RESEARCH PROFILE

The Microbial Physiology Group, led by Dr. C.S.Dow, focuses upon environmental microbiology and microbial morphogenesis and differentiation. This has been approached via applied microbiology in that the main research interests lie in aspects of microbial biofilms, microbial adhesion, and the prevalence and importance of quiescent vegetative cells. The physiology and molecular biology of these quiescent vegetative cells is such that they represent specialised dispersal and survival entities with unique cellular and physiological adaptations. The main interests in microbial toxins such as verocytotoxins i.e. Escherichia coli 0157:H7 are in regulation of expression and the early pathogenesis i.e. attachment and adhesion to specific eukaryotic cell types. Cyanobacterial toxins research is closely allied to the water industry and involves the regulation of expression of peptide toxins, their toxicology, and environmental monitoring and management of cyanobacterial populations.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Sani, A. & Dow, C. S.(1998) 'Synthesis of two different molecular forms of ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase in Rhodopseudomonas blastica grown in batch culture' World Journal Of Microbiology & Biotechnology 14 (2), 229 - 234 (0959-3993)
• Gorham, H. & Dow, C. S.(1996) 'A bacteriophage of Rhodopseudomonas blastica' Microbiology 142 (4), 979 - 983 (1350-0872)
• Morgan, P. & Dow, C. S.(1988) 'Budding bacteria - their importance in the study of bacterial growth and differentiation' Science Progress 72 (287 Part 3), 407 - 419 (0036-8504)
• Hood, D. W., Dow, C. S. & Green, P. N.(1988) 'Electrophoretic comparison of total soluble proteins in the pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs' Journal Of General Microbiology 134 (8), 2375 - 2383 (0022-1287)
• Jurgens, U. J., Rieth, B., Weckesser, J., Dow, C. S. & Konig, W. A.(1987) 'Partial lack of N-acetyl substitution of glucosamine in the peptidoglycan of the budding phototrophic Rhodomicrobium vannielii' Zeitschrift Fuer Naturforshung - Section C 42 (11-12), 1165 - 1170 (0939-5075)

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