Fields of Research

Microbial ecology
Microbiology
Separation science
Food packaging, preservation and processing
Bacteriology
Horticultural crop protection (incl. pests, diseases and weeds)
Aquaculture
Bioremediation
Soil biology
Science, technology and engineering curriculum and pedagogy
Horticultural production
Food sciences
Sustainable agricultural development
Land capability and soil productivity
Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation
Analytical chemistry
Sensor technology (incl. chemical aspects)
Microbial genetics
Ecosystem function
Infectious agents
Climate change processes
Inorganic materials (incl. nanomaterials)
Post harvest horticultural technologies (incl. transportation and storage)
Instrumental methods (excl. immunological and bioassay methods)
Environmental assessment and monitoring
Environmental management
Flow analysis
Food safety, traceability, certification and authenticity
Gene expression (incl. microarray and other genome-wide approaches)
Horticultural crop growth and development
Post-harvest fisheries technologies (incl. transportation)
Soil physics
Forest health and pathology
Electrical engineering
Agricultural land management
Wildlife and habitat management
Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
Sedimentology
Atmospheric composition, chemistry and processes
Environmentally sustainable engineering
Wastewater treatment processes
Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Forestry management and environment
Soil chemistry and soil carbon sequestration (excl. carbon sequestration science)
Soil sciences

Research Objectives

Other environmental management
Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Field grown vegetable crops
Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments
Soils
Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna)
Food safety
Unprocessed or minimally processed fish
Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
Management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments
Horticultural crops
Assessment, development and evaluation of curriculum
Processed fish and seafood products
Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences
Aquaculture oysters
Fisheries - aquaculture
Natural hazards
Measurement and assessment of freshwater quality (incl. physical and chemical conditions of water)
Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences
Carcass meat (incl. fish and seafood)
Ecosystem adaptation to climate change
Essential oil crops
Rehabilitation or conservation of marine environments
Climate change mitigation strategies
Beef cattle
Aquaculture prawns
Aquaculture tuna
Unprocessed or minimally processed milk
Fresh fruits and vegetables (post harvest)
Behaviour and health
Aquaculture crustaceans (excl. rock lobster and prawns)
Dairy products
Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences
Processed milk and cream (incl. powder, evaporated and condensed)
Hardwood plantations
Eggs
Oceanic processes (excl. in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean)
Other animal production and animal primary products
Effects of climate change on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic environments (excl. social impacts)
Environmentally sustainable transport activities
Evaluation, allocation, and impacts of land use
Terrestrial systems and management
Rehabilitation or conservation of terrestrial environments
Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems
Terrestrial biodiversity

Career Best Publications

Fertilization Stimulates Anaerobic Fuel Degradation of Antarctic Soils by Denitrifying Microorganisms; Environmental Science & Technology
Insight into the Genome of Brochothrix thermosphacta, a Problematic Meat Spoilage Bacterium; Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Isotachophoretic fluorescence in situ hybridization of intact bacterial cells; Analytical Chemistry
Light-stimulated growth of proteorhodopsin-bearing sea-ice psychrophile Psychroflexus torquis is salinity dependent; The ISME Journal
The importance of soil characteristics to the structure of alkane-degrading bacterial communities on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island; Soil Biology and Biochemistry
The use of microbial gene abundance in the development of fuel remediation guidelines in polar soils; Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management

Research Publications

A comparison of the short term effects of diesel fuel and lubricant oils on Antarctic benthic microbial communities; Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
A novel proterhodopsin bearing Flavobacterium species from an Antarctic saline lake; Flavobacterium 2012
A study of selected factors affecting efficacy of compost tea against several fungal pathogens of potato; Journal of Applied Microbiology
Application of electrolysed oxidising water as a sanitiser to extend the shelf-life of seafood products: a review; Journal of Food Science and Technology
Benthic mats in Antarctica: biophysical coupling of sea-bed hypoxia and sediment communities; Polar Biology
Bioremediation - Cleaning up the Antarctic; Nature - Research Highlights
Can larval culture vessel surfaces influence the diversity of bacterial biofilms in spiny lobster culture?; Proceedings 10th ICWL
Capillary electrophoresis ribosomal RNA single-stranded conformation polymorphism: a new approach for characterization of low-diversity microbial communities; Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Capillary electrophoretic system of ribonucleic acid molecules; Journal of Chromatography A
Characterisation of the Brochothrix thermosphacta sortase A enzyme; FEMS Microbiology Letters
Counter-pressure-assisted ITP with electrokinetic injection under field-amplified conditions for bacterial analysis; Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Degradation of nonane by bacteria from Antarctic marine sediment; Polar Biology
Developing a faculty wide WIL program for science; 2016 Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (ACSME)
Development of Near Infra-Red Method to Detect and Control Microbial Spoilage
Diverse microbial communities in non-aerated compost teas suppress bacterial wilt; World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
Dynamics of seawater bacterial communities in a shellfish hatchery; Microbial Ecology
Effect of glucose, pH and lactic acid on Carnobacterium maltaromaticum, Brochothrix thermosphacta and Serratia liquefaciens within a commercial heat-shrunk vacuum-package film; Food Microbiology
Effect of peroxyacetic acid treatment and bruising on the bacterial community and shelf-life of baby spinach; International Journal of Food Microbiology
Effect of temperature on Antarctic soil microbial populations involved in hydrocarbon biodegradation; Contaminants in Freezing Ground
Effects of diesel and lubricant oils on Antarctic benthic microbial communities over five years; Aquatic Microbial Ecology
Evaluation of a permeable reactive barrier to capture and degrade hydrocarbon contaminants; Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Evaluation of compost teas from matured agricultural waste, vermicompost and solid municipal waste composts to suppress bacterial wilt of potato; Australasian Soilborne Disease Symposium 2014
Evaluation of quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess nosZ gene prevalence in mixed microbial communities; Canadian Journal of Microbiology
Evaluation of the microbial communities in kefir grains and kefir over time; International Dairy Journal
Extensive gene acquisition in the extremely psychrophilic bacterial species Psychroflexus torquis and the link to sea-ice ecosystem specialism; Genome Biology and Evolution
Fertilization Stimulates Anaerobic Fuel Degradation of Antarctic Soils by Denitrifying Microorganisms; Environmental Science & Technology
Genomic and metabolic characterisation of spoilage-associated Pseudomonas species; International Journal of Food Microbiology
Genomic and proteomic insights of enhanced growth of a sea-ice psychrophile Psychroflexus torquis by proteorhodopsin pohotorophy during salinity stress; First EMBO Conference on Aquatic Microbial Ecology: SAME13
Insight into the Genome of Brochothrix thermosphacta, a Problematic Meat Spoilage Bacterium; Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Isolation of denitrifying bacteria from hydrocarbon-contaminated Antarctic soil; Polar Biology
Isotachophoresis for rapid transformation of Escherichia coli; Electrophoresis
Isotachophoretic fluorescence in situ hybridization of intact bacterial cells; Analytical Chemistry
Light stimulated growth of proteorhodopsin bearing sea-ice psychrophile Psychroflexus torquis is salinity-dependent; Strategic Science in Antarctica 2013 Conference
Light-stimulated growth of proteorhodopsin-bearing sea-ice psychrophile Psychroflexus torquis is salinity dependent; The ISME Journal
Limited microbial growth in Atlantic salmon packed in a modified atmosphere; Food Control
Links between hydrocarbon-degrading microbial communities and soil characteristics on Macquarie Island; Australian and New Zealand Soil Science Conference 2012
Location and DGGE methodology can influence interpretation of field experimental studies on the response to hydrocarbons by Antarctic benthic microbial community; Antarctic Science
Managing soil health and crop productivity in potato: A challenging test system; Soil Research
Metagenomics reveals microbial communities in vacuum-packed meats; International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting
Microarray characterisation of summer gut sndrome (SGS) in Atlantic Salmon; Australasian Scientific Conference on Aquatic Animal Health
Microbial and sensorial models for head-on and gutted (HOG) Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) stored from 0 to 15 °C; Food Microbiology
Microbial communities on Australian modified atmosphere packaged Atlantic salmon; Food Microbiology
Microbial Communities within an Oyster Hatchery; Australasian Aquaculture 2010 International Conference and Trade Show
Microbial community variation in pristine and polluted nearshore Antarctic sediments; FEMS Microbiology Ecology
Microbial functional genes can be used as indicators of soil health in response to fuel spills in Antarctica; Strategic Science in Antarctica Conference 2013
Microfluidic isotachophoretic Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization of bacterial cells; 19th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences
Modelling growth and histamine formation of Klebsiella aerogenes TI24 isolated from Indonesian pindang; International Journal of Food Microbiology
Molecular Microbial Ecology of Contaminated Marine Sediment near Casey Station, Antarctica
Phytoremediation of hydrocarbon contaminants in subantarctic soils: an effective management option; Journal of Environmental Management
Potential Use of Real-Time PCR to Assess Changes in the Microbial Population Structure and Function during Bioremediation of Polar Soils; Polar Microbiology : The Ecology, Biodiversity and Bioremediation Potential of Microorganisms in Extremely Cold Environments
Predictive model for the growth of spoilage bacteria on modified atmosphere packaged Atlantic salmon produced in Australia; Food Microbiology
Proteomic insight into functional changes of proteorhodopsin-containing bacterial species Psychroflexus torquis under different illumination and salinity levels; Journal of Proteome Research
qPCR quantification of Carnobacterium maltaromaticum, Brochothrix thermosphacta, and Serratia liquefaciens growth kinetics in mixed culture; Journal of Microbiological Methods
Rapid and sensitive microbial analysis by capillary isotachophoresis with continuous electrokinetic injection under field amplified conditions; Electrophoresis
Seafood molecular biologist: mapping microbial communities in seafood production and processing environments to improve targeting intervention strategies
Short term effects of four different oils on Antarctic benthic microbial communities; SETAC/ASE Asia Pacific 2003 Conference
Soil microbial community dynamics during ryegrass green manuring and brassica biofumigation; Applied Soil Ecology
Status and future of compost tea in horticulture; 29th International Horticultural Congress 2014
Suppression of potato bacterial Wilt with non-aerated compost tea and factors which influence efficacy; Science Protecting Plant Health
Surface biomaterials tested as inhibitors of bacterial biofilms in spiny lobster culture; World Aquaculture 2014
The effects of pre-processing sanitation and modified atmosphere packaging on microbial growth in bulk packs of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fillets; IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
The importance of soil characteristics to the structure of alkane-degrading bacterial communities on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island; Soil Biology and Biochemistry
The light-driven proton pump proteorhodopsin promotes growth of sea-ice psychrophile during salinity stress; The Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting
The rate of removal and the compositional changes of diesel in Antarctic marine sediment; The Science of The Total Environment: An International Journal for Scientific Research Into The Environment and Its Relationship With Man
The use of microbial gene abundance in the development of fuel remediation guidelines in polar soils; Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Unifying WIL in Science at the University of Tasmania
Use of a blocking primer allows selective amplification of bacterial DNA from microalgae cultures; Journal of Microbiological Methods
Use of near infrared spectroscopy to predict microbial numbers on Atlantic salmon; Food Microbiology
Using Real-Time PCR to Assess Changes in the Hydrocarbon-Degrading Microbial Community in Antarctic Soil During Bioremediation; Microbial Ecology
Vibrioferrin production by the food spoilage bacterium Pseudomonas fragi; FEMS Microbiology Letters
WIL in Science: Development of a generic unit for BSc students; Transforming Practice through Innovation and Partnerships

Research Projects

A New Method for Characterisation of Antarctic Microbial Communities; Department of Environment and Energy (Cwth) (DoEE)
Addressing causes of early mortality in hatchery produced Southern Bluefin Tuna larvae; Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (ASCRC)
Automated Sensors for a wetland in a box; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Development of an Artificial Living Sediment to Study the Effects of Metal Contamination in Antarctic Marine Ecosystems; Department of Environment and Energy (Cwth) (DoEE)
Development of Near Infra-Red Method to Detect and Control Microbial Spoilage Communities on Salmon; Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (ASCRC)
Effect of pH changes on marine biofilm communities; Australian Academy of Science (AASc)
Lab-on-a-chip system for microbial contamination; Australian Meat Processor Corporation Ltd (AMPC)
Navigating the wealth of soil health information and identification of opportunities; Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA)
Pathways of Alkane Biodegradation in Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Soils and Sediments; Department of Environment and Energy (Cwth) (DoEE)
Seafood Molecular Biologist Mapping Microbial Communities in Seafood Production and Processing Environments to Improve Targetting Intervention Strategies; Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (ASCRC)
Smelling soil; CRC for High Performance Soils Ltd (HPS CRC)
Smelling soil: eNose development (TIA led); CRC for High Performance Soils Ltd (HPS CRC)
The effect of processing technologies on microbial populations impacting the shelf life of meat; CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
The Role of Denitrifying Bacteria in the Biodegradation of Diesel Hydrocarbons in Antarctic Soils; British Antarctic Survey (BASu)
A scientific trial to measure the in-paddock and economic benefits of bio-fumigation on soil health, and on disease pest and weed levels on a range of annual crops under Tasmanian conditions
B. cereus in Australian dairy products and their risks
Changes in microbial community function during bioremediation
Investigating opportunities to influence gastrointestinal microbiota in farmed Atlantic salmon and potential microbiome associated practices to improve health and productivity
Tassal shelf life of fresh salmon

Research Candidate Supervision

Aerated and Non-Aerated Compost Tea as an Organic Crop Protectant to Reduce Fungal Plant Pathogens of Food Crops in Eastern Africa, Including Maize, Wheat and Vegetables
Biochemistry of non-starter lactic acid bacteria
Capillary Electrophoresis of Ribosomal RNA for Characterisation of Microbial Communities
Fermentation Studies on Biofuel Production
Investigation into the Microbiological Causes of Epizootics of Pacific Oyster Larvae (Crassostrea gigas) in Commercial Production
Is Proteorhodopsin a General Light-driven Stress Adaptation System for Survival in Cold Environments?
Isotachophoresis (ITP) of Cells
Risk Assessment of Histamine in Fishery Products