Professor Geoffrey Gadd from the University of Dundee has been awarded the Society for General Microbiology's Colworth Prize lecture for his work on how microbes interact with metals and minerals. Professor Gadd will give his medal lecture on Tuesday 31 March at the Society's meeting in Harrogate.
Professor Gadd's recent work that showed how fungi degrade and transform ammunition depleted uranium into more stable uranium-phosphate minerals achieved widespread international publicity.
His research team have also examined how microbial activities can affect the fate of important toxic metal and radionuclide pollutants in the environment and their transfer to other organisms. While some microbial processes can be used in environmental biotechnology for treatment of metal pollution, and a number of processes are in commercial operation, some microbial transformations of metals and minerals can make toxic metals more available in the environment, as well as causing deterioration of important rock and mineral-based building materials, such as concrete. The latter may be significant in building decay as well as in nuclear decommissioning and waste storage: concrete is an important material in containment of radioactive wastes and any possibility of microbial corrosion needs to be considered over the long timescales of storage.