BSc (Hons) MSc PhD PgCHE FHEA MSB CBiol SCImem FIEnvSci

Diane has a broad interest in the field of environmental contamination and remediation. Her research activities focus on:

• the role of microorganisms in pollution control (e.g. removal of heavy metals using immobilised bacterial cells; application of biosurfactants for remediation of aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soils)
• the effects of heavy metals on antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria
• the effects of heavy metals on the nitrogen cycle
• the removal of heavy metals in constructed wetlands.
• microbial contamination in the domestic environment
• the enzymatic degradation of prion protein by keratinase-producing bacteria

Diane teaches on the MSc Environmental Pollution Control and BSc Biosciences programmes. She has special interestes in contaminated land and biotechnology, in particular the use of microorganisms to bioremediate environmental pollutants.

Curriculum/subject area

• Environmental Biotechnology
• Environmental Microbiology
• Bioremediation

Membership of Professional Bodies and Learned Societies

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Fellow of the Institution of Environmental Sciences
• Executive Member of The Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences
• Committee Member of Society of Chemical Industry (London Section)
• Chartered Biologist (Society of Biology)
• The British Mycological Society
• General Society for Microbiology
• The Society for Applied Microbiology
• American Society for Microbiology
• The International Society for Microbial Ecology

Selected publications

Okoroma E.A., Garelick H., Abiola O. andPurchase D. 2012. Identification and characterisation of a Bacillus licheniformis strain with profound keratinase activity for degradation of melanised feather.International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. 74, 54-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2012.07.013.

Radiar A.R.B. and Purchase D. 2012. Mathematical models to predict soil heavy metal toxicity in the 2012 Olympic site. International Journal of Enviornmental Science and Technology.9, 219-226.DOI:10.1007/s13762-012-0027-9.

Jiang Y., Jones H., Garelick H. and Purchase D. 2011. Effects of arsenate (As5+) on growth and production of glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs) in Chlorella vulgaris. International Journal of Phytoremediation13, 834-844. DOI:10.1080/15226514.2010.525560.

Purchase D., Scholes L.N.L., Revitt D.M. and Shutes R.B.E. 2009. Effects of temperature on metal tolerance and the accumulation of Zn and Pb by metal-tolerant fungi isolated from urban runoff treatment wetlands. Journal of Applied Microbiology106, 1163-1174.

Devere E. and Purchase D. 2007. Effectiveness of domestic antibacterial products in decontaminating food contact surfaces. Food Microbiology 24, 425-430.

Purchase D. and Miles R.J. 2001. Survival and nodulating ability of indigenous and inoculated Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii in sterilised and unsterilised soil treated with sewage sludge. Current Microbiolgoy42, 59-64.

CarapetoC. and Purchase D.2000. Use of sequential extraction procedures for the analysis of cadmium and lead in sediment samples from a constructed wetland. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology64, 51-58.

Selected conference speeches, papers and posters

Muñoz L.P., Purchase D., Jones H. and Garelick H. 2012. The occurrence of Arsenic-Glutathione complexes in Chlorella vulgaris: off-line elemental (ICP-MS) and molecular (ES-MS) mass spectrometric detection for liquid chromatographic separation. 6^th SETAC World Congress, Berlin 20-24 May, 2012.

Purchase D. 2011. Beauvaria, Biosurfactant and Bacillus: Microbial Potential in Remediating Pollutants. 1st International Microrganism Conference: "Microorganisms facing their environment (Les microOrganismes face à leur environnement)". Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, 27-28 October, 2011. Keynote speech.

Okoroma, E.A, Purchase D., Garelick H., Morris R. and Abiola O. 2011. Degradation of infective prion protein by a novel enzymatic composition. PRION 2011, Montreal, 16-19 May, 2011.

Okoroma E A.,Purchase D., Garelick H. and Abiola O. 2011. A novel enzymatic composition effective for prion degradation. Society for General Microbiology Spring Conference, Harrogate, 11-14 April, 2011.

Okoroma, E.A, Purchase D., Garelick H., Jen A., Morris R. and Abiola O. 2009. Degradation of scrapie infected brain homogenate by a novel bacterial keratinase. Prion 2009, Chalkidiki, Greece, 23-25 September 2009.

Okoroma, E.A, Purchase D., Garelick H., Jen A., Morris R. and Abiola O. 2009. Temperature and pH interaction in keratinase production of a novel feather degrading bacteria. 10th International Symposium on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology, Uppsala, Sweden, 15-19 June 2009.

Okoroma E A., Purchase D., Garelick H. and Abiola O. 2009. Bacterial Keratinase: Prospects for prion degradation. Society for General Microbiology Meeting, Harrogate, 30 Mar-2 Apr 2009.

Okoroma EA, Purchase D., Garelick H., Abiola A. and Abiola O. 2009. Keratinases and Prion inactivation: Possibilities from keratin degradation. Canada 3rd Annual Prion Research Conference PrPCANADA 2009, Alberta, Canada, 1-3 March 2009.

Okoroma E A., Purchase D., Garelick H. and Abiola O. 2008. Keratinase production by proteolytic microorganisms in activated sludge and farmyard waste. 163rd Society for General Microbiology Meeting, Ireland, 8-11 September 2008.

Purchase D., Scholes L., Revitt M. and Shutes B. 2008. Metal-tolerance in two fungi from constructed wetlands treating urban runoff. EC COST Action 859 Meeting - Plant uptake/exclusion and translocation of nutrients and contaminants, Slovakia, 22-24 May, 2008.

Purchase D., Garelick H., Okoroma E., Christen H. and Abiola O. 2007. Keratin degradation by proteolytic microorganisms isolated from activated sludge and farmyard manure: possible application in decontamination of prion protein. 9th Symposium on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology, Wernigerode, Germany, 23-27 June, 2007.

Athuru S.K. and Purchase D. 2006. Bioremediation of chromium (VI) in tannery effluents by Thiobacillus thioparus. 11th International Symposium of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria. 20-25 August 2006.

Okoroma E.A. and Purchase D. 2006. Enhanced growth and survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the biodegration of pyrene by rhamnolipid (biosurfactant). 11th International Symposium of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria. 20-25August 2006.