James McDonald

Bangor University, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty Member

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I graduated from The University of Manchester in 2004 with a degree in Microbiology with Industrial Experience. I studied my PhD at The University of Liverpool, entitled 'Molecular ecology of anaerobic cellulose-degrading microorganisms in landfill sites' under the supervision of Prof. Alan McCarthy and Dr. Heather Allison and graduated in December 2008.

I then continued to work at Liverpool on a DEFRA funded project concerned with the molecular ecology of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) strains and Stx bacteriophages across a farm site in Cheshire and on metagenomic/pyrosequencing projects focussed on the canine oral microbiota.

I joined the School of Biological Sciences at Bangor University in March 2010 as a Research Lecturer in Environmental Microbiology, studying the biogeochemistry of soils and sediments.

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Sediment composition influences spatial variation in the abundance of human pathogen indicator bacteria within an estuarine environment.

Faecal contamination of estuarine and coastal waters can pose a risk to human health, particularl... more Faecal contamination of estuarine and coastal waters can pose a risk to human health, particularly in areas used for shellfish production or recreation. Routine microbiological water quality testing highlights areas of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) contamination within the water column, but fails to consider the abundance of FIB in sediments, which under certain hydrodynamic conditions can become resuspended. Sediments can enhance the survival of FIB in estuarine environments, but the influence of sediment composition on the ecology and abundance of FIB is poorly understood. To determine the relationship between sediment composition (grain size and organic matter) and the abundance of pathogen indicator bacteria (PIB), sediments were collected from four transverse transects of the Conwy estuary, UK. The abundance of culturable Escherichia coli, total coliforms, enterococci, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Vibrio spp. in sediments was determined in relation to sediment grain size, organic matter content, salinity, depth and temperature. Sediments that contained higher proportions of silt and/or clay and associated organic matter content showed significant positive correlations with the abundance of PIB. Furthermore, the abundance of each bacterial group was positively correlated with the presence of all other groups enumerated. Campylobacter spp. were not isolated from estuarine sediments. Comparisons of the number of culturable E. coli, coliform and Vibrio spp. in sediments and the water column revealed that their abundance was 281, 433 and 58-fold greater in sediments (colony forming units (CFU)/100 g) when compared with the water column (CFU/100 ml), respectively. These data provide important insights into sediment compositions that promote the abundance of PIB in estuarine environments, with important implications for the modelling and prediction of public health risk based on sediment resuspension and transport.

James McDonald

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