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microbiology --> people --> academic Staff

dr gavin Collins (B.Sc., Ph.D)

Sept. 2011:

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Lecturer

Environmental Microbiology

Research Group Leader, Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Microbiology, NUI Galway
Principal Investigator, Energy Research Centre, Environmental Change Institute, NUI Galway
Board, B.Sc. degree in Environmental Science, NUI Galway (Year Manager: 1st/3rd yr)

Contact

Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences,
NUI Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland

Phone: +353 91 492390 (Internal: ext 2390)
Fax: +353 91 494958
e-mail: gavin.collins

nuigalway.ie

Location

Microbiology, Arts/Science Building

Students - Office Hours

For Office Hours: click here

Career History

Since 2008

Lecturer and Group Leader, Microbiology at NUI Galway

2007

Marie Curie Fellow, Nutrient and Microsensors Groups, Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany. Nitrogen-cycling in estuarine and intertidal sediments.

2004-2006

Postdoctoral researcher, Microbiology at NUI Galway. In situ physiology of non-thermophilic Crenarchaeota; anaerobic biological wastewater treatment.

2000-2003

Doctoral Research, NUI Galway. Microbial population dynamics in anaerobic bioreactors used to treat chloro-aromatic wastewaters.

Research Interests

Microbial diversity and evolution
Microbial ecophysiology (and fitness) of yet-to-be-cultivated microbes (especially: biotechnologically-relevant and environmentally-important biofilms)
Response of cold methane-producing microbes to climate change
Nutrient cycling (groundwaters; marine; soils)
Waste-to-bioenergy technologies

Visit the group page for details on our research.

Visit the Bioenergy Research Group page at the Energy Research Centre.

Memberships

Society for General Microbiology
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME)
Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ESAI)
British Biofilm Club (BBC)
International Water Association (IWA) (ANAEROBIC DIGESTION Specialist Group and BIOFILMS Specialist Group)

Biog Sketch

During his postdoctoral career, Dr Collins mentored >35 undergraduate, 4 M.Sc. (including one M.Sc. co-supervised by the University of Lodz, Poland) and 10 Ph.D. theses at NUI Galway. He was awarded his first research grant as PI in 2006 from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). The SFI-funded research is focused on in situ microbial ecophysiology using microautoradiography and fluorescent in situ hybridization (MAR-FISH) and microimaging of radiolabel uptake of biomass from cold, sewage-degrading bioreactors.

He joined the Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPIMM), Bremen, Germany in 2007, where his research was focused on the role of aerobic and anaerobic microbial processes in the N-cycle in estuarine and intertidal sediments of the River Weser and the Wadden/North Sea. While with the MPIMM, he joined the M74 expedition on the R/V Meteor to the Pakistani accretionary wedge of the Arabian Sea.

Dr Collins founded the Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory at NUI Galway in 2008.

Funding sources/Awards

Science Foundation Ireland;
FP6 Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (at the Max-Planck Institute, Bremen);
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship;
Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology Fellowship
Ireland-Canada University Foundation Fellowship (at the Suttle Lab for Marine Virology and Microbiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver);
[Irish] National Parks and Wildlife Service;
NUI Galway Millenium Research Fund;
Royal Irish Academy Fellowship;
Marine Institute (Sea Change Networking Initiative);
International Society for Microbial Ecology

Reviewing Service

- Aquaculture;

- Anaerobe;

- Applied and Environmental Microbiology;

- Biodegradation;

- Bioresource Technology;

- Environmental Technology;

- Enzyme and Microbial Technology;

- FEMS Microbiology Ecology;

- Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology;

- Microbial Ecology;

- The ISME Journal;

- Water Research;

- Water Science and Technology;

- World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology;

Editorial Advisory Board Member: Environmental and Biological Monitoring Journal (ISSN: 1875-0400 - indexed in Chemical Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) , Google, Google Scholar, Open J-Gate, Genamics JournalSeek).

TEACHING

1st Year Science: Biology

Microbiology for a Sustainable World

MI330 (3rd year Science: Microbiology)

Cultivation of anaerobic microrganisms
Public Health Microbiology

MI303 (3rd year B.Sc. in Environmental Science: Microbiology)

Environmental Microbiology (MI318 and MI319) (12 ECTS credits)
Microbiology Practicals

MR325 (3rd Year B.Sc. in Marine Science: Introduction to Marine Ecology)

Viruses in the Marine
Sediment Microbiology
Microbiology Practicals

MR401 (4th Year B.Sc. in Marine Science: Advanced Topics in Marine Science)

Advanced Microbiology

MI401 (4th year Science: Microbiology)

"Unit 4": Bioinformatics
"Unit 13": Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry

MI403 (4th year B.Sc. in Environmental Science: Microbiology)

Environmental Microbiology & Waste Management (12 ECTS credits)

Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Microbiology

Bioremediation

MSc Ecosystem Conservation and Landscape Management

Fungal Bioremediation

Current students: click here for access to BLACKBOARD

Scientific Communications

Dr Collins has published over 125 scientific communications, including >35 peer-reviewed papers in international journals.
Skip to bottom for link to list of oral/poster presentations and published abstracts.
" Researcher I.D." profile.
" BiomedExperts" profile.

PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS & BOOK CHAPTERS (March 2010)

39.

O'Flaherty, V., Collins, G. and Mahony, T. (2010) Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural Residues, p. 259-280. In: Ralph Mitchell and Ji-Dong Gu (eds.), Environmental Microbiology, 2nd Edition, Wiley-Blackwell.

This is the long-awaited and much-anticipated revision of the bestselling text and reference. Based on the latest information and investigative techniques from molecular biology and genetics, this Second Edition offers an in-depth examination of the role of microbiological processes related to environmental deterioration with an emphasis on the detection and control of environmental contaminants. Its goal is to further our understanding of the complex microbial processes underlying environmental degradation, its detection and control, and ultimately, its prevention.

ISBN: 978-0-470-17790-7

Hardcover

375 pages

January 2010.

This way to purchase the book.

38.

Hang Gao , Frank Schreiber , Gavin Collins , Marlene M Jensen, Joel E Kostka , Gaute Lavik , Dirk de Beer , Huai-yang Zhou & Marcel M M Kuypers (2010). Aerobic denitrification in permeable Wadden Sea sediments.

Nature ISME (www.nature.com/isme), 4, 417–426.

37.

Madden, P., Chinalia, F.A., Enright, A.-M., Collins, G., O'Flaherty, V. (2010). PERTURBATION-INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN LOW-TEMPERATURE ANAEROBIC BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT BIOREACTORS. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 105(1), 79-87.

36.

McKeown, R.M., Scully, C., Chinalia, F.A., Mahony, T., Lee, C., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2009). Psychrophilic methanogenic community development during long-term cultivation of anaerobic granular biofilms.

Nature ISME (nature.com/ismej), 3, 1231-1242.

35.
O'Reilly, J., Lee, C., Collins, G., Chinalia, F.A., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2009). Quantitative and qualitative analysis of methanogenic communities in mesophilically and psychrophilically cultivated anaerobic granular biofilms. Water Research. 43(14), August 2009, Pages 3365-3374.

34.
O'Reilly, J., Chinalia, F.A., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2009). Cultivation of low-temperature (15C), anaerobic wastewater treatment granules. Letters in Applied Microbiology. In Press.

33.
McKeown, R.M., Scully, C., Mahony, T., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2009). Long-term (1,243 days), low-temperature (4C), anaerobic biotreatment of acidified wastewaters: Bioprocess performance and physiological characteristics. Water Research. 43(6): 1611-1620.

32.
Enright, A.-M., Collins, G., O'Flaherty, V. (2009). Effect of seed sludge and operation conditions on performance and

archaeal community structure of low-temperature anaerobic solvent-degrading bioreactors. Systematic and Applied Microbiology. 32(1): 65-79.

31. Fermoso, F.G.,Collins, G., Bartacek, J. and Lens, P.N. (2008) Zinc deprivation of methanol-fed anaerobic granular sludge bioreactors. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. 35(6): 543-55

7.

30.
Fermoso, Fernando G., Collins, Gavin, Bartacek, Jan, O'Flaherty, Vincent and Lens, Piet. (2008). Role of Nickel in high-rate methanol degradation in anaerobic granular sludge bioreactors. Biodegradation. 19(5): 725-737.

29.
Fermoso, F.G., O'Flaherty, V., Collins, G. and Lens, P. (2008). Acidification of methanol-fed anaerobic granular sludge bioreactors by cobalt deprivation: Induction and microbial community dynamics. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 99(1): 49-58.

28.
McKeown, R.M., Collins, G., Chinalia, F.A., Mahony, T. and V. O'Flaherty (2008). Low-temperature anaerobic biotreatment of priority pollutants. Water Science and Technology 57(4), 499-503.

27.
Carrigg, C., Rice, O., Kavanagh, S., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2007). DNA extraction method affects microbial community profiles from soils and sediment. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 77(4), 955-64.

26.
Scully, C., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2007). Granular biofilm-based anaerobic digestion: molecular biomonitoring and high-rate psychrophilic treatment of phenolic wastewater. Water Science and Technology. 55(1-2), 43-49.

25.
Enright, A.-M., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2007). Temporal microbial diversity in solvent-degrading anaerobic granular sludge from low-temperature (15C) wastewater treatment bioreactors. Systematic and Applied Microbiology.30(6), 471-482.

24.
Enright, A.-M., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2007). Low-temperature anaerobic biological treatment of toluene-containing wastewater. Water Research. 41(7), 1465-1472.

23.
Collins, G., Enright, A.-M., Mahony, T., Gieseke, A., de Beer, D. and O'Flaherty, V. (2007). Determination and localization of in situ substrate uptake by anaerobic wastewater treatment granular biofilms. Water Science Technol. 55(8-9), 369-376.

22.
Collins, G., Kavanagh, S., McHugh, S., Connaughton, S., Kearney, A., Rice, O., Carrigg, C., Scully, C., Bhreathnach, N., Mahony, T., Madden, P., Enright, A.-M. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). Accessing the black box of microbial diversity and ecophysiology: recent advances through polyphasic experiments. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 41(5), 897-922.

21.
Collins, G., McHugh, S., Connaughton, C., Enright, A.-M., Kearney, A., Scully, C., Mahony, T., Madden, P. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). New low-temperature applications of anaerobic biological wastewater treatment. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, 41(5), 881-95.

20.
Collins, G., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). Stability and reproducibility of low-temperature anaerobic biological wastewater treatment. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 55(3), 449-459.

19.
McHugh, S., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). Long-term, high-rate anaerobic biological treatment of whey wastewaters at psychrophilic temperatures. Bioresource Technology. 97, 1669-1678.

18.
Connaughton, S., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). Development of microbial community structure and actvity in a high-rate anaerobic bioreactor at 18C. Water Research. 40(5), 1009-1017.

17.
Connaughton, S., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). Psychrophilic and mesophilic anaerobic digestion of brewery effluent: a comparative study. Water Research. 40(13), 2503-2510.

16.
Collins, G., Connaughton, S., Enright, A.-M., Scully, C., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). Application and biomolecular monitoring of psychrophilic anaerobic digestion. Water Science and Technology. 54(2), 41-47.

15.
Scully, C., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006). Anaerobic biological treatment of phenol at 9.5-15C. Water Research. 40(20), 3737-3744.

14.
Morris, C., McKeown, R., O'Reilly, J., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2006) Culturing the unculturable? Crenarchaeota in anaerobic wastewater treatment granules. In: Environ 2006, Ed: R. Mole. Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland.

13.
O'Flaherty, V., Collins, G. and Mahony, T. (2006). The microbiology and biochemistry of anaerobic bioreactors with relevance to domestic sewage treatment. Re/Views in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology. 5, 39-55.

12.
Collins, G., Foy, C., McHugh, S. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Anaerobic treatment of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in an expanded granular sludge bed-anaerobic filter (EGSB-AF) bioreactor at 15C. FEMS Microbiology Ecology (Special Thematic Issue "Microbial Life in Cold Ecosystems"). 53(1), 167-178.

11.
Collins, G., Foy, C., McHugh, S., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Anaerobic biological treatment of phenol at 15-18C. Water Research. 39(8), 1614-1620.

10. Collins, G., O'Connor, L., Mahony, T., Gieseke, A., de Beer, D. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Distribution, localization and phylogeny of abundant populations of Crenarchaeota in anaerobic granular sludge. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71(11), 7523-7527.

9.
Enright, A.-M., McHugh, S., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Low-temperature anaerobic biological treatment of solvent-containing pharmaceutical wastewater. Water Research. 39(19), 4587-4596.

8.
Scully, C., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Assessment of anaerobic wastewater treatment failure using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 99(6), 1463-1472.

7.
Collins, G., Mahony, T., McHugh, S., Gieseke, A., de Beer, D. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Distribution, dynamics and in situ ecophysiology of Crenarchaeota in anaerobic wastewater treatment granules. Water Science and Technology. 52(7), 233-239.

6.
McHugh, S., Collins, G., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Biofilm reactor technology for low-temperature anaerobic waste treatment: microbiology and process characteristics. Water Science and Technology. 52(7), 107-113.

5.
Collins, G., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). New bugs for old jobs? The role of uncultured Crenarchaeota in anaerobic wastewater treatment biofilms. In: Biofilms: Persistence and Ubiquity, Eds: A. McBain, D. Allison, J. Verran. British Biofilm Club, September 2005, ISBN: 0-9551030-0-2.

4.
Enright, A.-M., Collins, G., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2005). Metabolic screening of anaerobic sludges for psychrophilic anaerobic treatment of solvent wastewaters. Water Intelligence Online. September 2005, ISSN 1476-1777.

3.
McHugh, S., Carton, M., Collins, G. and O'Flaherty, V. (2004). Reactor performance and microbial community dynamics during anaerobic biological treatment of simple and complex wastewaters at 16-37C. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 48(3), 369-378.

2.
Collins, G., McHugh, S., Kearney, A. and O'Flaherty, V. (2004). Psychrophilic anaerobic digestion of a range of wastewaters: process technology, microbial activity and population dynamics. Water Intelligence Online. July 2004, ISSN 1476-1777.

1.
Collins, G., Woods, A., McHugh, S., Carton, M.W. and O'Flaherty, V. (2003). Microbial community structure and methanogenic activity during start-up of psychrophilic anaerobic digesters treating synthetic industrial wastewaters. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 46 (2), 159-170.

This way for list of Oral/Poster Presentations and Published Abstracts

Microbiology,
School of Natural Sciences,
National University of Ireland, Galway,
University Road, Galway, Ireland.

Telephone: +353 (0) 91 492294 Fax: +353 (0) 91 494598
e-mail: microbiology

nuigalway.ie
YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/microbiologygalway
flickr Photo Stream: www.flickr.com/photos/microbiology-galway

The Microbiology website was designed, and is maintained, by Dr Gavin Collins & Ms Caroline O'Connell.
This page was last updated Sunday, September 18, 2011