If you would like to advertise your group/personal research skills related to biofilm research, here's your chance. The following pages are being developed to allow active 'biofilmers' to post details about their work, labs, vacancies, collaborations etc. If you wish to have your information added, please mail me and I will set up the relevant space. Details of the activities of committee members can be found here.



Dr. Graeme O'May www.dundee.ac.uk/pathology/Gut/groupGTM/Graeme/GraemeOMay.html

I studied for an honours degree in Medical Microbiology at the University of Edinburgh from where I graduated in 1997. I then undertook a Ph.D. at the University of Manchester under the supervision of Drs. Peter Gilbert and David Allison; my thesis was entitled 'Microbial Spoilage of Water-in-Oil Macroemulsions'. I joined the MRC Microbiology and Gut Biology Group in October 2001. My work here, is an investigation of the composition, structure and impact of microbial biofilm growing on PEG tubes, the gastric mucosa and in the gastric lumen of enteral tube-fed patients. We hope that a greater understanding of these microcommunities will result in an increased quality of life for such patients.

I am a member of the Biofilm Club, SGM and SAM. I have a variety of interests outside the laboratory; I enjoy playing squash, reading the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and follow Formula 1 racing. I am also interested in ancient history.

Publications:

O'May GA, Madden JAJ, Kennedy A, Macfarlane S (2003). Medical aspects of gastrointestinal biofilms. In: Biofilm Communities: Order from Chaos (eds. McBain A, Allison D, Brading M, Rickard A, Verran J, Walker J). Published by BioLine for the Biofilm Club, Cardiff, pp. 13-24


Dr. Alex Rickard www.biofilms.org.uk

Alex Rickard is a Research Fellow in Microbiology in the school of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Manchester. His first degree was in Microbiology (Bachelor of Science) at the University of Birmingham (1993-1996) and subsequently gained a Masters in Applied Genetics also at the University of Birmingham (1996-1997). For his Ph.D. he studied coaggregation between freshwater biofilm bacteria at the University of Manchester under the supervision of Dr. Pauline Handley.

Presently, he is a member of Dr. Peter Gilbert's lab in the University of Manchester and is investigating disinfection kinetics in microbial aggregates as well as the expression of coaggregation and the surface polymers mediating coaggregation between aquatic bacteria.

Alex will be leaving to join Dr. Paul Kolenbrander's research group at the National Institutes of Health in Washington DC in June. He will be studying interactions between bacteria within human dental plaque.

Recent Publications:

Rickard, A.H., Leach, S.A., Buswell, C.M., High, N.J. and Handley, P.S (2000). Coaggregation between aquatic bacteria is mediated by specific-growth-phase-dependentlectin-saccharide interactions. Applied and environmental Microbiology. 66, 431-434.

Rickard, A.H., Leach, S.A, Buswell, C.M., High, N.J. and Handley, P.S. (2002). Phylogenetic relationships and coaggregation ability of freshwater biofilm bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 68, 3644-3650.

Gilbert, P., Maira-Litran, T., McBain, A.J., Rickard, A.H. and White, F. (2002). Physiology and collective recalcitrance of microbial biofilm communities. Annual Reviews in Microbiology. 46, 203- 256.

Johnson, S.J., Goddard, P.A., Lliffe, C., Timmins, B., Rickard, A.H. Robson, G.E. and Handley, P.S. (2002). Comparative Susceptibility of Resident and Transient Hand Bacteria to Para-chloro-meta-xylenol and Triclosan. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 93, 1-9.

Rickard, A.H., Kolenbrander, P.E., Handley, P.S. and Gilbert, P. (2003). Bacterial coaggregation: An integral process in multi-species biofilm development. Trends In Microbiology. 11: 94-100.

Rickard, A.H., McBain, A.J., Ledder, R.G., Handley, P.S. and Gilbert, P. (2003). Coaggregation between freshwater bacteria within planktonic and biofilm communities. FEMS Letters in Microbiology. 220: 133-140.

Rickard, A.H., Leach, S.A, High, N.J., Gilbert, P. and Handley, P.S. (2004). Expression of coaggregation adhesins and receptors by aquatic biofilm bacteria after growth at different interfaces. Journal of Applied Microbiology. In Press.


Dr. Jimmy Walker

Jimmy graduated from the University of Aberdeen where his interest in biofilms was initiated on SRB's with Professor Allan Hamilton. Whilst working at CAMR since 1988, he has worked on a wide range of microbial control measures. This included his PhD investigating control of Legionella pneumophila in water systems. More recently he has undertaken research studying microbial contamination and cross infection concerned with the use of dental unit water systems in high street surgeries. Jimmy is also currently the President of the International Biodeterioration Society.

Recent Publications

Hughes, G., North, J., Walker, J.T. and Sharp, R. (2001) Biofilms, bacteriophage interactions and bacteriophage therapy. In: Biofilm Community Interactions ? chance or necessity? Eds: Gilbert, P., Allison, D., Brading, M., Verran, J. and Walker J.T. Bioline pp 325-332.

Walker, J.T., Bradshaw, D.J., Bennett, A.M., Fulford, M., Martin, M., and Marsh, P.D. (2000). Microbial biofilm formation contamination of dental unit water systems in general dental practices. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology 66(8)- 3363-3367.

Walker, J.T., Jass, J.J. and Surman, S. (2000). (eds) Industrial Biofouling: Detection, Prevention and Control. (Eds. Walker, J.T., Jass, J.J. and Surman, S.) John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Chichester. ISBN 0-471-98866-9.

Percival, S., Walker, J.T. and Hunter, P. (2000). Biofilms and Potable Water Environments: Public Health Effects and Implications. CRC Press. ISBN 084930590X