Research interests: Biochemistry of chemolithotrophic sulfur bacteria and of methylotrophic bacteria; phylogeny and classification of sulfur bacteria and methylotrophs; origins and causes of the obligately autotrophic mode of metabolism; phylogeny, taxonomy and discrimination between species of Mycoplasma.
Organisms of interest: Thiobacillus spp., Starkeya spp., Halothiobacillus spp., Acidithiobacillus spp., Thermithiobacillus spp., Hyphomicrobium spp., Arthrobacter spp., Mycoplasma spp., Thiomonas spp., Paracoccus versutus A2, Hyphomicrobium sulfonivorans, Paracoccus pantotrophus, Thiobacillus denitrificans.
B.Sc (Special) Botany (University College London, UK), 1961
Ph.D "Energy metabolism of the chemolithoautotrophic bacterium, Thiobacillus" (University College London, UK), 1965
D.Sc for work in the field of Microbiology: Physiology & Biochemistry of autotrophic bacteria (London), 1973
FIBiol, CBiol, 1977, 2008
FLS, 2008
FSB, 2010
FRSB, 2015
2001 - present. Emeritus Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
1998 - 2001. Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
1998. Study leave (Warwick, London)
1995 - 1997. Director of Graduate Studies (c. 220 Ph.D, M.Sc & M.A students), Institute of Education (Faculty of Social Sciences)
1993 - 1995. Chairman of Department of Science Education. (Faculty of Educational Studies)
1990 - 1993. Secondment to NERC as Director of Higher Education (PhD, MSc studentship and NERC fellowship awards, research grants, NERC University Support Policy).
1986. Amalgamation with Department of Biological Sciences as the Environmental Microbiology Group.
1976 - 1985. Chairman of the Department of Environmental Sciences.
1974. Foundation Professor of Environmental Sciences.
- Williams, K. P., Kelly, Donovan P., 2013. Proposal for a new class within the phylum Proteobacteria, Acidithiobacillia classis nov., with the type order Acidithiobacillales, and emended description of the class Gammaproteobacteria. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 63 (Pt 8), pp. 2901-2906
- Hung, Wei-Lian, Wade, William G, Chen, Yin, Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, Ann P, 2012. Design and evaluation of novel primers for the detection of genes encoding diverse enzymes of methylotrophy and autotrophy. Polish Journal of Microbiology, Vol.61 (No.1), pp. 11-22
- Boden, Rich, Borodina, E., Wood, A. P., Kelly, Donovan P., Murrell, J. C. (J. Colin), Schäfer, Hendrik, 2011. Purification and characterization of dimethylsulfide monooxygenase from hyphomicrobium sulfonivorans. Journal of Bacteriology, Vol.193 (No.5), pp. 1250-1258
- Boden, Rich, Ferriera, S., Johnson, J., Kelly, Donovan P., Murrell, J. C. (J. Colin), Schäfer, Hendrik, 2011. Draft genome sequence of the chemolithoheterotrophic, halophilic methylotroph methylophaga thiooxydans DMS010. Journal of Bacteriology, Vol.193 (No.12), pp. 3154-3155
- Boden, Rich, Cleland, David, Green, Peter N., Katayama, Yoko, Uchino, Yoshihito, Murrell, J. C. (J. Colin), Kelly, Donovan P., 2011. Phylogenetic assessment of culture collection strains of Thiobacillus thioparus, and definitive 16S rRNA gene sequences for T. thioparus, T. denitrificans, and Halothiobacillus neapolitanus. Archives of Microbiology, Vol.194 (No.3), pp. 187-195
- Hung, Wei-Lian, Wade, William G., Boden, Rich, Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, Ann P., 2011. Facultative methylotrophs from the human oral cavity and methylotrophy in strains of Gordonia, Leifsonia, and Microbacterium. Archives of Microbiology, 193 (6), pp. 407-417
- Boden, Rich, Kelly, Donovan P., Murrell, J. C. (J. Colin), Schäfer, Hendrik, 2010. Oxidation of dimethylsulfide to tetrathionate by Methylophaga thiooxidans sp. nov.: a new link in the sulfur cycle. Environmental Microbiology, Vol.12 (No.10), pp. 2688-2699
- Shahram, Masoud, Nicholas, Robin, Wood, Ann P., Kelly, Donovan P., 2009. Further evidence to justify reassignment of Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides Large Colony type to Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 33 (1), pp. 20-24
- Shahram, Masoud, Nicholas, Robin, Miles, Roger (Roger J.), Wood, Ann P., Kelly, Donovan P., 2009. Kinetics of substrate oxidation and hydrogen peroxide production by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides Large Colony (LC) type and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri. Research in Veterinary Science, Vol.87 (No.3), pp. 364-366
- Shahram, Masoud, Nicholas, Robin A. J., Miles, Roger J., Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, Ann P., 2008. Sugar uptake by Mycoplasma mycoides strain PT994 and Mycoplasma canis strain 85 B97. Annals of Microbiology, Vol.58 (No.3), pp. 509-512
- Lin, Y. -C., Miles, Roger, Nicholas, R. A. J., Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, Ann P., 2008. Isolation and immunological detection of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in sheep with atypical pneumonia, and lack of a role for Mycoplasma arginini. Research in Veterinary Science, Vol.84 (No.3), pp. 367-373
- Kelly, Donovan P., 2008. Stable Sulfur Isotope Fractionation by the Green Bacterium Chlorobaculum parvum During Photolithoautotrophic Growth on Sulfide. Polish Journal of Microbiology, Vol.57 (No.4), pp. 275-279
- Lin, Y. -C., Agbanyim, C. N. M., Miles, R. J., Nicholas, R. A. J., Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, Ann P., 2008. Tetrazolium reduction methods for assessment of substrate oxidation and strain differentiation among mycoplasmas, with particular reference to Mycoplasma bovigenitalium and some members of the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 105 (2), pp. 492-501
- Boden, Rich, Thomas, Elizabeth, Savani, Parita, Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, Ann P., 2008. Novel methylotrophic bacteria isolated from the River Thames (London, UK). Environmental Microbiology, Vol.10 (No.12), pp. 3225-3236
- Nicholas, Robin, Lin, Yi-Ching, Sachse, Konrad, Hotzel, Helmut, Parham, Katie, McAuliffe, Laura, Miles, Roger, Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, Ann P., 2008. Proposal that the strains of the Mycoplasma ovine/caprine serogroup 11 be reclassified as Mycoplasma bovigenitalium. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Vol.58 (No.1), pp. 308-312
- Kelly, Donovan P., 2008. Stable sulfur isotope fractionation and discrimination between the sulfur atoms of thiosulfate during oxidation by Halothiobacillus neapolitanus. FEMS Microbiology Letters, Vol.282 (No.2), pp. 299-306
- Kelly, Donovan P., Uchino, Yoshihito, Huber, Harald, Amils, Ricardo, Wood, Ann P., 2007. Reassessment of the phylogenetic relationships of Thiomonas cuprina. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 57 (Part 11), pp. 2720-2724
- Lusty, James R., Hughes, Niall (Niall E.), Kelly, Donovan P., 2006. Inhibitory effects of sulfamic acid on three thiosulfate-oxidizing chemolithotrophs. FEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS, 264 (1), pp. 70-73
- Kelly, Donovan P., Euzeby, Jean P., Goodhew, Celia F., Wood, Ann P., 2006. Redefining Paracoccus denitrificans and Paracoccus pantotrophus and the case for a reassessment of the strains held by international culture collections. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, 56 (Part 10), pp. 2495-2500
- Katayama, Yoko, Uchino, Yoshihito, Wood, Ann P., Kelly, Donovan P., 2006. Confirmation of Thiomonas delicata (formerly Thiobacillus delicatus) as a distinct species of the genus Thiomonas Moreira and Amils 1997 with comments on some species currently assigned to the genus. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, 56 (Part 11), pp. 2553-2557
- Wodara, C., Kostka, S., Egert, M., Kelly, Donovan P., Friedrich, C.G, 1994. Identification and sequence analysis of the soxB gene essential for sulfur oxidation of Paracoccus denitrificans GB17. Journal of Bacteriology, Vol.176 (No.20), pp. 6188-6191
- Wood, A. P., Warren, F. J., Kelly, Donovan P., 2010. Methylotrophic Bacteria in Trimethylaminuria and Bacterial Vaginosis. In Timmis, K.N. (ed.), Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, Heidelberg, Springer, pp. 3227-3240
- Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, A. P., 2010. Oral microbiology: pathogens, methanogens, sulfate-reducing and methylotrophic bacteria in halitosis and periodontitis. In Timmis, K.N. (ed.), Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, Heidelberg, Springer, pp. 3167-3178
- Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, A. P., 2010. Skin microbiology, body odor, and methylotrophic bacteria. In Timmis, K.N. (ed.), Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, Heidelberg, Springer, pp. 3203-3213
- Kelly, Donovan P., Wood, A. P., 2010. Potential for Microbial Interventions to Reduce Global Warming. In Timmis, K.N. (ed.), Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, Heidelberg, Springer, pp. 3339-3350