Dr Gordon Webster

BSc (Hons), PhD

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

Publications

2022

• Srivastava P, Al-Obaidi SA, Webster G, Weightman AJ, Sapsford DJ. 2022. Towards passive bioremediation of dye-bearing effluents using hydrous ferric oxide wastes: Mechanisms, products and microbiology. Journal of Environmental Management 317, 115332. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115332
• Almatouq A, Webster G, Babatunde A. 2022. Silver removal and microbial community structure in microbial fuel cells. Chemical Technology and Biotechnology 97, 3441-3452. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.7204
• Petrova YD, Zhao J, Webster G, Mullins AJ, Williams K, Alswat AS, Challis GL, Bailey AM, Mahenthiralingam E. 2022. Cloning and expression of Burkholderia polyyne biosynthetic gene clusters in Paraburkholderia hosts provides a strategy for biopesticide development. Microbial Biotechnology 15, 2547-2561. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.14106
• Nan X, Hoehn S, Hardinge P, Dighe SN, Ukeri J, Pease D, Griffin J, Warrington JI, Saud Z, Hottinger E, Webster G, Jones D, Kille P, Weightman A, Stanton R, Castell OK, Murray JAH, Jurkowski TP. 2022. VarLOCK - sequencing independent, rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern for point-of-care testing, qPCR pipelines and national wastewater surveillance. medRxiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.06.21268555

2021

• Mullins AJ, Webster G, Kim HJ, Zhao J, Petrova YD, Ramming CE, Jenner M, Murray JAH, Connor TR, Hertweck C, Challis GL, Mahenthiralingam. 2021. Discovery of the Pseudomonas polyyne protegencin by a phylogeny-guided study of polyyne biosynthetic gene cluster diversity. mBio 12, e00715-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00715-21

• Cunningham-Oakes E, Pointon T, Murphy B, Campbell-Lee S, Webster G, Connor TR, Mahenthiralingam E. 2021. Genomics reveals the novel species placement of industrial contaminant isolates incorrectly identified as Burkholderia lata. Microbial Genomics 7, 000564. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000564

• Jones C, Webster G, . Mullins AJ, Jenner M, Bull MJ, Dashti D, Spilker T, Parkhill J, Connor TR, LiPuma JJ , Challis GL, Mahenthiralingam E. 2021. Kill and cure: genomic phylogeny and bioactivity of Burkholderia gladioli bacteria capable of pathogenic and beneficial lifestyles. Microbial Genomics. https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000515.

2020

• Webster G, Jones C, Mullins AJ, Mahenthiralingam E. 2020. A rapid screening method for the detection of specialised metabolites from bacteria: induction and suppression of metabolites from Burkholderia species. Journal of Microbiological Methods 178: 106057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2020.106057.
• Mullins AJ, Li Y, Qin L, Hu X, Xie L, Gu C, Mahenthiralingam E, Liao X, Webster G. 2020. Reclassification of the biocontrol agents Bacillus subtilis BY-2 and Tu-100 as Bacillus velezensis and insights into the genomic and specialised metabolite diversity of the species. Microbiology 166: 1121-1128.  https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.000986.
• Heath NL, Rowlands RS, Webster G, Mahenthiralingam E, Beeton ML. 2020. Antimicrobial activity of enacyloxin IIa and gladiolin against the urogenital pathogens Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Ureaplasma spp. Journal of Applied Microbiology https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14858.
• Mullins AJ, Jones C, Bull MJ, Webster G, Parkhill J, Connor TR, Murray JAH, Challis GL, Mahenthiralingam E. 2020. Genomic assemblies of members of Burkholderia and related genera as a resource for natural product discovery. Microbiology Resource Announcements 9: e00485-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00485-20.
• Dashti Y, Nakou IT, Mullins AJ, Webster G, Jian X, Mahenthiralingam E, Challis GL. 2020. Discovery and biosynthesis of bolagladins: unusual lipodepsipeptides from Burkholderia gladioli clinical isolates. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 59: 21553-21561. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202009110.
• Webster G, Mullins AJ, Cunningham-Oakes E, Renganathan A, Aswathanarayan JB, Mahenthiralingam E, Rai Vittal R. 2020. Culturable diversity of bacterial endophytes associated with medicinal plants of the Western Ghats, India. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 96: fiaa147. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaa147.
• Poniecka EA, Bagshaw EA, Sass H, Segar A, Webster G, Williamson C, Anesio AM, Tranter M. 2020. Physiological capabilities of cryoconite hole microorganisms. Frontiers in Microbiology 11: 1783. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01783.
• Almatouq A, Babatunde AO, Khajah M, Webster G, Alfodari M. 2020. Microbial community structure of anode electrodes in microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells. Journal of Water Process Engineering 34, 101140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2020.101140.

2019

• Webster G, Mullins AJ, Bettridge AS, Jones C, Cunningham-Oakes E, Connor TR, Parkhill J, Mahenthiralingam E. 2019. The genome sequences of three Paraburkholderia sp. strains isolated from wood-decay fungi reveal them as novel species with antimicrobial biosynthetic potential. Microbiology Resource Announcements 8: e00778-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00778-19.
• Mullins AJ, Murray, JAH, Bull MJ, Jenner M, Jones C, Webster G, Green AE, Neill DR, Connor TR, Parkhill J, Challis GL, Mahenthiralingam E. 2019. Genome mining identifies cepacin as a plant-protective metabolite of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. Nature Microbiology 4: 996-1005. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-019-0383-z.
• Webster G, Mullins AJ, Watkins AJ, Cunningham-Oakes E, Weightman AJ, Mahenthiralingam E, Sass H. 2019. Genome sequences of two choline-utilising methanogenic archaea, Methanococcoides spp., isolated from marine sediments. Microbiology Resource Announcements 8(18), article number: e00342-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00342-19.
• Cowle MW, Webster G, Babatunde A, Bockelmann-Evans B, Weightman AJ. 2019. Impact of flow hydrodynamics and pipe material properties on biofilm development within drinking water systems. Environmental Technology 41: 3732-3744. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2019.1619844.
• Shi Y, Babatunde A, Bockelmann-Evans B, Webster G. 2019. Influence of hydraulic regimes and Cl₂/NH_3-N mass ratio on bacterial structure and composition in experimental flow cell chloraminated drinking water system. Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology 5: 977-992. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EW00015A.
• Sass H, Parkes RJ, Webster G. 2019. Marine Deep Biosphere. Reference Module in Life Sciences. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809633-8.13031-6.
• Parkes RJ, Berlendis S, Roussel EG, Bahruji H, Webster G, Oldroyd A, Weightman AJ, Bowker M, Davies PR, Sass H. 2019. Rock-crushing derived hydrogen directly supports a methanogenic community: significance for the deep biosphere. Environmental Microbiology Reports 11: 165-172. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.12723.
• Bird JT, Tague ED, Zinke L, Schmidt JM, Steen AD, Reese B, Marshall IPG, Webster G, Weightman A, Castro HF, Campagna SR, Lloyd KG. 2019. Uncultured microbial phyla suggest mechanisms for multi-thousand-year subsistence in Baltic Sea sediments. mBio 10: e02376-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02376-18.

2018

• Webster G, Jones C, Mullins AJ, Mahenthiralingam E. 2018. The induction of biosynthetic clusters from Burkholderia species. In: Abstracts of the 21st International Burkholderia cepacia Working Group Meeting, Dublin, Ireland. http://ibcwg.org/.

• Webster G, Mullins AJ, Bull M, Jenner M, Jones C, Murray JAH, Challis GL, Mahenthiralingam E. 2018. Exploring the antimicrobial properties of biopesticidal Burkholderia. In: Abstracts of the Chemistry and Biology of Natural Products Symposium XII, Warwick, UK. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wcibb/meetings/chemistryandbiologysymposium/

2017

• Song L, Jenner M, Masschelein J, Jones C, Bull MJ, Harris SR, Hartkoorn RC, Vocat A, Romero-Canelon I, Coupland P, Webster G, Dunn M, Weiser R, Paisey C, Cole ST, Parkhill J, Mahenthiralingam E, Challis GL. 2017. Discovery and biosynthesis of gladiolin: a Burkholderia gladioli antibiotic with promising activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Journal of the American Chemical Society 139, 7974-7981. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.7b03382.
• Buongiorno J, Turner S, Webster G, Asai M, Shumaker AK, Roy T, Weightman A, Schippers A, Lloyd KG. 2017. Interlaboratory quantification of Bacteria and Archaea in deeply buried sediments of the Baltic Sea (IODP Expedition 347). FEMS Microbiology Ecology 93, fix007. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fix007.

• Roberts M, Sapsford D, Weightman A, Webster G. 2017. Changes in metal leachability through stimulation of iron reducing communities within waste sludge. Solid State Phenomena 262: 269-272. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.262.269.

2016

• Nobu MK, Dodsworth JA, Murugapiran SK, Rinke C, Gies EA, Webster G, Schwientek P, Kille P, Parkes RJ, Sass H, Jørgensen BB, Weightman AJ, Liu WT, Hallam SJ, Tsiamis G, Woyke T, Hedlund BP. 2016. Phylogeny and physiology of candidate phylum 'Atribacteria' (OP9/JS1) inferred from cultivation-independent genomics. The ISME Journal 10: 273-286. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2015.97.
• Roberts M, Sapsford D, Cleall P, Harbottle M, Weightman AJ, Webster G. 2016. In situ microbial dissolution of iron mineral-bearing wastes for metal recovery. In: Third International Academic Symposium on Enhanced Landfill Mining, Lisbon, Portugal, pp 1-19.

2015

• Webster G, O'Sullivan LA, Meng Y, Williams AS, Sass AM, Watkins AJ, Parkes RJ, Weightman AJ. 2015. Archaeal community diversity and abundance changes along a natural salinity gradient in estuarine sediments. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 91: 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiu025.
• Maceda-Veiga A, Webster G, Canals O, Salvado H, Weightman AJ, Cable J. 2015. Chronic effects of temperature and nitrate pollution on Daphnia magna: Is this cladoceran suitable for widespread use as a tertiary treatment? Water Research 83: 141-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.06.036.
• O'Sullivan LA, Roussel EG, Weightman AJ, Webster G, Hubert C, Bell E, Head I, Sass H, Parkes RJ. 2015. Survival of spores from Desulfotomaculum species following autoclaving and incubation at elevated temperatures. The ISME Journal 9: 922-933. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2014.190.

• Roussel EG, Cragg BA, Webster G, Sass H, Tang X, Williams AS, Gorra R, Weightman AJ, Parkes RJ. 2015. Complex coupled metabolic and prokaryotic community responses to increasing temperatures in anaerobic marine sediments: critical temperatures and substrate changes. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 91: fiv084. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiv084.

2014

• Parkes RJ, Cragg B, Roussel E, Webster G, Weightman A, Sass H. 2014. A review of prokaryotic populations and processes in sub-seafloor sediments, including biosphere: geosphere interactions. Marine Geology 352: 409-425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2014.02.009.
• Li P, Li B, Webster G, Wang Y, Jiang D, Dai X, Jiang Z, Dong H, Wang Y. 2014. Abundance and diversity of sulfate-reducing bacteria in high arsenic shallow aquifers. Geomicrobiology Journal 31: 802-812. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2014.893181.
• Wang Y, Li P, Li B, Webster G, Weightman AJ, Jiang Z, Jiang D, Deng Y, Wang Y. 2014. Bacterial diversity and community structure in high arsenic aquifers in Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia, China. Geomicrobiology Journal 31: 338-349. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2013.835886.
• Hu X, Webster G, Xie L, Yu C, Li Y, Liao X. 2014. A new method for the preservation of axenic fungal cultures. Journal of Microbiological Methods 99: 81-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2014.02.009.
• Parkes RJ, Sass H, Cragg B, Webster G, Roussel E, Weightman A. 2014. Studies on prokaryotic populations and processes in subseafloor sediments - an update. In: Microbial Life of the Deep Biosphere (Ed. Kallmeyer J & Wagner D). Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston, pp. 1-28.

2013

• O'Sullivan LA, Sass AM, Webster G, Fry JC, Parkes RJ, Weightman AJ. 2013. Contrasting relationships between biogeochemistry and prokaryotic diversity depth profiles along an estuarine sediment gradient. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 85: 143-157. https://doi.org/10.1111/1574-6941.12106.
• Parkes RJ, Sass H, Cragg B, Webster G, Roussel E, Weightman A. 2013. Microbial life in the sub-seafloor biosphere a large but extreme habitat. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Microbial Diversity 2013 – Microbial Interactions in Complex Ecosystems (Eds . Gallego JB et al.). SIMTREA, Firenze, pp 8-12.
• Hu X, Webster G, Xie L, Yu C, Li Y, Liao X. 2013. A new mycoparasite, Aspergillus sp.ASP-4, parasitizes the sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Crop Protection 54: 15-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2013.07.014.

2012

• Watkins AJ, Roussel EG, Webster G, Parkes RJ, Sass H. 2012. Choline and N, N-dimethylethanolamine as direct substrates for methanogens. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 78: 8298-8303. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01941-12.
• Gorra R, Webster G, Martin M, Celi L, Mapelli F, Weightman AJ. 2012. Dynamic microbial community associated with iron-arsenic co-precipitation products from a groundwater storage system in Bangladesh. Microbial Ecology 64: 171-186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0014-1.

2011

• Webster G, Sass H, Cragg BA, Gorra R, Knab NJ, Green CJ, Mathes F, Fry JC, Weightman AJ, Parkes RJ. 2011. Enrichment and cultivation of prokaryotes associated with the sulphate-methane transition zone of diffusion-controlled sediments of Aarhus Bay, Denmark, under heterotrophic conditions. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 77: 248-263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2011.01109.x.
• Rodrigues CF, Hilário A, Cunha MR, Weightman AJ, Webster G. 2011. Microbial diversity in Frenulata (Siboglinidae, Polychaeta) species from mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic). Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 100: 83-98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-011-9567-0.
• Parkes RJ, Linnane CD, Webster G, Sass H, Weightman AJ, Hornibrook ERC, Horsfield B. 2011. Prokaryotes stimulate mineral H2 formation for the deep biosphere and subsequent thermogenic activity. Geology 39: 219-222. https://doi.org/10.1130/G31598.1.

2010

• Dillon RJ, Webster G, Weightman AJ, Charnley AK. 2010. Diversity of gut microbiota increases with aging and starvation in the desert locust. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 97: 69-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-009-9389-5.
• Webster G, Rinna J, Roussel EG, Fry JC, Weightman AJ, Parkes RJ. 2010. Prokaryotic functional diversity in different biogeochemical depth zones in tidal sediments of the Severn Estuary, UK, revealed by stable-isotope probing. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 72: 179-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00848.x.
• Rodrigues CF, Webster G, Cunha MR, Dupperron S, Weightman AJ. 2010. Chemosynthetic bacteria found in bivalve species from mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cadiz. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 73: 486-499. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00913.x.
• Parkes RJ, Sass H, Webster G, Watkins AJ, Weightman AJ, O'Sullivan LA, Cragg BA. 2010. Methods for studying methanogens and methanogenesis in marine sediments. In: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology (Ed. Timmis KN), Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77587-4_299.

2009

• Parkes RJ, Sellek G, Webster G , Martin D, Anders E, Weightman AJ, Sass H. 2009. Culturable prokaryotic diversity of deep, gas hydrate sediments: first use of a continuous high-pressure, anaerobic, enrichment and isolation system for subseafloor sediments (DeepIsoBUG). Environmental Microbiology 11: 3140-3153. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02018.x.
• Webster G, Blazejak A, Cragg BA, Schippers A, Sass H, Rinna J, Tang X, Mathes F, Ferdelman TG, Fry JC, Weightman AJ, Parkes RJ. 2009. Subsurface microbiology and biogeochemistry of a deep, cold-water carbonate mound from the Porcupine Seabight (IODP Expedition 307). Environmental Microbiology 11: 239-257. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01759.x.

2008

• Dillon RJ, Webster G, Weightman AJ, Dillon VM, Blanford S, Charnley AK. 2008. Composition of Acridid gut bacterial communities as revealed by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 97: 265-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2007.09.010.
• Fry JC, Parkes RJ, Cragg BA, Weightman AJ, Webster G. 2008. Prokaryotic biodiversity and activity in the deep subseafloor biosphere. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 66: 181-196. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2008.00566.x.
• O'Sullivan LA, Webster G, Fry JC, Parkes JC, Weightman AJ. 2008. Modified linker-PCR primers facilitate complete sequencing of DGGE DNA fragments. Journal of Microbiological Methods 75: 579-581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2008.08.006.
• Roussel EG, Cambon Bonavita MA, Querellou J, Cragg BA, Webster G, Prieur D, Parkes RJ. 2008. Extending the sub-seafloor biosphere. Science 320: 1046. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1154545.

2007

• Webster G, Yarram L, Freese E, Köster J, Sass H, Parkes RJ, Weightman AJ. 2007. Distribution of candidate division JS1 and other Bacteria in tidal sediments of the German Wadden Sea using targeted 16S rRNA gene PCR-DGGE. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 62: 78-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2007.00372.x.
• Parkes RJ, Cragg BA, Banning N, Brock F, Webster G, Fry JC, Hornibrook E, Pancost RD, Kelly S, Knab N, Jørgensen BB, Rinna J, Weightman AJ. 2007. Biogeochemistry and biodiversity of methane cycling in subsurface marine sediments (Skagerrak, Denmark). Environmental Microbiology 9: 1146-1161. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01237.x.

2006

• Webster G, Watt LC, Rinna J, Fry JC, Evershed RP, Parkes RJ, Weightman AJ. 2006. A comparison of stable-isotope probing of DNA and phospholipid fatty acids to study prokaryotic functional diversity in sulfate-reducing marine sediment enrichment slurries. Environmental Microbiology 8: 1575-1589. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01048.x.
• Webster G, Parkes RJ, Cragg BA, Newberry CJ, Weightman AJ, Fry JC. 2006. Prokaryotic community composition and biogeochemical processes in deep subseafloor sediments from the Peru Margin. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 58: 65-85. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00147.x.
• Fry JC, Webster G, Cragg BA, Weightman AJ, Parkes RJ. 2006. Analysis of DGGE profiles to explore the relationship between prokaryotic community composition and biogeochemical processes in deep subseafloor sediments from the Peru Margin. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 58: 86-98. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00144.x.
• Kim GT, Webster G, Wimpenny JWT, Kim BH, Kim HJ, Weightman AJ. 2006. Bacterial community structure, compartmentalization and activity in a microbial fuel cell. Journal of Applied Microbiology 101: 698-710. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2006.02923.x.

2005

• Parkes RJ, Webster G, Cragg BA, Weightman AJ, Newberry CJ, Ferdelman T, Kallmeyer J, Jørgensen BB, Aiello IW, Fry JC. 2005. Deep sub-seafloor prokaryotes stimulated at interfaces over geological time. Nature 436: 390-394. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03796.
• Webster G, Embley TM, Freitag TE, Smith Z, Prosser JI. 2005. Links between ammonia oxidizer species composition, functional diversity and nitrification kinetics in grassland soils. Environmental Microbiology 7: 676-684. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2005.00740.x.
• Ahn Y, Kim EJ, Oh YK, Park S, Webster G, Weightman AJ. 2005. Biofilm microbial community of a thermophilic trickling biofilter used for continuous biohydrogen production. FEMS Microbiology Letters 249: 31-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.femsle.2005.05.050.

2004

• Webster G, Parkes RJ, Fry JC, Weightman AJ. 2004. Widespread occurrence of a novel division of Bacteria identified by 16S rRNA gene sequences originally found in deep marine sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 70: 5708-5713. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.70.9.5708-5713.2004.
• Nicol GW, Webster G, Glover LA, Prosser JI. 2004. Differential response of archaeal and bacterial communities to nitrogen inputs and pH changes in upland pasture rhizosphere soil. Environmental Microbiology 6: 861-867. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00627.x.
• Newberry CJ, Webster G, Cragg BA, Parkes RJ, Weightman AJ, Fry, JC. 2004. Diversity of prokaryotes and methanogenesis in deep subsurface sediments from the Nankai Trough, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 190. Environmental Microbiology 6: 274-287.
• Toffin L, Webster G, Weightman AJ, Fry JC, Prieur D. 2004. Molecular monitoring of culturable bacteria from deep-sea sediment of the Nankai Trough, Leg 190 Ocean Drilling Program. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 48: 357-367. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00568.x.
• Heywood CA, Rickard D, Fry JC, Webster G, Weightman AJ. 2004. Interactions between iron sulphide and DNA. In: Water-Rock Interaction, the 11th International Symposium on Water Rock Interaction (eds. Wanty RB and Seal RR). Taylor and Francis Group, London, pp. 1127-1130. https://www.routledge.com/Water-Rock-Interaction-Two-Volume-Set-Proceedings-of-the-Eleventh-International/Wanty-II/p/book/9789058096418.

2003

• Webster G, Newberry CJ, Fry, JC, Weightman AJ. 2003. Assessment of bacterial community structure in the deep sub-seafloor biosphere by 16S rDNA-based techniques: a cautionary tale. Journal of Microbiological Methods 55: 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-7012(03)00140-4.
• Prosser JI, Embley TM, Webster G. 2003. The influence of selection pressures on species diversity, functional gene diversity and activity of ammonia oxidising bacteria. In: Genes in the Environment (Eds. Hails RS et al.). Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford, pp. 187-202.
• Haynes S, Darby AM, Daniell TJ, Webster G, van Veen FJF, Godfray HCJ, Prosser JI, Douglas AE. 2003. The diversity of bacteria associated with natural aphid populations. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 69: 7216-7223. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.69.12.7216-7223.2003.

2002

• Webster G, Embley TM, Prosser JI. 2002. Grassland management regimens reduce small-scale heterogeneity and species diversity of b-proteobacterial ammonia oxidiser populations. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68: 20-30. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.68.1.20-30.2002.
• Radajewski S, Webster G, Reay DS, Morris SA, Ineson P, Nedwell DB, Prosser JI, Murrell JC. 2002. Identification of active methylotroph populations in an acidic forest soil by stable-isotope probing. Microbiology 148: 2331-2342. https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-148-8-2331.

1999

• Hu X, Zhang X, Cocking EC, Webster G. 1999. Nodulation of flavonoid-stimulated rhizobia on oil seed rape and nitrogen fixation. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology 10: 127-128. http://www.cje.net.cn/EN/abstract/abstract5158.shtml.

1998

• Webster G, Jain V, Davey MR, Gough C, Vasse J, Dénarié J, Cocking EC. 1998. The flavonoid naringenin stimulates the colonization of wheat roots by Azorhizobium caulinodans. Children, Cell and Environment 21: 373-383. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3040.1998.00278.x.
• Webster G, Davey MR, Cocking EC. 1998. Parasponia: A nitrogen-fixing non-legume of the Ulmaceae. In: Tree Biotechnology: Towards the Millennium (Eds. Davey MR et al.). Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, pp. 77-86.

1997

• Webster G, Gough C, Vasse J, Batchelor CA, O'Callaghan KJ, Kothari SL, Davey MR, Dénarié J, Cocking EC. 1997. Interactions of rhizobia with rice and wheat. Plant and Soil 194: 115-122. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004283819084.
• Gough C, Vasse J, Galera C, Webster G, Cocking E, Dénarié J. 1997. Interactions between bacterial diazotrophs and non-legume dicots: Arabidopsis thaliana as a model children. Plant and Soil 194: 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004235919993.
• Gough C, Galera C, Vasse J, Webster G, Cocking E, Dénarié J. 1997. Specific flavonoids promote intercellular root colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana by Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 10: 560-570. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI.1997.10.5.560.
• Hu X, Zhang X, Huang Q, Jiang M, Cocking EC, Webster G. 1997. Inducing nodulation and nitrogen fixation on rape roots with pectobacterium. Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science 3: 275-279.
• Sabry RS, Saleh SA, Batchelor CA, Jones J, Jotham J, Webster G, Kothari SL, Davey MR, Cocking EC. 1997. Endophytic establishment of Azorhizobium caulinodans in wheat. Proceedings of the Royal Society London: Biological Sciences 264: 341-346. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1997.0049.

1995

• Webster G, Poulton PR, Cocking EC, Davey MR. 1995. The nodulation of micro-propagated plants of Parasponia andersonii by tropical legume rhizobia. Journal of Experimental Botany 46: 1131-1137. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/46.9.1131
• Webster G, Cocking EC, Davey MR. 1995. Parasponia with rhizobia: A neglected non-legume nitrogen fixing symbiosis. AgBiotech News and Information 7: 119N-124N. AgBiotech

1994

• Cocking EC, Webster G, Batchelor CA, Davey MR. 1994. Nodulation of non-legume crops: A new look. Agro-Food-Industry Hi-Tech Jan/Feb: 21-24.
• Cocking EC, Webster G, Kothari SL, Pawlowski K, Jones J, Batchelor CA, Jotham JP, Jain S, Davey MR. 1994. Nodulation and nitrogen fixation in non-legume Parasponia species: Clues for non-legume crops. In: The 1st European Meeting on Nitrogen Fixation (Eds. Kiss GB & Endre GJ). Officina Press, Szeged, pp. 215-219.

1993 

• Davey MR, Webster G, Manders G, Ringrose FL, Power JB, Cocking EC. 1993. Effective nodulation of micro-propagated shoots of the non-legume Parasponia andersonii by Bradyrhizobium. Journal of Experimental Botany 44: 863-867. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/44.5.863.

Biography

Brief History

I undertook my BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Biology at Nottingham Trent University specialising in plant biology and crop protection. After graduating in 1991, I started my research career at the University of Nottingham with a BBSRC funded PhD (1991-1995) on the interaction between rhizobia and the non-legume Parasponia andersonii (with Prof. Ted Cocking & Dr Mike Davey). In 1995, the work led to a DANIDA funded collaborative postdoctoral position, between the Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire, INRA-CNRS, Castanet-Tolosan, France and the University of Nottingham (with Profs. Jean Dénarié and Ted Cocking). The project was to study the association between diazotrophic microorganisms and non-legume crop plants for endophytic biological N fixation.

I then moved to the University of Aberdeen in 1998, where my research interests focused on microbial ecology on a NERC EDGE project with Prof. Jim Prosser and in collaboration with Prof. Martin Embley, Natural History Museum. We used 16S rRNA-based techniques to characterise the diversity and community structure of natural populations of nitrifying bacteria in upland grassland soils. The work looked at the effects of different environmental factors and management regimes on species diversity, functional gene diversity and nitrification activity of ammonia-oxidising bacteria.

In 2001, I arrived at Cardiff University to work with Profs. Andrew Weightman and John Fry on a NERC MFMB funded project to look at microbial communities in the deep sub-seafloor biosphere, and then later with  Prof. John Parkes (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences). This included research on an EU HERMES and NERC projects to look at the diversity of prokaryotic communities in marine hotspots such as cold seeps, cold-water coral mounds and other anoxic environments. These important systems require urgent study because of their possible biological fragility, unique genetic resources, global relevance to carbon cycling and susceptibility to global change and human impact.

Since 2017, my research interests include antibiotic discovery from Burkholderia species with Prof. Eshwar Mahenthiralingam. This has included several projects funded by the Welsh Government LSBF and BBSRC to investigate the specialised metabolites produced by Burkholderia species for novel antibiotics and biological control agents. Recently, I have also been working on a project with Prof. Andrew Weightman on understanding the microbail communities responsible for biological removal of taste and odour compounds (geosmin & MIB) in DCWW water treatments works. This research is alongside my work on the Wales Environmental Wastewater Analysis & Surveillance for Health (WEWASH) project which was set up to monitor COVID-19 levels in wastewater accross Wales. The WEWASH project is a collaboration between Cardiff University, Bangor University, Public Health Wales and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. We hope the infrastructure set up during this project can now help with other issues, such as the emerging problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Professional memberships

Microbiology Society, American Society for Microbiology, Geological Society