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Biography Lecturer (July 2010 - present) University of Glasgow.
RCUK Academic Fellow (July 2005 - June 2010) University of Glasgow.
Research Associate (March 2004 – June 2005) University of Guelph, Canada.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (March 2001 – Feb 2004) University of Toronto, Canada.
Ph.D. (1997-2001) University of Leeds, UK.
M.Sc. Geochemistry (1996-1997) University of Leeds, UK.
Research and Development (1995-1996) Ayton Products Ltd, UK.
B.Sc.(Hons) Geology (1992-1995) University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK. Research interests New: Leverhulme funded grant on impact of ocean acidification on controlled biomineralization.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Pollutant Transport and Fate
A particular strength of MRI is its ability to image inside systems which are too opaque for other imaging methods (such as light based methods). Thus, MRI can be used to ‘look inside’ sediment, rocks and thick biofilms. We are using MRI to image the transport and fate of nanoparticles, heavy metals and organics inside these systems. Our focus is on the use of paramagnetic tracers. For example, when a nanoparticle is labelled with a paramagnetic tag, such as Gadolunium or a nanomagnetite core, it becomes readily visible to MRI. This enables us to image the movement of the nanoparticle in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions and in real time. These “movies” of nanoparticle transport are fully quantifiable, so that the concentration of nanoparticles in each image voxel at each time point is known. This enables us to develop new understanding of the transport and fate of pollutants a diverse range of systems, ranging from river beds and aquifers to biofilms in waste-water treatment systems.
Microbial Geochemistry and Environmental Biotechnology
Bacteria play a fundamental role in controlling the cycling of (heavy) metals in natural systems. We are interested in how these organisms control metal cycling and mineral precipitation. In particular we are currently focussed on 1) microbial mineral plugging and 2) bioremediation of nanoparticles. 1) Microbial mineral plugging is the use of bacterially precipitated minerals to plug porosity in rock and sediment. We are developing this technique as a means to prevent pollutant migration in water-rock systems. 2) Despite the rapid increase in the use of industrial nanoparticles, there are no dedicated remediation strategies designed to deal with nanoparticle pollution events in ground-waters and soils. We are developing bioremediation methods designed specifically for nanoparticles.
We are also examining the role bacteria play in the weathering of historic buildings in Scotland Past interests have foucussed on the role of the bacterial surface as a reactive interface, and subsequently its role in metal adsorption
Exobiology
The question of how life evolved and inhabit our ancient Earth and other planets has fascinated both earth and life scientists alike. To better understand how life survived in these extreme habitats, we utilize modern day environments and laboratory simulations to provide contemporary analogous for these systems
Recent publications | View all publications >> Tobler, D.J., Cuthbert, M. O., Greswell, R. B., Riley, M. S., Renshaw, J. C., Handley-Sidhu, S. and Phoenix, V. R. (in press) Comparison of rates of ureolysis between Sporosarcina pasteurii and an indigenous groundwater community under conditions required to precipitate large volumes of calcite. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Hunter, R.C., Phoenix, V.R., Saxena, A., and Beveridge, T.J., (2010) Impact of growth environment and physiological state on metal immobilization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Canadian Journal of Microbiology, v.56, 527-538
Ramanan, B., Homes, W.M., Sloan, W.T., and Phoenix, V.R.,(2010) Application of paramagnetically tagged molecules for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of biofilm mass transport processes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, v.74, 4934-4943
Konhauser, K.O., Phoenix, V.R. and Lalonde, S.V. 2008. Bacterial biomineralization: Where to from here? Geobiology v.6, 298-302. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00151.x >> Phoenix V.R. and Holmes W.M. 2008. Magnetic resonance imaging of structure, diffusivity, and copper immobilization in a phototrophic biofilm. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, v. 74, 4934-4943. doi:10.1128/AEM.02783-07 >> Phoenix, V.R. and Konhauser, K.O. 2008. Benefits of bacterial biomineralization. Geobiology v.6, 303-308. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00147.x >> Phoenix, V.R., Holmes, W.M. and Ramanan, B. 2008. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of heavy-metal transport and fate in an artificial biofilm. Mineralogical Magazine v.72, 483–486. doi:10.1180/minmag.2008.072.1.483 >> Recent research grants | View all grants >> Cusack, M., Phoenix V.R., and Kamenos, K.N. (2011-2015) Biomineralisation, protein and mineral response to ocean acidification £255k. Leverhulme Trust. Haynes, H, ...Phoenix, V.R. (Co-I with 11 others) (2011-12). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in interdisciplinary science and engineering research: 3D analysis of fluid-material interaction, £40k (Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland)
Phoenix V.R. and Holmes W.M. (2009-2010). Opening the black box: Imaging nanoparticle transport with magnetic resonance imaging. £29k (NERC NE/G010269/1). Dorea, C., Pulford, I., Haynes, H. and Phoenix, V.R. (2009-2013) Towards a more rational design for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems. Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith (Ph.D. scholarship plus £22,000 research costs). Phoenix V.R. (2009-2011) Bug-free prostheses: Reducing infection risk and improving reliability £8k (EPSRC EP/H024603/1). PI, R. Lunn (Strathclyde), total: £202k. Phoenix V.R. (2009-2013) Bacteriogenic barries to flow, £350k. Part of consortium bid (EPSRC EP/G063699/1). Biogeochemical applications in nuclear decomissioning and waste disposal. PI R.J. Lunn (Strathclyde) £2.1M Phoenix, V. R., Holmes, W. M. and Sloan, W. T. (2009-2011) Magnetic resonance imaging of biofilm mass transport processes with gadolinium tracers. £296k (EPSRC EP/G028443/1). Teaching responsibilities Environmental Science (Level 1)
Environmental Earth Science (level 3/4)
Course Co-ordinator: Level 2 Earth Science
Current postgraduate students
Laura Duthie (PhD candidate)
Jill McColl (PhD candidate)
Baheerathan Ramanan (PhD candidate)
Rebecca Skuce (PhD candidate)
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