![Carsten Muller](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/1142?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Carsten Muller
Reader, Postgraduate Divisional Tutor
- Available for postgraduate supervision
School of Biosciences
Overview
Chemical signalling is fundamental process common to all organisms. Chemical substances and mixtures are widely used to communicate between, attract and defend against organisms of the same and different species. Flavours and fragrances are essentally mixtures of chemicals, many biologically active chemicals serve as template for pharmaceuticals and anthropogenic pollution (in itself often a mixture of chemicals) can affect such communication even at sub-lethal levels.
Smells and scents, flavour and fragrance are mostly complex bouquets of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In fruit and vegetable such bouquets have been shown to indicate e.g. quality, freshness and variety of products. In animals these bouquets in the form of scent marks and signals can carry information on e.g. individuum, status, health and condition. My research investigates such VOC bouquets using state-of-the-art chemical analytical and statistical tools with the aim to understand behaviour and ecology mediated by VOCs, to monitor processes that lead to changes in VOC bouquets and based on this to develop monitoring tools for applications in commerce, conservation and health.
Interested in joining my lab as a self-funded post-graduate student or a postdoc/fellow? Please contact me by email.
Publication
2025
- Davies, K. L. et al. 2025. Floral structure, histochemistry and volatile compounds in Bulbophyllum species of the ‘Cirrhopetalum alliance’ (Orchidaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 207(1), pp. 10-39. (10.1093/botlinnean/boae029)
2024
- Franzoni, G. et al. 2024. Identification of potential molecular markers for detection of lengthy chilled storage of Prunus persica L. fruit. Heliyon 10(24), article number: e40992. (10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40992)
- Parr-Cortes, Z., Rooney, N. J., Wheatstone, M., Stock, T., Pesterfield, C., Guest, C. and Muller, C. T. 2024. Evaluating and contextualizing volatile organic compounds in dog training breath samples from a patient with type 1 diabetes. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 75, pp. 62-75. (10.1016/j.jveb.2024.07.002)
- Cuff, J. et al. 2024. Prey nutrient content is associated with the trophic interactions of spiders and their prey selection under field conditions. Oikos (10.1111/oik.10712)
- Asiri, A., Perkins, S. E. and Muller, C. 2024. The smell of infection: Disease surveillance in insects using volatile organic compounds. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (10.1111/afe.12651)
- Cirillo, A. et al. 2024. Comparison of volatile organic compounds, quality, and nutritional parameters from local Italian and international apple cultivars. Horticulturae 10(8), article number: 863. (10.3390/horticulturae10080863)
- Parr-Cortes, Z., Müller, C. T., Talas, L., Mendl, M., Guest, C. and Rooney, N. J. 2024. The odour of an unfamiliar stressed or relaxed person affects dogs’ responses to a cognitive bias test. Scientific Reports 14, article number: 15843. (10.1038/s41598-024-66147-1)
- Thomas, G. A., Paradell Gil, T., Müller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Berger, C. N. 2024. From field to plate: How do bacterial enteric pathogens interact with ready-to-eat fruit and vegetables, causing disease outbreaks?. Food Microbiology 117, article number: 104389. (10.1016/j.fm.2023.104389)
2023
- Spadafora, N. D., Muller, C. T. and Rogers, H. J. 2023. Rocket salad aroma is affected by sampling method, species and degree of leaf damage. Italus Hortus 30(3), pp. 1-11. (10.26353/j.itahort/2023.3.0111)
- Zidat, T., Gabirot, M., Bonadonna, F. and Muller, C. 2023. Homing and nest recognition in nocturnal blue petrels: What scent may attract birds to their burrows?. Journal of Chemical Ecology 49, pp. 384-396. (10.1007/s10886-023-01424-3)
- Baldwin, A. et al. 2023. Storage of halved strawberry fruits affects aroma, phytochemical content and gene expression, and is affected by pre-harvest factors. Frontiers in Plant Science 14, article number: 1165056. (10.3389/fpls.2023.1165056)
2022
- Ludlow, R. A., Evans, G., Graz, M., Gracia, M., Castillo Martinez, P., Rogers, H. J. and Muller, C. T. 2022. From laboratory to industrial storage - Translating volatile organic compounds into markers for assessing garlic storage quality. Postharvest Biology and Technology 191, article number: 111976. (10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.111976)
- Muto, A. et al. 2022. Fruitomics: The importance of combining sensory and chemical analyses in assessing cold storage responses of six peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) cultivars. Foods 11(17), article number: 2703. (10.3390/foods11172554)
- Greco, M. et al. 2022. Identifying volatile and non-volatile organic compounds for discriminating cultivar, growth location and stage of ripening in olive fruits and oils. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 102(11), pp. 4500-4513. (10.1002/jsfa.11805)
- Christofides, S. R. et al. 2022. Cross-cultural differences between Italian and UK consumer preferences for ‘Big Top’ nectarines in relation to cold storage. Foods 11(16), article number: e2424. (10.3390/foods11162424)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2022. Density-independent prey choice, taxonomy, life history and web characteristics determine the diet and biocontrol potential of spiders (Linyphiidae and Lycosidae) in cereal crops. Environmental DNA 4(3), pp. 549-564. (10.1002/edn3.272)
- Evans, M. N., Waller, S., Muller, C. T., Goossens, B., Smith, J. A., Bakar, M. S. A. and Kille, P. 2022. The price of persistence: Assessing the drivers and health implications of metal levels in indicator carnivores inhabiting an agriculturally fragmented landscape. Environmental Research 207, article number: 112216. (10.1016/j.envres.2021.112216)
- Hart, E. H. et al. 2022. Forage grass growth under future climate change scenarios affects fermentation and ruminant efficiency. Scientific Reports 12, article number: 4454. (10.1038/s41598-022-08309-7)
2021
- Ludlow, R. A. et al. 2021. Storage time and temperature affects volatile organic compound profile, alliinase activity and postharvest quality of garlic. Postharvest Biology and Technology 177, article number: 111533. (10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111533)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2021. Money spider dietary choice in pre- and post-harvest cereal crops using metabarcoding. Ecological Entomology 46(2), pp. 249-261. (10.1111/een.12957)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2021. MEDI: Macronutrient Extraction and Determination from Invertebrates, a rapid, cheap and streamlined protocol. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 12(4), pp. 593-601. (10.1111/2041-210X.13551)
- Dhorajiwala, R. et al. 2021. Storage of halved strawberry fruits affects aroma, phytochemical content and gene expression. Presented at: 9th International Strawberry Symposium (ISS2021), Rimini, Italy, 01 - 05 May 2021IX International Strawberry Symposium, Vol. 1309. International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), (10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1309.127)
- Evans, M. N., Muller, C. T., Kille, P., Asner, G. P., Guerrero-Sanchez, S., Abu Bakar, M. S. and Goossens, B. 2021. Space-use patterns of Malay civets (Viverra tangalunga) persisting within a landscape fragmented by oil palm plantations. Landscape Ecology 36, pp. 915-930. (10.1007/s10980-020-01187-2)
- O'Leary, J. et al. 2021. Space and patchiness affects diversity-function relationships in fungal decay communities. ISME Journal 15, pp. 720-731. (10.1038/s41396-020-00808-7)
- Course, C., Watkins, W. J., Müller, C. T., Odd, D., Kotecha, S. and Chakraborty, M. 2021. Volatile organic compounds as disease predictors in newborn infants: a systematic review. Journal of Breath Research 15(2), article number: 24002. (10.1088/1752-7163/abe283)
- Cuff, J., Muller, C. T., Gilmartin, E. C., Boddy, L. and Jones, T. H. 2021. Home is where the heart rot is: violet click beetle, Limoniscus violaceus (Müller, 1821), habitat attributes and volatiles. Insect Conservation and Diversity 14(1), pp. 155-162., article number: Volume14, Issue1 January 2021 Pages 155-162. (10.1111/icad.12441)
2020
- Evans, M. N., Guerrero-Sanchez, S., Kille, P., Muller, C., Abu Bakar, M. S. and Goossens, B. 2020. Physiological implications of life at the forest interface of oil palm agriculture: blood profiles of wild Malay civets (Viverra tangalunga). Conservation Physiology 8(1), article number: coaa127. (10.1093/conphys/coaa127)
- Al-Harbi, B. et al. 2020. Mutation of Arabidopsis copper-containing amine oxidase gene AtCuAOδ alters polyamines, reduces gibberellin content and affects development. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21(20), article number: 7789. (10.3390/ijms21207789)
- Aros, D., Garrido, N., Rivas, C., Medel, M., Muller, C., Rogers, H. and Úbeda, C. 2020. Floral scent evaluation of three cut flowers through sensorial and gas chromatography analysis. Agronomy 10(1), article number: 131. (10.3390/agronomy10010131)
2019
- Spadafora, N. D. et al. 2019. Short-term post-harvest stress that affects profiles of volatile organic compounds and gene expression in rocket salad during early post-harvest senescence. Plants 9(1), article number: 4. (10.3390/plants9010004)
- O'Leary, J. et al. 2019. The whiff of decay: Linking volatile production and extracellular enzymes to outcomes of fungal interactions at different temperatures. Fungal Ecology 39, pp. 336-348. (10.1016/j.funeco.2019.03.006)
- Spadafora, N. D. et al. 2019. A complex interaction between pre-harvest and post-harvest factors determines fresh-cut melon quality and aroma. Scientific Reports 9, article number: 2745. (10.1038/s41598-019-39196-0)
- El-Mogy, M. M., Ludlow, R. A., Roberts, C., Muller, C. T. and Rogers, H. J. 2019. Postharvest exogenous melatonin treatment of strawberry reduces postharvest spoilage but affects components of the aroma profile. Journal of Berry Research 9(2), pp. 297-307. (10.3233/JBR-180361)
2018
- O'Leary, J., Eastwood, D., Muller, C. and Boddy, L. 2018. Emergent properties arising from spatial heterogeneity influence fungal community dynamics. Fungal Ecology 33, pp. 32-39. (10.1016/j.funeco.2018.02.001)
- Spadafora, N. D., Cammarisano, L., Rogers, H. J. and Muller, C. 2018. Using volatile organic compounds to monitor shelf-life in rocket salad. Acta Horticulturae(1194), pp. 1299-1305. (10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1194.183)
- Cocetta, G. et al. 2018. Effect of temperature and cut size on the volatile organic compound profile, and expression of Chorismate synthase in fresh-cut melon. Acta Horticulturae(1194), pp. 1175-1180. (10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1194.167)
- Gabirot, M., Buatois, B., Muller, C. and Bonadonna, F. 2018. Odour of King Penguin feathers analysed using direct thermal desorption discriminates between individuals but not sexes. Ibis 160(2), pp. 379-389. (10.1111/ibi.12544)
- Amaro, A. L. et al. 2018. Multitrait analysis of fresh-cut cantaloupe melon enables discrimination between storage times and temperatures and identifies potential markers for quality assessments. Food Chemistry 241, pp. 222-231. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.08.050)
- Paramithiotis, S., Spadafora, N., Muller, C., Drosinos, E. H. and Rogers, H. 2018. Sniffing out contaminants. Food Science and Technology
2017
- Kean, E. F., Bruford, M. W., Russo, I. M., Muller, C. T. and Chadwick, E. A. 2017. Odour dialects among wild mammals. Scientific Reports 7, article number: 13593. (10.1038/s41598-017-12706-8)
- Cavaiuolo, M., Cocetta, G., Spadafora, N. D., Müller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Ferrante, A. 2017. Gene expression analysis of rocket salad under pre-harvest and postharvest stresses: a transcriptomic resource for Diplotaxis tenuifolia. PLoS ONE 12(5), article number: e0178119. (10.1371/journal.pone.0178119)
2016
- Furtado, C., Belo, A. F., Nunes, F. M., Ganhão, E., Müller, C. T., Torres, L. and Rei, F. T. 2016. Evaluating potential olive orchard sugar food sources for the olive fly parasitoid Psyttalia concolor. BioControl 61(5), pp. 473-483. (10.1007/s10526-016-9732-5)
- Hiscox, J., Savoury, M., Johnston, S. R., Parfitt, D., Muller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Boddy, L. 2016. Location, location, location: priority effects in wood decay communities may vary between sites. Environmental Microbiology 18(6), pp. 1954-1969. (10.1111/1462-2920.13141)
- Spadafora, N. D., Amaro, A. L., Pereira, M. J., Müller, C. T., Pintado, M. and Rogers, H. J. 2016. Multi-trait analysis of post-harvest storage in rocket salad (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) links sensorial, volatile and nutritional data. Food Chemistry, pp. 114-123. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.04.107)
- Spadafora, N. D., Paramithiotis, S., Drosinos, E. H., Cammarisano, L., Rogers, H. J. and Muller, C. T. 2016. Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in cut melon fruit using analysis of volatile organic compounds. Food Microbiology 54, pp. 52-59. (10.1016/j.fm.2015.10.017)
- Bell, L., Spadafora, N. D., Muller, C. T., Wagstaff, C. and Rogers, H. J. 2016. Use of TD-GC–TOF-MS to assess volatile composition during post-harvest storage in seven accessions of rocket salad (Eruca sativa). Food Chemistry 194, pp. 626-636. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.08.043)
- El Ariebi, N., Hiscox, J., Scriven, S. A., Muller, C. T. and Boddy, L. 2016. Production and effects of volatile organic compounds during interspecific interactions. Fungal Ecology 20, pp. 144-154. (10.1016/j.funeco.2015.12.013)
2015
- Hiscox, J., Savoury, M., Vaughan, I. P., Muller, C. and Boddy, L. 2015. Antagonistic fungal interactions influence carbon dioxide evolution from decomposing wood. Fungal Ecology 14, pp. 24-32. (10.1016/j.funeco.2014.11.001)
- Aros, D. et al. 2015. Floral scent evaluation of segregating lines of Alstroemeria caryophyllaea. Scientia Horticulturae 185, pp. 183-192. (10.1016/j.scienta.2015.01.014)
- Hiscox, J., Savoury, M., Muller, C. T., Lindahl, B. D., Rogers, H. J. and Boddy, L. 2015. Priority effects during fungal community establishment in beech wood. ISME Journal 9, pp. 2246-2260. (10.1038/ismej.2015.38)
- Baldassarre, V., Cabassi, G., Spadafora, N. D., Aprile, A., Muller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Ferrante, A. 2015. Wounding tomato fruit elicits ripening-stage specific changes in gene expression and production of volatile compounds. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(5), pp. 1511-1526. (10.1093/jxb/eru516)
- Kean, E., Chadwick, E. A. and Muller, C. T. 2015. Scent signals individual identity and country of origin in otters. Mammalian Biology 80(2), pp. 99-105. (10.1016/j.mambio.2014.12.004)
- Förster, N., Ulrichs, C., Schreiner, M., Muller, C. T. and Mewis, I. 2015. Development of a reliable extraction and quantification method for glucosinolates in Moringa oleifera. Food Chemistry 166, pp. 456-464. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.06.043)
- Spadafora, N. D., Machado, I., Muller, C. T., Pintado, M., Bates, M. and Rogers, H. J. 2015. Physiological, metabolite and volatile analysis of cut size in melon during postharvest storage. Acta Horticulturae 1071, pp. 787-793. (10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1071.104)
- Symondson, W. O. C., Holloway, J. D., Goossens, B. and Muller, C. T. 2015. Bornean caterpillar (Lepidoptera) constructs cocoon fromVatica rassak(Dipterocarpaceae) resin containing multiple deterrent compounds. Journal of Natural History 49(9-10), pp. 553-560. (10.1080/00222933.2014.939731)
2014
- Muller, C. T., Kean, E., Chadwick, E. A., Spadafora, D. and Rogers, H. J. 2014. Scents and scentsivity - what scents (may) spell out and ways to read it. Flavour 3(Supp 1), pp. 11-11. (10.1186/2044-7248-3-S1-P11)
2013
- Morton, W., Muller, C. T., Goodwin, N., Wilkes, A. and Hall, J. E. 2013. Investigation of phthalate release from tracheal tubes. Anaesthesia 68(4), pp. 377-381. (10.1111/anae.12083)
2012
- Aros Orellana, D. F., Gonzalez, V., Allemann, R. K., Müller, C. T., Rosati, C. and Rogers, H. J. 2012. Volatile emissions of scented Alstroemeria genotypes are dominated by terpenes, and a myrcene synthase gene is highly expressed in scented Alstroemeria flowers. Journal of Experimental Botany 63(7), pp. 2739-2752. (10.1093/jxb/err456)
- Burnard, D. et al. 2012. Chemically-mediated sexual display postures in pre-ovulatory female topmouth gudgeon, Pseudorasbora parva. Behaviour 149(9), pp. 1003-1018. (10.1163/1568539X-00003024)
2011
- Telezhkin, V., Brazier, S. P., Mears, R., Müller, C. T., Riccardi, D. and Kemp, P. J. 2011. Cysteine residue 911 in C-terminal tail of human BKCaα channel subunit is crucial for its activation by carbon monoxide. Pflugers Archiv-European Journal of Physiology 461(6), pp. 665-675. (10.1007/s00424-011-0924-7)
- Markman, S., Müller, C. T., Pascoe, D., Dawson, A. and Buchanan, K. L. 2011. Pollutants affect development in nestling starlings Sturnus vulgaris. Journal of Applied Ecology 48(2), pp. 391-397. (10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01931.x)
- Mewis, I., Smetanska, I., Müller, C. T. and Ulrichs, C. 2011. Specific poly-phenolic compounds in cell culture of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Gamay Fréaux. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 164(2), pp. 148-161. (10.1007/s12010-010-9122-x)
- Kean, E., Müller, C. T. and Chadwick, E. A. 2011. Otter scent signals age, sex, and reproductive status. Chemical Senses 36(6), pp. 555-564. (10.1093/chemse/bjr025)
- Hardege, J. D. et al. 2011. Identification of a female sex pheromone in Carcinus maenas. Marine Ecology Progress Series 436, pp. 177-189. (10.3354/meps09226)
2009
- Park, K. J., Müller, C. T., Markman, S., Swinscow-Hall, O., Pascoe, D. and Buchanan, K. L. 2009. Detection of endocrine disrupting chemicals in aerial invertebrates at sewage treatment works. Chemosphere 77(11), pp. 1459-1464. (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.08.063)
- Singhrao, S., Müller, C. T., Gilbert, S. J., Duance, V. C. and Archer, C. W. 2009. An immunofluorescence method for postembedded tissue in the acrylic resin Technovit 9100 New(R) using fluorescein isothiocyanate secondary detection. Microscopy Research and Technique 72(7), pp. 501-506. (10.1002/jemt.20705)
- Singhrao, S. K., Müller, C. T., Gilbert, S. J., Duance, V. C. and Archer, C. W. 2009. An immunofluorescence method for post-embedded tissue in acrylic resin Technovit 9100 New(R) using fluorescein isothiocyanate secondary detection marker [Abstract]. International Journal of Experimental Pathology 90(2), pp. A129.
2008
- Williams, S. E., Brazier, S. P., Baban, N., Telezhkin, V., Muller, C. T., Riccardi, D. and Kemp, P. J. 2008. A structural motif in the C-terminal tail of slo1 confers carbon monoxide sensitivity to human BKCa channels. Pflugers Archiv-European Journal of Physiology 456(3), pp. 561-572. (10.1007/s00424-007-0439-4)
- Markman, S., Leitner, S., Catchpole, C., Barnsley, S., Müller, C. T., Pascoe, D. and Buchanan, K. L. 2008. Pollutants increase song complexity and the volume of the brain area HVC in a songbird. PLoS ONE 3(2), article number: e1674. (10.1371/journal.pone.0001674)
- Gray, V. L., Müller, C. T., Watkins, I. D. and Lloyd, D. 2008. Peptones from diverse sources: pivotal determinants of bacterial growth dynamics. Journal of Applied Microbiology 104(2), pp. 554-565. (10.1111/j.1365-2672.2007.03577.x)
- Garcia-Alonso, J., Müller, C. T. and Hardege, J. D. 2008. Influence of food regimes and seasonality on fatty acid composition in the ragworm. Aquatic Biology 4(1), pp. 7-13. (10.3354/ab00090)
- Evans, J. A., Eyre, C. A., Rogers, H. J., Boddy, L. and Müller, C. T. 2008. Changes in volatile production during interspecific interactions between four wood rotting fungi growing in artificial media. Fungal Ecology 1(2-3), pp. 57-68. (10.1016/j.funeco.2008.06.001)
- George, C. H., Barberini-Jammaers, S. R. and Müller, C. T. 2008. Refocussing therapeutic strategies for cardiac arrhythmias: defining viable molecular targets to restore cardiac ion flux drug. Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents 18(1), pp. 1-19. (10.1517/13543776.18.1.1)
2007
- Markman, S., Guschina, I., Barnsley, S., Buchanan, K. L., Pascoe, D. and Muller, C. T. 2007. Endocrine disrupting chemicals accumulate in earthworms exposed to sewage effluent. Chemosphere 70(1), pp. 119-125. (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.06.045)
- Hayden, D. et al. 2007. Sex-specific mediation of foraging in the shore crab, Carcinus maenas. Hormones and Behavior 52(2), pp. 162-168. (10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.004)
- Lemar, K. M., Aon, M. A., Cortassa, S., O'Rourke, B., Muller, C. T. and Lloyd, D. 2007. Diallyl disulphide depletes glutathione inCandida albicans: oxidative stress-mediated cell death studied by two-photon microscopy. Yeast 24(8), pp. 695-706. (10.1002/yea.1503)
2006
- Jones, G. L. l., Muller, C. T., O'Reilly, M. and Stickler, D. J. 2006. Effect of triclosan on the development of bacterial biofilms by urinary tract pathogens on urinary catheters. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 57(2), pp. 266-272. (10.1093/jac/dki447)
- Hynes, J., Müller, C. T., Jones, T. H. and Boddy, L. 2006. Changes in volatile production during the course of fungal mycelial interactions between Hypholoma fasciculare and Resinicium bicolor. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33(1), pp. 43-57. (10.1007/s10886-006-9209-6)
- Gray, V. L., O'Reilly, M., Müller, C. T., Watkins, I. D. and Lloyd, D. 2006. Low tyrosine content of growth media yields aflagellate Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Microbiology 152(1), pp. 23-28. (10.1099/mic.0.28442-0)
2005
- Lemar, K. M. et al. 2005. Allyl alcohol and garlic (Allium sativum) extract produce oxidative stress in Candida albicans. Microbiology 151(10), pp. 3257-3265. (10.1099/mic.0.28095-0)
2004
- Hardege, J. D., Bartels-Hardege, H., Muller, C. T. and Beckmann, M. 2004. Peptide pheromones in female Nereis succinea. Peptides 25(9), pp. 1517-1522. (10.1016/j.peptides.2003.11.029)
2003
- Pascoe, D., Karntanut, W. and Muller, C. T. 2003. Do pharmaceuticals affect freshwater invertebrates? A study with the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris. Chemosphere 51(6), pp. 521-528. (10.1016/S0045-6535(02)00860-3)
- Lemar, K. M., Muller, C. T., Plummer, S. and Lloyd, D. 2003. Cell death mechanisms in the human opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 50(s1), pp. 685-686. (10.1111/j.1550-7408.2003.tb00687.x)
Cynadleddau
- Dhorajiwala, R. et al. 2021. Storage of halved strawberry fruits affects aroma, phytochemical content and gene expression. Presented at: 9th International Strawberry Symposium (ISS2021), Rimini, Italy, 01 - 05 May 2021IX International Strawberry Symposium, Vol. 1309. International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), (10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1309.127)
Erthyglau
- Davies, K. L. et al. 2025. Floral structure, histochemistry and volatile compounds in Bulbophyllum species of the ‘Cirrhopetalum alliance’ (Orchidaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 207(1), pp. 10-39. (10.1093/botlinnean/boae029)
- Franzoni, G. et al. 2024. Identification of potential molecular markers for detection of lengthy chilled storage of Prunus persica L. fruit. Heliyon 10(24), article number: e40992. (10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40992)
- Parr-Cortes, Z., Rooney, N. J., Wheatstone, M., Stock, T., Pesterfield, C., Guest, C. and Muller, C. T. 2024. Evaluating and contextualizing volatile organic compounds in dog training breath samples from a patient with type 1 diabetes. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 75, pp. 62-75. (10.1016/j.jveb.2024.07.002)
- Cuff, J. et al. 2024. Prey nutrient content is associated with the trophic interactions of spiders and their prey selection under field conditions. Oikos (10.1111/oik.10712)
- Asiri, A., Perkins, S. E. and Muller, C. 2024. The smell of infection: Disease surveillance in insects using volatile organic compounds. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (10.1111/afe.12651)
- Cirillo, A. et al. 2024. Comparison of volatile organic compounds, quality, and nutritional parameters from local Italian and international apple cultivars. Horticulturae 10(8), article number: 863. (10.3390/horticulturae10080863)
- Parr-Cortes, Z., Müller, C. T., Talas, L., Mendl, M., Guest, C. and Rooney, N. J. 2024. The odour of an unfamiliar stressed or relaxed person affects dogs’ responses to a cognitive bias test. Scientific Reports 14, article number: 15843. (10.1038/s41598-024-66147-1)
- Thomas, G. A., Paradell Gil, T., Müller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Berger, C. N. 2024. From field to plate: How do bacterial enteric pathogens interact with ready-to-eat fruit and vegetables, causing disease outbreaks?. Food Microbiology 117, article number: 104389. (10.1016/j.fm.2023.104389)
- Spadafora, N. D., Muller, C. T. and Rogers, H. J. 2023. Rocket salad aroma is affected by sampling method, species and degree of leaf damage. Italus Hortus 30(3), pp. 1-11. (10.26353/j.itahort/2023.3.0111)
- Zidat, T., Gabirot, M., Bonadonna, F. and Muller, C. 2023. Homing and nest recognition in nocturnal blue petrels: What scent may attract birds to their burrows?. Journal of Chemical Ecology 49, pp. 384-396. (10.1007/s10886-023-01424-3)
- Baldwin, A. et al. 2023. Storage of halved strawberry fruits affects aroma, phytochemical content and gene expression, and is affected by pre-harvest factors. Frontiers in Plant Science 14, article number: 1165056. (10.3389/fpls.2023.1165056)
- Ludlow, R. A., Evans, G., Graz, M., Gracia, M., Castillo Martinez, P., Rogers, H. J. and Muller, C. T. 2022. From laboratory to industrial storage - Translating volatile organic compounds into markers for assessing garlic storage quality. Postharvest Biology and Technology 191, article number: 111976. (10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.111976)
- Muto, A. et al. 2022. Fruitomics: The importance of combining sensory and chemical analyses in assessing cold storage responses of six peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) cultivars. Foods 11(17), article number: 2703. (10.3390/foods11172554)
- Greco, M. et al. 2022. Identifying volatile and non-volatile organic compounds for discriminating cultivar, growth location and stage of ripening in olive fruits and oils. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 102(11), pp. 4500-4513. (10.1002/jsfa.11805)
- Christofides, S. R. et al. 2022. Cross-cultural differences between Italian and UK consumer preferences for ‘Big Top’ nectarines in relation to cold storage. Foods 11(16), article number: e2424. (10.3390/foods11162424)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2022. Density-independent prey choice, taxonomy, life history and web characteristics determine the diet and biocontrol potential of spiders (Linyphiidae and Lycosidae) in cereal crops. Environmental DNA 4(3), pp. 549-564. (10.1002/edn3.272)
- Evans, M. N., Waller, S., Muller, C. T., Goossens, B., Smith, J. A., Bakar, M. S. A. and Kille, P. 2022. The price of persistence: Assessing the drivers and health implications of metal levels in indicator carnivores inhabiting an agriculturally fragmented landscape. Environmental Research 207, article number: 112216. (10.1016/j.envres.2021.112216)
- Hart, E. H. et al. 2022. Forage grass growth under future climate change scenarios affects fermentation and ruminant efficiency. Scientific Reports 12, article number: 4454. (10.1038/s41598-022-08309-7)
- Ludlow, R. A. et al. 2021. Storage time and temperature affects volatile organic compound profile, alliinase activity and postharvest quality of garlic. Postharvest Biology and Technology 177, article number: 111533. (10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111533)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2021. Money spider dietary choice in pre- and post-harvest cereal crops using metabarcoding. Ecological Entomology 46(2), pp. 249-261. (10.1111/een.12957)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2021. MEDI: Macronutrient Extraction and Determination from Invertebrates, a rapid, cheap and streamlined protocol. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 12(4), pp. 593-601. (10.1111/2041-210X.13551)
- Evans, M. N., Muller, C. T., Kille, P., Asner, G. P., Guerrero-Sanchez, S., Abu Bakar, M. S. and Goossens, B. 2021. Space-use patterns of Malay civets (Viverra tangalunga) persisting within a landscape fragmented by oil palm plantations. Landscape Ecology 36, pp. 915-930. (10.1007/s10980-020-01187-2)
- O'Leary, J. et al. 2021. Space and patchiness affects diversity-function relationships in fungal decay communities. ISME Journal 15, pp. 720-731. (10.1038/s41396-020-00808-7)
- Course, C., Watkins, W. J., Müller, C. T., Odd, D., Kotecha, S. and Chakraborty, M. 2021. Volatile organic compounds as disease predictors in newborn infants: a systematic review. Journal of Breath Research 15(2), article number: 24002. (10.1088/1752-7163/abe283)
- Cuff, J., Muller, C. T., Gilmartin, E. C., Boddy, L. and Jones, T. H. 2021. Home is where the heart rot is: violet click beetle, Limoniscus violaceus (Müller, 1821), habitat attributes and volatiles. Insect Conservation and Diversity 14(1), pp. 155-162., article number: Volume14, Issue1 January 2021 Pages 155-162. (10.1111/icad.12441)
- Evans, M. N., Guerrero-Sanchez, S., Kille, P., Muller, C., Abu Bakar, M. S. and Goossens, B. 2020. Physiological implications of life at the forest interface of oil palm agriculture: blood profiles of wild Malay civets (Viverra tangalunga). Conservation Physiology 8(1), article number: coaa127. (10.1093/conphys/coaa127)
- Al-Harbi, B. et al. 2020. Mutation of Arabidopsis copper-containing amine oxidase gene AtCuAOδ alters polyamines, reduces gibberellin content and affects development. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21(20), article number: 7789. (10.3390/ijms21207789)
- Aros, D., Garrido, N., Rivas, C., Medel, M., Muller, C., Rogers, H. and Úbeda, C. 2020. Floral scent evaluation of three cut flowers through sensorial and gas chromatography analysis. Agronomy 10(1), article number: 131. (10.3390/agronomy10010131)
- Spadafora, N. D. et al. 2019. Short-term post-harvest stress that affects profiles of volatile organic compounds and gene expression in rocket salad during early post-harvest senescence. Plants 9(1), article number: 4. (10.3390/plants9010004)
- O'Leary, J. et al. 2019. The whiff of decay: Linking volatile production and extracellular enzymes to outcomes of fungal interactions at different temperatures. Fungal Ecology 39, pp. 336-348. (10.1016/j.funeco.2019.03.006)
- Spadafora, N. D. et al. 2019. A complex interaction between pre-harvest and post-harvest factors determines fresh-cut melon quality and aroma. Scientific Reports 9, article number: 2745. (10.1038/s41598-019-39196-0)
- El-Mogy, M. M., Ludlow, R. A., Roberts, C., Muller, C. T. and Rogers, H. J. 2019. Postharvest exogenous melatonin treatment of strawberry reduces postharvest spoilage but affects components of the aroma profile. Journal of Berry Research 9(2), pp. 297-307. (10.3233/JBR-180361)
- O'Leary, J., Eastwood, D., Muller, C. and Boddy, L. 2018. Emergent properties arising from spatial heterogeneity influence fungal community dynamics. Fungal Ecology 33, pp. 32-39. (10.1016/j.funeco.2018.02.001)
- Spadafora, N. D., Cammarisano, L., Rogers, H. J. and Muller, C. 2018. Using volatile organic compounds to monitor shelf-life in rocket salad. Acta Horticulturae(1194), pp. 1299-1305. (10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1194.183)
- Cocetta, G. et al. 2018. Effect of temperature and cut size on the volatile organic compound profile, and expression of Chorismate synthase in fresh-cut melon. Acta Horticulturae(1194), pp. 1175-1180. (10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1194.167)
- Gabirot, M., Buatois, B., Muller, C. and Bonadonna, F. 2018. Odour of King Penguin feathers analysed using direct thermal desorption discriminates between individuals but not sexes. Ibis 160(2), pp. 379-389. (10.1111/ibi.12544)
- Amaro, A. L. et al. 2018. Multitrait analysis of fresh-cut cantaloupe melon enables discrimination between storage times and temperatures and identifies potential markers for quality assessments. Food Chemistry 241, pp. 222-231. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.08.050)
- Paramithiotis, S., Spadafora, N., Muller, C., Drosinos, E. H. and Rogers, H. 2018. Sniffing out contaminants. Food Science and Technology
- Kean, E. F., Bruford, M. W., Russo, I. M., Muller, C. T. and Chadwick, E. A. 2017. Odour dialects among wild mammals. Scientific Reports 7, article number: 13593. (10.1038/s41598-017-12706-8)
- Cavaiuolo, M., Cocetta, G., Spadafora, N. D., Müller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Ferrante, A. 2017. Gene expression analysis of rocket salad under pre-harvest and postharvest stresses: a transcriptomic resource for Diplotaxis tenuifolia. PLoS ONE 12(5), article number: e0178119. (10.1371/journal.pone.0178119)
- Furtado, C., Belo, A. F., Nunes, F. M., Ganhão, E., Müller, C. T., Torres, L. and Rei, F. T. 2016. Evaluating potential olive orchard sugar food sources for the olive fly parasitoid Psyttalia concolor. BioControl 61(5), pp. 473-483. (10.1007/s10526-016-9732-5)
- Hiscox, J., Savoury, M., Johnston, S. R., Parfitt, D., Muller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Boddy, L. 2016. Location, location, location: priority effects in wood decay communities may vary between sites. Environmental Microbiology 18(6), pp. 1954-1969. (10.1111/1462-2920.13141)
- Spadafora, N. D., Amaro, A. L., Pereira, M. J., Müller, C. T., Pintado, M. and Rogers, H. J. 2016. Multi-trait analysis of post-harvest storage in rocket salad (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) links sensorial, volatile and nutritional data. Food Chemistry, pp. 114-123. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.04.107)
- Spadafora, N. D., Paramithiotis, S., Drosinos, E. H., Cammarisano, L., Rogers, H. J. and Muller, C. T. 2016. Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in cut melon fruit using analysis of volatile organic compounds. Food Microbiology 54, pp. 52-59. (10.1016/j.fm.2015.10.017)
- Bell, L., Spadafora, N. D., Muller, C. T., Wagstaff, C. and Rogers, H. J. 2016. Use of TD-GC–TOF-MS to assess volatile composition during post-harvest storage in seven accessions of rocket salad (Eruca sativa). Food Chemistry 194, pp. 626-636. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.08.043)
- El Ariebi, N., Hiscox, J., Scriven, S. A., Muller, C. T. and Boddy, L. 2016. Production and effects of volatile organic compounds during interspecific interactions. Fungal Ecology 20, pp. 144-154. (10.1016/j.funeco.2015.12.013)
- Hiscox, J., Savoury, M., Vaughan, I. P., Muller, C. and Boddy, L. 2015. Antagonistic fungal interactions influence carbon dioxide evolution from decomposing wood. Fungal Ecology 14, pp. 24-32. (10.1016/j.funeco.2014.11.001)
- Aros, D. et al. 2015. Floral scent evaluation of segregating lines of Alstroemeria caryophyllaea. Scientia Horticulturae 185, pp. 183-192. (10.1016/j.scienta.2015.01.014)
- Hiscox, J., Savoury, M., Muller, C. T., Lindahl, B. D., Rogers, H. J. and Boddy, L. 2015. Priority effects during fungal community establishment in beech wood. ISME Journal 9, pp. 2246-2260. (10.1038/ismej.2015.38)
- Baldassarre, V., Cabassi, G., Spadafora, N. D., Aprile, A., Muller, C. T., Rogers, H. J. and Ferrante, A. 2015. Wounding tomato fruit elicits ripening-stage specific changes in gene expression and production of volatile compounds. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(5), pp. 1511-1526. (10.1093/jxb/eru516)
- Kean, E., Chadwick, E. A. and Muller, C. T. 2015. Scent signals individual identity and country of origin in otters. Mammalian Biology 80(2), pp. 99-105. (10.1016/j.mambio.2014.12.004)
- Förster, N., Ulrichs, C., Schreiner, M., Muller, C. T. and Mewis, I. 2015. Development of a reliable extraction and quantification method for glucosinolates in Moringa oleifera. Food Chemistry 166, pp. 456-464. (10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.06.043)
- Spadafora, N. D., Machado, I., Muller, C. T., Pintado, M., Bates, M. and Rogers, H. J. 2015. Physiological, metabolite and volatile analysis of cut size in melon during postharvest storage. Acta Horticulturae 1071, pp. 787-793. (10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1071.104)
- Symondson, W. O. C., Holloway, J. D., Goossens, B. and Muller, C. T. 2015. Bornean caterpillar (Lepidoptera) constructs cocoon fromVatica rassak(Dipterocarpaceae) resin containing multiple deterrent compounds. Journal of Natural History 49(9-10), pp. 553-560. (10.1080/00222933.2014.939731)
- Muller, C. T., Kean, E., Chadwick, E. A., Spadafora, D. and Rogers, H. J. 2014. Scents and scentsivity - what scents (may) spell out and ways to read it. Flavour 3(Supp 1), pp. 11-11. (10.1186/2044-7248-3-S1-P11)
- Morton, W., Muller, C. T., Goodwin, N., Wilkes, A. and Hall, J. E. 2013. Investigation of phthalate release from tracheal tubes. Anaesthesia 68(4), pp. 377-381. (10.1111/anae.12083)
- Aros Orellana, D. F., Gonzalez, V., Allemann, R. K., Müller, C. T., Rosati, C. and Rogers, H. J. 2012. Volatile emissions of scented Alstroemeria genotypes are dominated by terpenes, and a myrcene synthase gene is highly expressed in scented Alstroemeria flowers. Journal of Experimental Botany 63(7), pp. 2739-2752. (10.1093/jxb/err456)
- Burnard, D. et al. 2012. Chemically-mediated sexual display postures in pre-ovulatory female topmouth gudgeon, Pseudorasbora parva. Behaviour 149(9), pp. 1003-1018. (10.1163/1568539X-00003024)
- Telezhkin, V., Brazier, S. P., Mears, R., Müller, C. T., Riccardi, D. and Kemp, P. J. 2011. Cysteine residue 911 in C-terminal tail of human BKCaα channel subunit is crucial for its activation by carbon monoxide. Pflugers Archiv-European Journal of Physiology 461(6), pp. 665-675. (10.1007/s00424-011-0924-7)
- Markman, S., Müller, C. T., Pascoe, D., Dawson, A. and Buchanan, K. L. 2011. Pollutants affect development in nestling starlings Sturnus vulgaris. Journal of Applied Ecology 48(2), pp. 391-397. (10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01931.x)
- Mewis, I., Smetanska, I., Müller, C. T. and Ulrichs, C. 2011. Specific poly-phenolic compounds in cell culture of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Gamay Fréaux. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 164(2), pp. 148-161. (10.1007/s12010-010-9122-x)
- Kean, E., Müller, C. T. and Chadwick, E. A. 2011. Otter scent signals age, sex, and reproductive status. Chemical Senses 36(6), pp. 555-564. (10.1093/chemse/bjr025)
- Hardege, J. D. et al. 2011. Identification of a female sex pheromone in Carcinus maenas. Marine Ecology Progress Series 436, pp. 177-189. (10.3354/meps09226)
- Park, K. J., Müller, C. T., Markman, S., Swinscow-Hall, O., Pascoe, D. and Buchanan, K. L. 2009. Detection of endocrine disrupting chemicals in aerial invertebrates at sewage treatment works. Chemosphere 77(11), pp. 1459-1464. (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.08.063)
- Singhrao, S., Müller, C. T., Gilbert, S. J., Duance, V. C. and Archer, C. W. 2009. An immunofluorescence method for postembedded tissue in the acrylic resin Technovit 9100 New(R) using fluorescein isothiocyanate secondary detection. Microscopy Research and Technique 72(7), pp. 501-506. (10.1002/jemt.20705)
- Singhrao, S. K., Müller, C. T., Gilbert, S. J., Duance, V. C. and Archer, C. W. 2009. An immunofluorescence method for post-embedded tissue in acrylic resin Technovit 9100 New(R) using fluorescein isothiocyanate secondary detection marker [Abstract]. International Journal of Experimental Pathology 90(2), pp. A129.
- Williams, S. E., Brazier, S. P., Baban, N., Telezhkin, V., Muller, C. T., Riccardi, D. and Kemp, P. J. 2008. A structural motif in the C-terminal tail of slo1 confers carbon monoxide sensitivity to human BKCa channels. Pflugers Archiv-European Journal of Physiology 456(3), pp. 561-572. (10.1007/s00424-007-0439-4)
- Markman, S., Leitner, S., Catchpole, C., Barnsley, S., Müller, C. T., Pascoe, D. and Buchanan, K. L. 2008. Pollutants increase song complexity and the volume of the brain area HVC in a songbird. PLoS ONE 3(2), article number: e1674. (10.1371/journal.pone.0001674)
- Gray, V. L., Müller, C. T., Watkins, I. D. and Lloyd, D. 2008. Peptones from diverse sources: pivotal determinants of bacterial growth dynamics. Journal of Applied Microbiology 104(2), pp. 554-565. (10.1111/j.1365-2672.2007.03577.x)
- Garcia-Alonso, J., Müller, C. T. and Hardege, J. D. 2008. Influence of food regimes and seasonality on fatty acid composition in the ragworm. Aquatic Biology 4(1), pp. 7-13. (10.3354/ab00090)
- Evans, J. A., Eyre, C. A., Rogers, H. J., Boddy, L. and Müller, C. T. 2008. Changes in volatile production during interspecific interactions between four wood rotting fungi growing in artificial media. Fungal Ecology 1(2-3), pp. 57-68. (10.1016/j.funeco.2008.06.001)
- George, C. H., Barberini-Jammaers, S. R. and Müller, C. T. 2008. Refocussing therapeutic strategies for cardiac arrhythmias: defining viable molecular targets to restore cardiac ion flux drug. Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents 18(1), pp. 1-19. (10.1517/13543776.18.1.1)
- Markman, S., Guschina, I., Barnsley, S., Buchanan, K. L., Pascoe, D. and Muller, C. T. 2007. Endocrine disrupting chemicals accumulate in earthworms exposed to sewage effluent. Chemosphere 70(1), pp. 119-125. (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.06.045)
- Hayden, D. et al. 2007. Sex-specific mediation of foraging in the shore crab, Carcinus maenas. Hormones and Behavior 52(2), pp. 162-168. (10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.004)
- Lemar, K. M., Aon, M. A., Cortassa, S., O'Rourke, B., Muller, C. T. and Lloyd, D. 2007. Diallyl disulphide depletes glutathione inCandida albicans: oxidative stress-mediated cell death studied by two-photon microscopy. Yeast 24(8), pp. 695-706. (10.1002/yea.1503)
- Jones, G. L. l., Muller, C. T., O'Reilly, M. and Stickler, D. J. 2006. Effect of triclosan on the development of bacterial biofilms by urinary tract pathogens on urinary catheters. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 57(2), pp. 266-272. (10.1093/jac/dki447)
- Hynes, J., Müller, C. T., Jones, T. H. and Boddy, L. 2006. Changes in volatile production during the course of fungal mycelial interactions between Hypholoma fasciculare and Resinicium bicolor. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33(1), pp. 43-57. (10.1007/s10886-006-9209-6)
- Gray, V. L., O'Reilly, M., Müller, C. T., Watkins, I. D. and Lloyd, D. 2006. Low tyrosine content of growth media yields aflagellate Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Microbiology 152(1), pp. 23-28. (10.1099/mic.0.28442-0)
- Lemar, K. M. et al. 2005. Allyl alcohol and garlic (Allium sativum) extract produce oxidative stress in Candida albicans. Microbiology 151(10), pp. 3257-3265. (10.1099/mic.0.28095-0)
- Hardege, J. D., Bartels-Hardege, H., Muller, C. T. and Beckmann, M. 2004. Peptide pheromones in female Nereis succinea. Peptides 25(9), pp. 1517-1522. (10.1016/j.peptides.2003.11.029)
- Pascoe, D., Karntanut, W. and Muller, C. T. 2003. Do pharmaceuticals affect freshwater invertebrates? A study with the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris. Chemosphere 51(6), pp. 521-528. (10.1016/S0045-6535(02)00860-3)
- Lemar, K. M., Muller, C. T., Plummer, S. and Lloyd, D. 2003. Cell death mechanisms in the human opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 50(s1), pp. 685-686. (10.1111/j.1550-7408.2003.tb00687.x)
Research
Broadly speaking, the majority of my research aims to understand the information that is in encoded in changes and differences of profiles of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and to identify the minimal number of chemical components that are sufficient to convey 'the message'.
'The message' can mean e.g. individuum, status, health and condition in the context of chemical ecology, behavioural ecology and disease or quality, freshness and variety of product in a postharvest biology context. Accordingly, my research addresses
1) fundamental questions of chemical communication are subject of the SWBio DTP project "How do dogs respond to changes in cortisol levels in conspecifics and humans?" in collaboration with Dr Nicola Rooney, Bristol University Veterinary School, and Claire Guest, Medical Detection Dogs (iCASE partner) and a Fondation Fyssen fellowship on blue petrels titles "Smelling good genes - odour-based discrimination of MHC-dissimilarity"collaboration with Dr Francesco Bonadonna, CEFE/CNRS, Montpellier, France). Stress memory and responses, important aspects of plant physiology, are subject of the BBSRC project "Future forages: Implications of forage adaption to climate change for ruminant production." in collaboration with Prof Hilary Rogers, BIOSI, Prof Alison Kingston-Smith, IBERS, Aberystwyth.
2) applications for monitoring of product quality & safety, are currently subject of SWBio DTP project "Salad contamination with Listeria – improving food safety through understanding plant-bacterial interactions and development of novel detection methods" in colaboration with Dr Cedric Berger and Prof Hilary Rogers, Cardiff School of Biosciences) and the project "“Multi-trait approach to enhance FRUit qualITY in post-harvest storage conditions (FRUITY)" funded by Fondazione con el Sud in collaboration with Prof Hilary Rogers, CU, Dr Natasha Spadafora, University of Calabria, Italy/Markes International, UK, Prof M Beatrice Ditonti and Dr Leonardo Bruno, University of Calabria and Prof Antonio Ferrante, University of Milan, Italy.
3) diagnostic tools in health & disease e.g. MRC P2D project "Breath Biomarkers to diagnose and monitor diabetes" in collaboration with Prof Steve Luzio, Diabetes Research Unit Cymru, Swansea University, Dr Shahin Rostami, Polyra Ltd and Ezra Carlson & Paul Hart, NanoNose Ltd and starting this within the GW4+DTP funded project "The smell of infection – detecting infectious disease and determining mechanisms underlying the spread of disease in social networks" in collaboration with Dr Sarah Perkins, BIOSI, and iCASE partner Markes International, Llantrisant.
VOCs are generally easy to collect and can be collected non-invasively, which makes VOCs particular attractive for use as diagnostic tools.
After collection, chemical analyses of VOCs are carried out using state-of-the-art chemical analytical (thermal desorption gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry) facilities in the Small Molecule Hub of the School of Biosciences, which is followed by identification of critical subsets (or biomarkers) of compounds by using advanced statistical tools such as Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance, Random Forest or Correlation Network Analysis.
In addition to my work on VOCs I regularly collaborate in research projects that benefit from my expertise in analytical chemistry and environmental sciences more generally. The most recent projects were "The Price of Persistence: Small Carnivore Ecology within the Anthropogenically-Degraded Kinabatangan Landscape" in collaboration with Profs Benoit Goossens, Danau Girang Field Station, Borneo, Malaysia and Peter Kille, BIOSI, which required my support in heavy metal analysis and "Nutrient-specific foraging and the role of spiders as aphid predators" in collaboration with Prof Bill Symondson, Drs Ian Vaughan, Pablo Orozco-terWengel, BIOSI, and James Bell, Rothamsted Research, which required the development of a micro-scale assay for macro-nutrients.
Staff associated with current research projects:
* Timothée Zidat (Postdoc/Fellow - Smelling good genes - odour-based discrimination of MHC-dissimilarity)
* Zoe Parr-Cortes (SWBio DTP Phd - How do dogs respond to changes in cortisol levels in conspecifics and humans?)
* Nico Bruyniks (SWBio DTP PhD - Salad contamination with Listeria – improving food safety through understanding plant- bacterial interactions and development of novel detection methods)
* Ayman Asiri (GW4+ DTP PhD - The smell of infection – detecting infectious disease and determining mechanisms underlying the spread of disease in social networks.)
.
Teaching
I carry out a range of teaching from year 1 to final year undergraduate teaching, final year project supervision, PTY supervision and tutoring and supervision of postgraduate master projects. I currently contribute to:
- Year 1
- module 'Skills for Science' (setting and assesment of Presentation and essay topics)
- module 'Biological Chemistry' (deputy module lead and exam lead; lectures on general, inorganic and physical chemistry, practical classes on redox titration and UV-vis spectroscopy)
- Year 2
- module 'Animal Diversity and Adaptations' (Lectures on Lophotrochozoa, Molluscs, Chemical Senses, Practical class on Freshwater InvertebrateTaxonomy)
- module 'Ecology and Conservation Part B' (Lead for 'Marine Conservation field course' - Borneo Marine Field course, Gaya Island, Borneo, Malaysia)
- Year 3
- Biosciences Final Year Project (Project supervision)
- module 'Evolution and Adaptation' (lectures on Species Concepts, Speciation - speed and sensory drive, Sensory Ecology, coursework on Analysis of scent data)
- Year 4
- module Advanced Research Methods (workshop on Small molecule analysis, essay topic and assessment for critical analysis)
Biography
Education
1989 - 1995
Doctor in Natural Sciences Carl-v.-Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
Thesis work: Isolation and Identification of a female Sex Pheromone in Alitta succinea (supervisor: Prof Erich Zeeck)
1985-1988
Diplom in Chemistry (MSc) Carl-v.-Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany.
Thesis work: Detection of low molecular weight organic compounds in the sea water of the German Bight applying the Grob-Hersch closed-loop stripping technic (GHCLS). (supervisor: Prof Erich Zeeck)
1981-1984
Vordiplom in Chemistry (BSc) Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany.
Professional experience:
2021 to date
Reader, Cardiff University
2015 to 2021
Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University
1999 - 2015
Lecturer, Cardiff University
1997 - 1999
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, Cardiff University
1996-1997
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, WÖRWAG Pharma Ltd, Böblingen, Germany
1994-1995
Lecturer and course leader: Environmental Consultancy, IPB, Ossa, Germany
1989-1994
Postgraduate research assistant, Marine Chemical Ecology laboratory, Prof Erich Zeeck, Carl-v.-Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
Professional memberships
- Member of the British Ecological Society
- Member of the Marine Biological Association of the UK (Mem.MBA)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Committees and reviewing
- Editor for 'Molecules' (MDPI), Section Board 'Flavours and Fragrances'
- Editor of special issue "Sampling, Separation and Isolation Techniques of Flavour Compounds" in 'Molecules' (MDPI)
- Grant reviewer BBSRC and ESF
- Journal reviewer for e.g. Scientific Reports, Frontiers Microbiology, Food Chemistry, Food Research, Postharvest Biology and Technology,
Supervisions
As well as specifically advertised PhD positions, I am also interested in supervising self-funded PhD students in the areas of:
- vertebrate chemical ecology
- plant volatiles
- microbial volatiles
- volatolomics
Current supervision
Contact Details
MullerCT@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 29208 75263
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room C/5.09, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
+44 29208 75263
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room C/5.09, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Research themes
Specialisms
- Analytical chemistry
- Animal behaviour
- Behavioural ecology
- Plant biology
- Biologically active molecules