nationwide Algae Competition