Dr Andrew Dean

Academic and professional qualifications

2004 PhD. Interactions between phytoplankton, zooplankton and planktonic bacteria in two
contrasting lake systems. University of Manchester.

1999 MSc. Pollution & Environmental Control, University of Manchester.

1996 MSc. PC Interfacing & Software Applications, University of Central Lancashire.

1994 BSc. Hons Applied Physics (2.1) University of Central Lancashire.

Previous employment

Sep 2014 – May 2016 Teaching Associate at the Department of Geography, University of Sheffield

Teaching and coordinating a range of modules in the field of environmental and geographical sciences at both BSc and MSc level. Tutor for the BSc Environmental Sciences degree programme. Carried out research in aquatic sciences and algal biology.

Jan 2010 - Aug 2014 PDRA. Faculty of Life Sciences. University of Manchester.

Research into algal transcriptomics and metabolomics to understand the role of nutrient stress in cellular metal accumulation and lipid accumulation with reference to applications in algal biofuels and bioremediation. This research also included studies on the role of nutrient stress in the accumulation of silver nanoparticles in algae, and its subsequent transfer up the food chain. Also studied algal populations in acid mine drainage (AMD) ponds, and environmental studies on a wetland draining AMD.

Dec 2008 - Jul 2009 PDRA. Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences. Manchester Metropolitan University

Researched the relationship between benthic invertebrates and water quality.

Jan 2006 - Mar 2008 PDRA. Faculty of Life Sciences. University of Manchester.

Application of FTIR spectroscopy to study of carbon allocation in environmental populations of algae, and under nutrient-stress conditions within the laboratory. Also carried out field and lab studies on algal programmed cell death in cyanobacteria.

Sep 2004 - Dec 2005 Contract teaching and consultancy.

Reviewing and editing a web-based teaching package funded by the EU on the Water Framework Directive. Development of a silicon analysis methodology and analytical investigations on the behaviour and genotoxicity of trace metals.

Why study ?

Undergraduate courses

I am unit coordinator and lecturer for 'Biomolecules, Cells and Microorganisms' (1st year unit), and 'Microbiology' (2nd year unit) 

I also teach on the 3rd year units 'Environmental Microbiology' and 'Advanced Professional Skills'.

In addition, I act as personal tutor to students at all undergraduate levels, and act as project supervisor for 3rd year projects.

Research expertise

I am an aquatic scientist with a particular interest in microbial biology and ecology, including the potential of algae for the production of high-value products and pollution restoration, and the effect of nutrient and metal stress on algal physiology. I also carry out research on other aspects of aquatic biology, including the impact and bioremediation of acid mine drainage, and the study of invertebrate community responses to river pollution.

My research is both field and lab-based and is highly interdisciplinary, with approaches that include classical field ecology, molecular biology, metabolomics and genetic modification. I aim to study molecular and physiological processes in the laboratory and apply the insights gained to understand the effect of environmental stress on ecosystem function. You can see details of my publications at my Google Scholar and Researchgate pages.

Current research is centred around the following areas:

Algal Biology

This is my core research theme, and centres around the effect of environmental stressors, particularly nutrient and metal stress, on algal physiology. I also study the potential of algae for bioremediation of pollutant waste streams, and as producers of high-value bio-products. This research strand involves identifying and characterising algal strains obtained from extreme habitats and screening them for physiological and biochemical characteristics that have potential for biotechnological applications using techniques including FTIR spectroscopy, LC-MS and GC-MS.

Bacterial Populations wetlands receiving Acid Mine Drainage

My research in this field centres around the role that wetlands can provide in remediating acidic mine drainage, and has shown that a natural wetland receiving AMD significantly reduced water acidity and toxic metal levels leading to improved downstream water quality. Current research uses Illumina© high- throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterise the microbial communities across the wetland to help identify the mechanisms by which this remediation occurs.

The effect of pollution on river invertebrates

This research relates to the effect of pollution on aquatic invertebrates, particularly the relationship between benthic invertebrate community structure and environmental factors. I am currently looking into long term spatial and temporal changes in community structure within AMD contaminated rivers to study the effect of AMD on biodiversity. A related research area investigates metal pollution induced cytogenetic changes in aquatic fly larvae.

Publications

• Journal articles

  OE. Aguinaga, KN. White, AP. Dean, JK. Pittman (2021). Addition of organic acids to acid mine drainage polluted wetland sediment leads to microbial community structure and functional changes and improved water quality. Environmental Pollution. 290,

  A. Deane, J. Norrey, E. Coulthard, DC. McKendry, AP. Dean (2021). Riverine large woody debris introduced for natural flood management leads to rapid improvement in aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity. Ecological Engineering. 163, pp.106197-106197.

  AP. Dean, A. Hartley, OA. McIntosh, A. Smith, HK. Feord, et al. NH. Holmberg, T. King, E. Yardley, KN. White, JK. Pittman. (2019). Metabolic adaptation of a Chlamydomonas acidophila strain isolated from acid mine drainage ponds with low eukaryotic diversity. Science of the Total Environment. 647, pp.75-87.

  T. Driver, DK. Trivedi, OA. McIntosh, AP. Dean, R. Goodacre, et al. JK. Pittman. (2017). Two Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases from Chlamydomonas have Distinct Roles in Lipid Metabolism. Plant physiology. 174, pp.2083-2097.

  A. Ibuot, AP. Dean, OA. McIntosh, JK. Pittman (2017). Metal bioremediation by CrMTP4 over-expressing Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in comparison to natural wastewater-tolerant microalgae strains. Algal Research. 24, pp.89-96.

  AK. Bajhaiya, AP. Dean, LAH. Zeef, RE. Webster, JK. Pittman (2016). PSR1 Is a Global Transcriptional Regulator of Phosphorus Deficiency Responses and Carbon Storage Metabolism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Physiol. 170(3), pp.1216-1234.

  T. Driver, AK. Bajhaiya, JW. Allwood, R. Goodacre, JK. Pittman, et al. AP. Dean. (2015). Metabolic responses of eukaryotic microalgae to environmental stress limit the ability of FT-IR spectroscopy for species identification. Algal Res. 11, pp.148-155.

  A. Dean, J. Pittman (2015). Lipids from algae: novel applications and powerful quantification methods. INFORM: International News on Fats, Oils, and Related Materials. 26(1), pp.14-17.

  P. Michailova, J. Ilkova, AP. Dean, KN. White (2015). Cytogenetic index and functional genome alterations in Chironomus piger Strenzke (Diptera, Chironomidae) in the assessment of sediment pollution: a case study of Bulgarian and UK rivers. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 111, pp.220-227.

  O. Osundeko, AP. Dean, H. Davies, JK. Pittman (2014). Acclimation of microalgae to wastewater environments involves increased oxidative stress tolerance activity. Plant Cell Physiol. 55(10), pp.1848-1857.

  P. Michailova, A. Kownacki, O. Woznicka, KN. White, AP. Dean, et al. E. Szarek-Gwiadza. (2014). Macropelopia nebulosa group (Diptera, Chironomidae, Tanypodinae) - karyotype and morphology of larva and pupae. Zootaxa. 3852(1), pp.083-100.

  P. MICHAILOVA, A. KOWNACKI, O. WOŹNICKA, K. WHITE, A. DEAN, et al. EWA. SZAREK-GWIAZDA. (2014). Macropelopia nebulosa group (Diptera, Chironomidae, Tanypodinae)—karyotype and morphology of larvae and pupae. Zootaxa. 3852(1), pp.83-100.

  J. McTeer, AP. Dean, KN. White, JK. Pittman (2014). Bioaccumulation of silver nanoparticles into Daphnia magna from a freshwater algal diet and the impact of phosphate availability. Nanotoxicology. 8(3), pp.305-316.

  AP. Dean, JK. Pittman, DC. Sigee (2014). From lake ecology to biofuels-applications of fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to algal research. Spectroscopy Europe. 26(1), pp.14-17.

  AP. Dean, S. Lynch, P. Rowland, BD. Toft, JK. Pittman, et al. KN. White. (2013). Natural wetlands are efficient at providing long-term metal remediation of freshwater systems polluted by acid mine drainage. Environ Sci Technol. 47(21), pp.12029-12036.

  AP. Dean, JM. Nicholson, DC. Sigee (2012). Changing patterns of carbon allocation in lake phytoplankton: an FTIR analysis. Hydrobiologia. 684(1), pp.109-127.

  RE. Webster, AP. Dean, JK. Pittman (2011). Cadmium exposure and phosphorus limitation increases metal content in the freshwater alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Environ Sci Technol. 45(17), pp.7489-7496.

  JK. Pittman, AP. Dean, O. Osundeko (2011). The potential of sustainable algal biofuel production using wastewater resources. Bioresour Technol. 102(1), pp.17-25.

  AP. Dean, DC. Sigee, B. Estrada, JK. Pittman (2010). Using FTIR spectroscopy for rapid determination of lipid accumulation in response to nitrogen limitation in freshwater microalgae. Bioresour Technol. 101(12), pp.4499-4507.

  AP. Dean, JM. Nicholson, DC. Sigee (2008). Impact of phosphorus quota and growth phase on carbon allocation inChlamydomonas reinhardtii: an FTIR microspectroscopy study. European Journal of Phycology. 43(4), pp.345-354.

  JW. Hunt, AP. Dean, RE. Webster, GN. Johnson, AR. Ennos (2008). A novel mechanism by which silica defends grasses against herbivory. Ann Bot. 102(4), pp.653-656.

  AP. Dean, B. Estrada, JM. Nicholson, DC. Sigee (2008). Molecular response of Anabaena flos‐aquae to differing concentrations of phosphorus: A combined Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray microanalytical study. Phycological Research. 56(3), pp.193-201.

  DC. Sigee, F. Bahrami, B. Estrada, RE. Webster, AP. Dean (2007). The influence of phosphorus availability on carbon allocation and P quota in Scenedesmus subspicatus: A synchrotron-based FTIR analysis. Phycologia. 46(5), pp.583-592.

  DC. Sigee, A. Selwyn, P. Gallois, AP. Dean (2007). Patterns of cell death in freshwater colonial cyanobacteria during the late summer bloom. Phycologia. 46(3), pp.284-292.

  AP. Dean, MC. Martin, DC. Sigee (2007). Resolution of codominant phytoplankton species in a eutrophic lake using synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Phycologia. 46(2), pp.151-159.

  AP. Dean, DC. Sigee (2006). Molecular heterogeneity inAphanizomenon flos-aquaeandAnabaena flos-aquae(Cyanophyta): a synchrotron-based Fourier-transform infrared study of lake micropopulations. European Journal of Phycology. 41(2), pp.201-212.

  DC. SIGEE, A. DEAN, E. LEVADO, MJ. TOBIN (2002). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy of Pediastrum duplex: characterization of a micro-population isolated from a eutrophic lake. European Journal of Phycology. 37(1), pp.19-26.

Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

Peer reviewer for papers in the field of ecology and biotechnology for journals including Journal of Environmental Management, Hydrobiologia, Metabolomics, Fuel, Energies, Biomass and Bioenergy, GCB Bioenergy, Biosystems Engineering and Science of the Total Environment, Revista Ambiente & Água, Frontiers of Plant Science, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology.