My research group consists of 2 Research Fellows (Hélène Moussard and Rich Boden), a Marie-Curie Fellow (Elisabetta Zanardini), 9 Ph.D students (Ashraf Khalifa, Andrew Crombie, Loic Nazaries, Jason Stephenson, Daniela Wischer, Antonia Johnston, Myriam El Khawand, Stephanie Sargeant and Jindarat Ekprasert), an Emeritus Professor (Don Kelly) and an Assistant Research Support Manager (Julie Scanlan). We also have the support of a Chief Technician (Cathy Parry).

We maintain close collaborative links with the groups of Hendrik Schäfer and Yin Chen within the School.

We are supported through regular funding from BBSRC, NERC, The British Council, The Royal Society and the EU.

The central theme of research work carried out in the lab is the microbiology of methanotrophic and methylotrophic bacteria. These are bacteria which can grow on one-carbon (C₁) compounds such as methane, methanol, methylated amines, methanesulfonate, dimethylsulfide and methyl chloride. Activities range from the enrichment, isolation and characterisation of novel organisms from a wide variety of environments including soils, seawater, hot springs, soda lakes and acidic peat bogs, through to their characterisation at the physiological, biochemical and molecular level. Key enzymes, particularly oxygenases and methyltransferases are being purified, the genes encoding these enzymes cloned and the regulation of expression of metabolic pathways is also being examined. The ecology of organisms is being studied using molecular biology and stable isotope and radioisotope techniques in order to establish the role of these bacteria in biogeochemical cycling of atmospheric trace gases and C₁ compounds.

Otherr areas that we have worked on, past and present:

• Physiological and molecular biological studies on nitrogen fixation and ammonia assimilation in methylotrophic bacteria.
• The development of molecular genetic techniques to study moderately thermophilic iron-oxidising bacteria that have a commercial potential for the leaching of metals from low grade ores.
• Biotransformations (free cells and immobilised systems) using Pichia and Zygosaccharomyces for the production of chiral alcohols.
• Metabolism of halomethanes such as methyl bromide and methyl chloride.
• Physiology and biochemistry of chemolithoheterotrophic marine methylotrophs.
• Molecular biology and physiology of facultative methanotrophs such as Methylocella sylvestris.
• Metabolism of isoprene in marine and terrestrial bacteria.
• Metabolism of organosulfur and inorganic sulfur compounds.
• Metabolism of alkanes and alkenes.