Environmental Research Institute

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Biotechnology & Bioresources

We are committed to harnessing and exploiting the chemical and biological diversity of the Highlands and Islands region for the benefit of society. The main challenge and a key priority is the development of sustainable products and processes.

This has led to our research in developing new products such as pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals and waste treatment products. We are working to do this through the sustainable exploitation of the chemical and biological diversity of the region.

Again this is work which is made so much more possible because of the outstanding location of ERI.

Even though there has been a great deal of effort on the part of synthetic chemists, it still remains that natural products, from plants and bacteria, continue to be the main sources of new bioactive metabolites for medicinal applications.

There are a number of examples of this at ERI. For example, in a collaborative programme with Strathclyde University and a number of biotechnology companies, researchers at ERI are exploring the potential of seaweeds as a source of novel bioactive compounds for development as pharmaceuticals.

This kind of research is necessarily multidisciplinary and involves chemists, biologists and pharmacists in the isolation and characterisation of chemical compounds. This is done using of state-of-the-art analytical techniques with a suite of bioassays (for instance, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell and enzyme based assays) used to guide the isolation of active metabolites.


Narrative

  • Biotechnology & Bioresources

Research Priorities

  • Waste treatment
  • Chemical screening of native species
  • Resources for the renewable energy sector
  • Development of analytical techniques

Sub Themes

  • Marine Natural Products - Novel bioactive metabolites from marine micro- and macro- organisms.
  • Biosorption - Removal of organic and metal pollutants in liquid waste streams using natural materials.
  • Metabolomics - Analysis of products for key chemical and biochemical characteristics.
  • Biofuels - Chemical, biological and physical specification of feedstocks, products and wastes.

Staff

Students

Publications / Reports

Publications:

  • Shuguang Lu, Stuart W. Gibb
    Copper removal from wastewater using spent-grain as biosorbent
    Bioresource Technology 99 (2008) 1509-1517
  • Shuguang Lu, Stuart W. Gibb and Emma Cochrane
    Effective removal of zinc ions from aqueous solutions using crab carapace biosorbent
    Journal of Hazardous Materials, 149 (1), 208-217, 2007
    doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.01.054
  • Bridgeman,T.G, Darvell, L.I, Jones, J.M, Williams, P.T, Fahmi, R, Bridgwater, A.V, Barraclough, T, Shield, I, Yates, N and Thain, S.T. Influence of particle size on the analytical and chemical properties of two energy crops. Fuel. 2007. Vol. 86. Is. 1-2, 60-70.
  • Fahmi, R, Bridgwater, A.V, Darvell, L.I, Jones, J.M, Yates, N, Thain, S.C and Donnison, I.S. The effect of alkali metals on combustion and pyrolysis of  Lolium , Festuca pratensis, switchgrass and willow. Fuel, 2007, Vol 86, 10-11, 1560-1569.
  • Thain, S.C, Robson, P, Mur,L, Wilson,J. Cellular metabolomic chemical imaging for fingerprinting and targeted analysis: the application of focal plane array Fourier-transform infrared microscopy to study plant development. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 2007, Vol 146A, 4, S268-S296
  • Fahmi,R, Bridgwater, AV, Thain, S.C, Yates, N, Donnison,I.S, Morris P.M., Yates, N. Prediction of Klason lignin and lignin thermal degredation products by Py-GC/MS in a collection of Lolium and Festuca grasses, Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2007, Vol 80, 1, 16-23.
  • E. L. Cochrane, S. Lu, S. W. Gibb and I. Villaescusa
    A comparison of low-cost biosorbents and commercial sorbents for the removal of copper from aqueous media
    Journal of Hazardous Materials, 137 (1), 198-206, 2006 doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.01.054
  • Halpin, C., Thain, S. C., Tilston, E. L., Guiney, E., Lapierre, C., Hopkins, D. W. Ecological impacts of trees with modified lignin. Tree Genetics & Genomes.. 2006.  On line 10.1007/s11295-006-0060-2.
  • Thain, S. C., Morris P., Hawkins S., Morris C., Donnison I.S. Screening of perennial grasses and a mutant maize collection by Fourier-Transform Infra Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy for improved biofule Traits. in Molecular breeding for the genetic improvement of forage crops and turf. 2005 P 173 Wageningen Academic Publishers.
  • Thain, S. C. Vandenbussche, F. Laarhoven, L. J. J. Dowson-Day, M. J. Wang, Z. Y. Tobin, E. M. Harren, F. J. M. Millar, A. J. Straeten D. van der Circadian rhythms of ethylene emission in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 2004. 136: 3, 3751-37.
  • I.B. Rae and S.W. Gibb
    Removal of metals from aqueous solutions using natural chitinous materials
    Water Science & Technology Vol 47 No 10 pp 189-196, 2003
  • Burgess, J. G , Boyd, K.G., Armstrong, E., Jiang, Z., Yan, L., Berggren, M., May, U., Pisacane, T.,
    Granmo, A. & Adams, D. (2003) The development of a marine natural product-based antifouling paint. Biofouling, 19 (Supplement), 197-205.
  • Yan, L, Boyd, K.G., Adams, D.R., Burgess, J.G. (2003) Biofilm-Specific Cross-Species Induction of
    Antimicrobiol Compounds in Bacilli. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 69, 3719-3727.
  • Thain, S. C., Murtas, G. Lynn, J. R. McGrath, R. B. Millar, A. J. The circadian clock that controls gene expression in Arabidopsis is tissue specific. Plant Physiol 2002. 130: 1, 102-110.
  • Diaz, M.-P., Boyd, K.G., Grigson, S.J.W. & Burgess, J.G. (2002) Biodegradation of crude oil across a wide range of salinities by an extremely-halotolerant bacterial consortium MPD-M, immobilised onto polypropylene fibres. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 79, 145-153.
  • Jiang, Z., Barret, M., Boyd, K.G., Adams, D.R. & Burgess J.G. (2002) JM47, a cyclic tetrapeptide from a marine Fusarium species. Phytochemistry, 60, 33-38.
  • Yan, L., Boyd, K.G. & Burgess, J.G. (2002) The effect of a roller bottle tidal simulation cultivation method on the production of antimicrobial compounds by marine epibiotic bacteria. Marine Biotechnology 4, 356-366.
  • Armstrong, E., Yan, L., Boyd, K.G., Wright, P.C. & Burgess, J.G. (2001) The symbiotic role of marine microbes on living surfaces. Hydrobiologia, 461, 37-40.
  • Armstrong, E., Boyd, K.G. & Burgess, J.G. (2000) Prevention of marine biofouling using natural compounds from marine organisms. Biotechnology Annual Review 6, 221-241.
  • Armstrong, E., Boyd, K.G., Pisacane, A., Peppiat, C.J. & Burgess, J. G. (2000) Marine microbial natural products in antifouling coatings. Biofouling, 16, 215-224.
  • Jiang, Z., Boyd, K.G., Mearns-Spragg, A., Wright, P.C., & Burgess, J. G. (2000) Two diketopiperazines and one halogenated phenol from cultures of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonus luteoviolacea. Natural Products Letters, 14, 435-440.
  • Burgess, J. G., Mearns-Spragg, A., Boyd, K.G. & Bregu, M. (1999). Microbial antagonism: A new avenue in natural products research. Journal of Biotechnology 70, 27-32
  • Boyd, K.G., Mearns-Spragg, A. & Burgess, J. G. (1999) Screening of marine bacteria for the production of microbial repellents using a spectrophotometric assay. Marine Biotechnology 1, 359-363.
  • Boyd, K.G., Adams, D.R. & Burgess, J. G. (1999) Antibacterial and repellent activity of marine bacteria
    associated with algal surfaces. Biofouling 14, 227-236.

Current / recent projects

Current:

  • PhD Studentship. Emma Cochrane. Novel solutions for the remediation of contaminated water. - UHI Millennium Insititute PhD with Dr S Lu (East China University of Science and Technology) and Prof. I Villaescusa (Universitat de Girona)
  • PhD Studentship. Ian Rae. Use of natural products in the purification of potable waters and treatment of wastewater. - UHI Millennium Institute PhD Studentship, with Dr S. Lu (East China University of Science and Technology)
  • PhD studentship. Daine Ruchonnet. The microbial chemical ecology of Halidrys siliquosa. - UHI Millennium Institute PhD Studentship, with Dave Adams (Heriot-Watt University)
  • PhD Studentship. Robbie Mutton. Phytochemistry of Scottish Seaweeds. - Advancing Research Capacity PhD with Dr. Sandy Grey (Strathclyde University)
  • MSc Studentship. Tereza Garzon. Development of a biochemical screening method for the chemical specification of plant biomass crops. - UHI Millennium Institute MSc Studentship.
  • MSc Studentship. Colin Risbridger. Fertiliser value of anaerobic digestate. - UHI Millennium Institute MSc Studentship.
  • MSc Studentship. Chris Perkins. Local woodfuel supply chains in Highland Scotland: identification of barriers and development of model for local woodfuel supply. - UHI Millennium Institute MSc Studentship with Dr Melanie Smith (Inverness College) and Dr. Geoff Sellers (Orkney College).
  • MSc Studentship. Burkart Dietrich. Establishment of willow plantaions for energy production on Orkney. - UHI Millennium Institute MSc Studentship with Dr Melanie Smith (Inverness College) and Dr. Geoff Sellers (Orkney College).
  • Research Grant. Strategies for the Enhancement of Antibiotic Production by Marine Bacteria. - Nuffield Foundation (NAL/00685/G)
  • Research Grant. Signal molecules for drug discovery applications in marine biotechnology. - UHI Millennium Institute KT Award.

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  • The North Highland College
  • UHI Millennium Institute
  • Highlands and Islands Enterprise
  • Scottish Funding Council
  • EUROPA (European Union Online Portal)