Download Dr Diane Purchase

Dr Diane Purchase
Principal Lecturer in
Environmental Health/Biology
My research interests (past and current)
•the role of microorganisms in pollution control
•the enzymatic degradation of prion protein by keratinase-producing bacteria
•the impact of e-waste in developing countries
•the removal of heavy metals in constructed wetlands
•the effects of heavy metals on antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria
•the effects of heavy metals on the nitrogen cycle
•microbial contamination in the domestic environment
Areas for future collaboration
Lead accumulated inside the
hyphae of Beauveria bassiana.
The above figure is a
Transmission Electron
Micrograph showing the
locations of the spot analysis on
the cross-section of hyphae of
B. bassiana grown on a medium
containing 800 µg/g lead. The
electron dense area (black)
indicates presence of lead.
Microbial bioremediation, in particular:
•Keratinase degradation of recalcitrant materials
•Roles of biosurfactant in bioremediation
•Impact of e-waste in the environment
Funding streams used successfully
Sustainable Environment Cluster (SECL) Research Support Funding
Key publications/outputs
• Okoroma E A, Garelick H, Abiola O and Purchase D, 2012. Identification and
characterisation of a Bacillus licheniformis strain with profound keratinase
activity for degradation of melanised feather. International Biodeterioration
& Biodegradation. 74, 54–60. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2012.07.013.
• Radiar A R B and Purchase D, 2012. Mathematical models to predict soil heavy
metal toxicity in the 2012 Olympic site. International Journal of Environmental
Science and Technology 9, 219–226. DOI: 10.1007/s13762-012-0027-9.
• Jiang Y, Jones H, Garelick H and Purchase D, 2011. Effects of arsenate
(As5+) on growth and production of glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins
(PCs) in Chlorella vulgaris. International Journal of Phytoremediation
13, 834–844. DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2010.525560.
Keratinase and biosurfactant
(EF+BS) mixture degrade prion
effectively.
The above figure is a Western
Blot. Lane 1 is ME7 brain
homogenate (scrapie-infected
control: no digestion). Lanes
2, 3, 4, and 5 are ME7 scrapie
brain homogenate digested at
65 oC for 1 h with Proteinase Ka standard enzyme for protein
digestion (100 µg/ml), EF+BS
composition (biosurfactant +
our keratinase enzyme), BS
(biosurfactant only) and EF
(our keratinase enzyme only)
respectively. Total removal of
PrPSc signal was achieved with
EF+BS but not with EF and BS
working individually.
• Purchase D, Scholes L N L, Revitt D M and Shutes R B E, 2009. Effects of temperature
on metal tolerance and the accumulation of Zn and Pb by metal-tolerant fungi isolated
from urban runoff treatment wetlands. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 106, 1163–1174.
Contact
[email protected]
020 841 15262