A5070607195- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Diatoms and Algae Research
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Odor and Emission Control Technologies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Vehicle emissions and performance
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- Water resources management and optimization
- Groundwater and Watershed Analysis
- Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Polar Research and Ecology
Environment Agency
2006-2024
Horizon House
2017
University of East London
2000-2003
Abstract There are many ecological diversity measures, but their suitability for use with highly diverse bacterial communities is unclear and seldom considered. We assessed a range of species richness evenness/dominance indices, the abundance models using samples bacteria from zinc-contaminated control soils. Bacteria were assigned to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis 236 clones each soil. The reduced apparent in contaminated soil was reflected...
Abstract The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in biodiversity assessments offers a step-change sensitivity, throughput and simultaneous measures ecosystem diversity function. There remains, however, need to examine eDNA persistence the wild through temporal biota. Here, we metabarcoding two markers different lengths, derived from an annual time series aqueous lake shifts ecologically important group macroinvertebrates (Diptera: Chironomidae). analyses allow levels detection validation taxon...
New applications of DNA and RNA sequencing are expanding the field biodiversity discovery ecological monitoring, yet questions remain regarding precision efficiency. Due to primer bias, ability metabarcoding accurately depict biomass different taxa from bulk communities remains unclear, while PCR-free whole mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) may provide a more reliable alternative. Here, we used set documented mock comprising 13 species freshwater macroinvertebrates estimated individual...
The sampling of environmental DNA (eDNA) coupled with cost-efficient and ever-advancing sequencing technology is propelling changes in biodiversity monitoring within aquatic ecosystems. Despite the increasing number eDNA metabarcoding approaches, ability to quantify species biomass abundance natural systems still not fully understood. Previous studies have shown positive but sometimes weak correlations between estimates from data conventional capture methods. As both methods independent...
Abstract Anthropogenically forced changes in global freshwater biodiversity demand more efficient monitoring approaches. Consequently, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is enabling ecosystem-scale assessment, yet the appropriate spatio-temporal resolution of robust assessment remains ambiguous. Here, using intensive, eDNA sampling across space (five rivers Europe and North America, with an upper range 20–35 km between samples), time (19 timepoints 2017 2018) conditions (river flow, pH,...
Recent advances in molecular biomonitoring open new horizons for aquatic ecosystem assessment. Rapid and cost-effective methods based on organismal DNA or environmental (eDNA) now offer the opportunity to produce inventories of indicator taxa that can subsequently be used assess biodiversity ecological quality. However, integration these DNA-based into current monitoring practices is not straightforward, will require coordinated actions coming years at national international levels. To plan...
Abstract. Microorganisms were discovered in clouds over 100 years ago but information on bacterial community structure and function is limited. Clouds may not only be a niche within which bacteria could thrive they might also influence dynamic processes using ice nucleating cloud condensing abilities. Cloud rain samples collected from two mountains the Outer Hebrides, NW Scotland, UK. Community composition was determined combination of amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis...
Fundamental differences in the nature of diatom assemblage composition data generated using light microscopy and molecular barcoding create problems when applying current paradigms metrics developed for ecological assessment. We therefore describe development a new metric designed specifically rbcL barcode gathered high throughput sequencing (HTS). Although structure datasets collected HTS is similar to that (LM), proportions key species between two methods mean use LM on gives biased...
Endotoxin is a bioaerosol component that known to cause respiratory effects in exposed populations. To date, most research focused on occupational exposure, whilst much less about the impact of emissions from industrial operations downwind endotoxin concentrations. A review literature was undertaken, identifying studies reported concentrations both ambient environments and around sources with high emissions. Ambient rural urban areas are generally below 10 units (EU) m−3; however,...
Biofilm-dwelling microorganisms coat the surfaces of stones in river and stream ecosystems, forming diverse communities that are fundamental to biogeochemical processes ecosystem functioning. Flowing water (lotic) ecosystems under pressure from a wide range interacting stressors including changes land use, chemical pollution, climate. Despite their ecological importance, taxonomic functional diversity biofilms responses environmental change limited by lack understanding composition...
A nondestructive, chemical-free method is presented for the extraction of DNA from small insects. Blackflies were submerged in sterile, distilled water and sonicated varying lengths time to provide which was assessed terms quantity, purity amplification efficiency. verified barcode produced extracted blackfly larvae, pupae adult specimens. 60-second sonication period found release highest quality quantity although efficiency be similar regardless time. Overall, a 66% observed. Examination...
Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is transforming biodiversity monitoring in aquatic environments. Such an approach has been developed and deployed for lake fish communities Great Britain, where the method repeatedly shown a comparable or better performance than conventional approaches. Previous analyses indicated that 20 water samples per are sufficient to reliably estimate species richness, but it unclear how reduced eDNA sampling effort affects other estimates metrics. As number of...
Bioaerosol emissions arising from biowaste treatment are an issue of public concern. To better characterise the bioaerosols, and to assess a range measurement methods, we aerosolised green waste compost under controlled conditions. Viable non-viable Andersen samplers, cyclone samplers real time bioaerosol detection system (Spectral Intensity Sensor (SIBS)) were deployed simultaneously. The number-weighted fraction fluorescent particles was in 22–26% all for low high emission scenarios....
Abstract The sampling of environmental DNA (eDNA) coupled with cost-efficient and ever-advancing sequencing technology is propelling changes in biodiversity monitoring within aquatic ecosystems. Despite the growth metabarcoding approaches, ability to quantify species biomass abundance natural systems remains a major challenge. Few studies have examined association between eDNA data inferred by whole-organism sampling, mesocosms or mock communities, interpretation reads as measure number...
A novel dual excitation wavelength based bioaerosol sensor with multiple fluorescence bands called Spectral Intensity Bioaerosol Sensor (SIBS) has been assessed across five contrasting outdoor environments. The mean concentrations of total and fluorescent particles the sites were highly variable being highest at agricultural farm (2.6 cm-3 0.48 cm-3, respectively) composting site (2.32 0.46 lowest dairy (1.03 0.24 sewage treatment works 0.25 respectively). In contrast, number-weighted...
Bioaerosols are released in elevated quantities from composting facilities and associated with negative health effects, although dose-response relationships unclear. Exposure levels difficult to quantify as established sampling methods costly, time-consuming current data provide limited temporal spatial information. Confidence dispersion model outputs this context would be advantageous a more detailed exposure assessment. We present the calibration validation of recognised atmospheric (ADMS)...
Bioaerosols are released in elevated quantities from composting facilities and associated with negative health effects, although dose-response relationships not well understood, require improved exposure classification. Dispersion modelling has great potential to improve classification, but yet been extensively used or validated this context. We present a sensitivity analysis of the ADMS dispersion model specific input parameter ranges relevant bioaerosol emissions open windrow composting....
DNA sequencing of diatom assemblages from biofilms has already been used to assess the ecological status freshwater in UK. However, recent work using data these suggests that alternate metrics capture broader taxonomic and functional information demonstrate importance microbial could be useful. Exploring this potential requires large numbers samples over time space analysed. Sample archives meet need, but compositional stability communities stored biofilm for more than one year is uncertain....
During the past decade genetic approaches have been developed to monitor biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. These enable access taxonomic and information from biological communities using DNA environmental samples (e.g. water, biofilm, soil) methods based on high-throughput sequencing technologies, such as metabarcoding. Within context of Water Framework Directive (WFD), could be applied assess Biological Quality Elements (BQE). are used indicators ecological status ecosystems part national...
Bacteria associated with leachate from a constructed, surface-flow wetland effective at removing ammonium-N, were characterised using molecular methods which bypass the need for cultivation. DNA was extracted sample and bacterial 16S rDNA sequences amplified cloned. Ninety-six individual clones re-amplified analysed by restriction digestion targeted sequencing. A collector's curve used to estimate total number of groups (operational taxonomic units, OTUs) in 47. Thirty-six representing 28...
Abstract. Microorganisms were discovered in clouds over 100 years ago but information on bacterial community structure and function is limited. Clouds may not only be a niche within which bacteria could thrive they might also influence dynamic processes using ice nucleating cloud condensing abilities. Cloud rain samples collected from two mountains the Outer Hebrides, NW Scotland, UK. Community composition was determined combination of amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis...