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Microbiology

Dr. David McCarthy
Postdoctoral Researcher

Contact Information

Microbial Oceanography Research Unit,
Microbiology,
School of Natural Sciences
NUI, Galway.
+353-(0)91-495091

Qualifications

2008    Ph.D.  Microbiology, NUIG
2001    M.Sc. (Biotechnology), Microbiology, NUIG
1999    B.Sc. (Hons), Microbiology, NUIG

Research Interests

After a number of years working and studying in the areas of antibiotic resistance, DNA diagnostics and fermentation technology, I took my Ph.D. in the field of Microbial Oceanography. My postdoctoral research is mainly focussed on microbial ecology of the deep oceans, and is achieved by a combination of DNA community fingerprinting methods and culture-based studies under quasi-environmental conditions. This work emphasises the response of prokaryotic communities to environmental variables and perturbations.  I’m also active in developing new methods for the isolation and culture of deep-sea microorganisms using hyperbaric pressure vessels and specialised pressure-retaining samplers.

Expertise

Continuous culture, epifluorescent microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), community structure analysis, DNA sequence-based microbial identification, hyperbaric cultivation techniques.

Cruises

Oct  2004     RV Celtic Explorer (CE04O), Rockall trough, Northeast Atlantic.
July 2005     RV Celtic Explorer (CE0506), Porcupine Margin, Northeast Atlantic.
Dec 2005     RRS Discovery (D300), Southern (Indian) Ocean.
June 2008    NO Urania (BioFun-08EM), Eastern Mediterranean/Ionian sea.
Sept 2008    RV Pelagia (PE295, PE296), Galicia Bank, Northeast Atlantic.
June 2009    RV Sarmiento de Gamboa (BF1), Western, Central & Eastern Mediterranean sea.
Oct 2009      NO Urania (BioFun-09WM), Western Mediterranean

Publications

Böttcher T., Huber L., Le Corre L., Leitner J., McCarthy D.M., et al., (2009). The HADES mission concept – astrobiological survey of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. International Journal of Astrobiology, 8: 321-329.

Fleming G.T., McCarthy D.M., Colombet N. & Patching J.W., (2002). The effect of levofloxacin concentration on the development and maintenance of antibiotic-resistant clones of Escherichia coli in chemostat culture. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, 29: 155-162.

 

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