Dr Murray Gardner


Post Doctoral Research Associate

Email: murray.gardner@earth.ox.ac.uk
TEL: +44 (0)1865 282150
+44 (0)7748 704321
FAX: +44 (0)1865 272072
Homepage: http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/research/groups/environmental_microbiology

Research Profile

Research Associate - Environmental Microbiology

My current research interests include the ecology and molecular biology responses of microbial communities to toxic metals and chlorinated solvents. In particular, microbial responses to expended depleted uranium penetrators in the soil environment, and SRB interactions with iron nanoparticles used for remediation of mercury contaminated groundwater. I also have interests in the response and adaptation of microbial biofilms to their physical, biological, and chemical environment under conditions of flow.

I currently co-supervise two DPhil postgraduates.

Knowledge Exchange Coordinator

IKIMP: Overall coordinator for the NERC-funded ‘Integrating Knowledge to Inform Mercury Policy’ knowledge exchange initiative. The overall objective of IKIMP is to provide a mechanism by which the UK scientific and technical knowledge base is used to inform and guide UK public policy relating to mercury. I work closely with Defra to ensure UK science to policy needs are timely and appropriate.

PREPARE: Facilitator for the NERC-funded ‘Pharmaceutical Release into the Environment during Pandemics and Regional Epidemics’ knowledge exchange initiative. PREPARE aims to use knowledge exchange to assess and prepare for the environmental implications of pharmaceutical usage and discharge during a major disease outbreak.

Furthermore, I have assisted in designing and delivering workshops on ‘Bioremediation opportunities for the 21st Century’ at the 2008 Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation (CWD) conference (Switzerland), and in collaboration with the ISTC on Obsolete Pesticides at CWD 2009 (UK) for MoD/DTSL.

Selected Publications

  • Barnes, R.J.,O.Riba, M. N. Gardner, A. C. Singer, S. A. Jackman, I. P. Thompson. 2010. Inhibition of biological TCE and sulphate reduction in the presence of iron nanoparticles. Chemosphere 80(5):554-62.
  • Barnes, R. J., O. Riba, M. N. Gardner, T. B. Scott, S. A. Jackman, I. P. Thompson. 2010. Optimization of nano-scale nickel/iron particles for the reduction of high concentration chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon solutions. Chemosphere 79:448-54.
  • Baxter, A. C., S. Shaw, M. N. Gardner, I. P. Thompson and S. A. Jackman. 2009. Geochemical and microbial effects on depleted uranium metal corrosion in oxic soil. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 73(13): A96-A96
  • Wolfaardt, G. M., M. J. Hendry, T. Birkham, A. Bressel, M. N. Gardner, A. J. Sousa, D. R. Korber and M. Pilaski. 2008. Microbial response to environmental gradients in a ceramic-based diffusion system. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 100: 141-149
  • Gardner, M. N. and D. E. Rawlings. 2004. Evolution of compatible replicons of the related IncQ-like plasmids, pTC-F14 and pTF-FC2. Microbiology 150:1797-808
  • Gardner, M. N., S. M. Deane, and D. E. Rawlings. 2001. Isolation of a new broad-host-range IncQ-like plasmid, pTC-F14, from the acidophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus caldus and analysis of the plasmid replicon. Journal of Bacteriology 183:3303-3309
  • Gardner, M. N. and D. E. Rawlings. 2000. Production of rhodanese by bacteria present in bio-oxidation plants used to recover gold from arsenopyrite concentrates. Journal of Applied Microbiology 89:185-190
  • Breed, A. W., C. J. Dempers, G. E. Searby, M. N. Gardner, D. E. Rawlings, and G. S. Hansford. 1999. The effect of temperature on the continuous ferrous-iron oxidation kinetics of a predominantly Leptospirillum ferrooxidans culture. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 65:44-53
  • Rawlings, D. E., N. J. Coram, M. N. Gardner, and S. M. Deane. 1999. Thiobacillus caldus and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans are widely distributed in continuous flow biooxidation tanks used to treat a variety of metal containing ores and concentrates, p. 777-786. In R. Amils and A. Ballester (eds.), Biohydrometallurgy and the environment: toward the mining of the 21st century Part A. Elsevier Press, Amsterdam

Other Information

Biological Safety Officer

Natural Environment Research Council: Knowledge & Innovation Manager