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Academic

Dr Margaret Wexler

Margaret Wexler
Job Title Contact Location
Senior Lecturer & Course Manager  M dot Wexler at uea dot ac dot uk
Tel: 3534/3633  
Biology 1.15 
  • Personal
  • Research
  • Teaching
  • Publications
  • External
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Career

  • Lecturer, University of East Anglia (2008-present)
  • Senior Research Associate, University of East Anglia (1999-2009)
  • Senior Research Associate, John Innes Centre (1997-1999)
  • Research Assistant, University of East Anglia (1995-1996)
  • Ph.D. University of Adelaide (1994)


ResearcherID  

http://www.researcherid.com/rid/G-3423-2011

Key Research Interests

I am a microbiologist with a strong interest in molecular microbial ecology. My principal research interest concerns the microbiology and biochemistry of activated sludge. In particular, I am interested in the environmentally beneficial process of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). The aim of my current work is to apply proteomics to mixed microbial communities from activated sludges in order to gain insight into metabolic pathways associated with EBPR. I am also interested in other biological nutrient removal technologies associated with sewage treatment and in applying metagenomic techniques to study uncultured bacteria present in environments such as sewage and soil. For many years I investigated the molecular biology and genetics of the nitrogen-fixing symbiont Rhizobium leguminosarum.

Current Research Projects

  • Microbiology and biochemistry of enhanced biological phosphorus removal.
  • Molecular genetics of oestrogen degradation by activated sludge bacteria.

PhD Positions

Please email me to discuss PhD opportunities and projects within the School of Biological Sciences



Teaching Activities

  • Microbiology (BIO-2B28)
  • Microbial biotechnology (BIO-3C09)
  • Scientific Research Skills (BIO-3C40)
  • Microbial and enzyme biotechnology (BIO-M101)
  • Biofuels, bioremediation and bioproducts (BIO-M103)
  • MSc practical (BIO-M61Y)
  • Water Security – Theory and Concepts (DEV-M101)
Number of items: 24.

Article

Wexler, M (2011) Microbiology and biochemistry of biological nutrient removal. Water and Sewerage (2).

Baker-Austin, C, Potrykus, J, Wexler, M, Bond, PL and Dopson, M (2010) Biofilm development in the extremely acidophilic archaeon ‘Ferroplasma acidarmanus’ Fer1. Extremophiles, 14 (6). pp. 485-491. ISSN 1431-0651

Wexler, M, Richardson, DJ and Bond, PL (2009) Radiolabelled proteomics to determine differential functioning of Accumulibacter during the anaerobic and aerobic phases of a bioreactor operating for enhanced biological phosphorus removal. Environmental Microbiology, 11 (12). pp. 3029-3044.

Wexler, M. (2009) Microbiological pollution of wastewater.

Wilmes, P, Andersson, AF, Lefsrud, MG, VerBerkmoes, NC, Wexler, M, Shah, M, Bond, PL, Hettich, RP and Banfield, JF (2008) Community proteogenomics highlights strain-variant protein expression within activated sludge performing enhanced biological phosphorus removal. The ISME Journal, 2. pp. 853-864.

Wilmes, P, Wexler, M and Bond, PL (2008) Metaproteomics provides functional insight into Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment. PLoS One, 3 (3). p. 1778.

Baker-Austin, C, Dopson, M, Wexler, M, Sawers, RG, Stemmler, A, Rosen, BP and Bond, PL (2007) Extreme arsenic resistance by the acidophilic archaeon 'Ferroplasma acidarmanus' Fer1. Extremophiles, 11 (3). pp. 425-434.

Bond, PL and Wexler, M (2007) Metaproteomics for analysis of microbial function in the environment. Microbiology Australia, 28 (3).

Todd, JD, Rogers, R, You, GL, Wexler, Margaret, Bond, PL, Sun, L, Curson, ARJ, Malin, G, Steinke, M and Johnston, Andy (2007) Structural and regulatory genes required to make the gas dimethyl sulfide in bacteria. Science, 315 (5812). pp. 666-669.

Young, J.P.W., Crossman, L.C., Johnston, A.W.B., Thomson, N.R., Ghazoui, Z.F., Hull, K.H., Wexler, M., Curson, Aa.R.J., Todd, J.D., Poole, P.S., Mauchline, T.H., East, A.K., Quail, M.A., Churcher, C., Arrowsmith, C. and Cherevach, I. (2006) The genome of Rhizobium leguminosarum has recognizable core and accessory components. Genome Biology, 7. p. 34.

Baker-Austin, Craig, Dopson, M., Wexler, M., Sawers, R.G. and Bond, Philip (2005) Molecular insight into extreme copper resistance in the extremophilic archaeon "Ferroplasma acidarmanus" Fer1. Microbiology, 151. pp. 2637-2646.

Diaz-Mireles, E., Wexler, M., Todd, J.D., Bellini, D., Johnston, A.W.B. and Sawers, R.G. (2005) The manganese-responsie repressor Mur of Rhizobium leguminosarum is a member of the Fur-superfamily that recognizes and unusual operator sequence. Microbiology, 151. pp. 4071-4078.

Li, Y., Wexler, M., Richardson, D.J., Bond, P.L. and Johnston, A.W.B. (2005) Screening a wide host-range, waste-water metagenomic library in tryptophan auxotrophs of Rhizobium leguminosarum and of Escherichia coli reveals different classes of cloned trp genes. Environmental Microbiology, 7. pp. 1927-1936.

Wexler, M., Bond, P.L., Richardson, D.J. and Johnston, A.W.B. (2005) A wide host-range metagenomic library from a waste water treatment plant yields a novel alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase that allows Rhizobium leguminosarum but not Escherichia coli to grow on ethanol. Environmental Microbioloy, 7 (12). pp. 1917-1926. ISSN 1462-2912

Diaz-Mireles, E., Wexler, M., Sawers, G., Bellini, D., Todd, J.D. and Johnston, A.W.B. (2004) The Fur-like protein Mur of Rhizobium leguminosarum is a Mn2+ responsive transcriptional regulator. Microbiology, 150. pp. 1447-1456.

Todd, J.D., Wexler, M., Sawers, G., Yeoman, K.H., Poole, P.S. and Johnston, A.W.B. (2003) RirA, an iron-responsive regulator in the symbiotic bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum. Microbiology, 148. pp. 4059-4071.

Wexler, M., Todd, J.D., Kolade, O., Bellini, D., Hemmings, A.M., Sawers, G. and Johnston, A.W.B. (2003) Fur is not the global regulator of iron uptake genes in Rhizobium leguminosarum. Microbiology, 149. pp. 1357-1365.

Buchanan, G., de Leeuw, E., Stanley, N.R., Wexler, M., Berks, B.C., Sargent, F. and Palmer, T. (2002) Functional complexity of the twin-arginine translocase TatC component revealed by site-directed mutagenesis. Molecular Microbiology, 43. pp. 1457-1470.

Carter, R.A., Worsley, P.S., Sawers, G., Challis, G.L., Dilworth, M.J., Carson, K.C., Lawrence, J.A., Wexler, M., Johnston, A.W.B. and Yeoman, K.H. (2002) The vbs genes that direct synthesis of the siderophore vicibactin in Rhizobium leguminosarum: their expression in other genera requires ECF s factor Rpol. Molecular Microbiology, 44 (5). pp. 1153-1166. ISSN 0950-382X

Kolade, O.O., Bellini, P., Wexler, M., Johnston, A.W.B., Grossmann, J.G. and Hemmings, A.M. (2002) Structural studies of the Fur protein from Rhizobium leguminosarum. Biochemical Society Transactions, 30. pp. 771-774.

Johnston, A.W.B., Yeoman, K.H. and Wexler, M. (2001) Metals and the rhizobial-legume symbiosis - Uptake, utilization and signalling. Advances in Microbial Physiology, 45. pp. 113-156.

Wexler, M., Yeoman, K.H., Stevens, J.B., de Luca, N.G., Sawers, G and Johnston, A.W.B. (2001) The Rhizobium leguminosarum tonB gene is required for the uptake of siderophore and haem as sources of iron. Molecular Microbiology, 41 (4). pp. 1-17. ISSN 0950-382X

Wexler, M., Sargent, F., Jack, R.L., Stanley, N.R., Bogsch, E.G., Robinson, C., Berks, B.C. and Palmer, T. (2000) TatD is a cytoplasmic protein with Dnase activity - No requirement for TatD family proteins in Sec-independent protein export. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 275. pp. 16717-16722.

Book Section

Wexler, M, Bond, PL, Richardson, DJ and Johnston, AWB (2011) Functional screening of a wide host-range metagenomic library from a wastewater treatment plant yields a novel alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogease. In: Metagenomics and Different Habitats Handbook of Molecular Microbial Ecology. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-470-64719-6

This list was generated on Fri Apr 5 08:27:44 2013 BST.

External Activities and Indicators of Esteem

  • Member of the Society for General Microbiology and International Society for Microbial Ecology

Administrative Posts/Responsibilities

  • Module organiser for Microbial biotechnology (BIO-3C09)
  • Module organiser for MSc practical Class (BIO-M61Y)
  • Module organiser for Biofuels, Bioremediation and Bioproducts (BIO-M103)
  • Chair of Staff Student Liaison Group
  • Member of exam board (MSc Biotechnology for a Sustainable Future and MSc Molecular Medicine)
  • Member of BIO Teaching Executive
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