Jim Lynch

University of Surrey · Centre for Environmental Strategy

Nigeria is a country with a rapidly growing youthful population and the availability of good quality education for all is a key priority in the sustainable development of the country. An important element of this is the need to improve access to high-quality primary education in rural areas. A key indicator for progress on this is the provision of...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework aims to end poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality, design sustainable cities, support economic growth, tackle climate change and leave no one behind. To monitor and report the progress on the 231 unique SDGs indicators in all signatory countries, data play a key role. Here, we rev...

Earth Observation (EO) techniques could offer a more cost-effective and rapid approach for reliable monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of soil organic carbon (SOC). Here, we analyse the available published literature to assess whether it may be possible to estimate SOC using data from sensors mounted on satellites and airborne systems. T...

The main aim of the new agricultural scheme, Environmental Land Management, in Eng-land is to reward landowners based on their provision of 'public goods' while achieving the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and commitment to net zero emission by 2050. Earth Observation (EO) satellites appear to offer an unprecedented opportunity in the proces...

This paper presents the results of research designed to explore the challenges involved in the use of Earth Observation (EO) data to support environmental management Brazil. While much has been written about the technology and applications of EO, the perspective of end-users of EO data and their needs has been under-explored in the literature. A to...

Nigeria is a country with a rapidly growing youthful population and the availability of good quality education for all is a key priority for the country. An important element of this is the improvement of access to high-quality primary education in rural areas. A key indicator for achieving this is the provision of adequate classroom space for more...

Planet Earth is under severe stress from several inter-linked factors mainly associated with rising global population, linear resource consumption, security of resources, unsurmountable waste generation, and social inequality, which unabated will lead to an unsustainable 21st Century. The traditional way products are designed promotes a linear econ...

Brazil has some of the world’s most important forest and natural ecosystem resources and their sustainability is of global importance. The expansion of agriculture for livestock, the extractive industries, illegal logging, land conflicts, fire and deforestation are pressures on land use and drivers of land use change in many regions of Brazil. Whil...

: In 2015, member countries of the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York. These global goals have 169 targets and 232 indicators based on the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. However, substantial challenges remain in obtainin...

Inoculated crops with selected nitrogen fixing bacteria

Highly efficient macroalgae based chemical factories and environmental protection have been comprehensively studied for the first time to displace fossil resources to mitigate climate change impact. Wild macroalgae can be used to treat wastewaters, marine environment, soil and sludge by (bio)phytoremediation during growth phase and biosorption afte...

The effect of straw, NPK fertilizer, inoculums (Trichoderma harzianum, Streptomyces griseus, Erwinia herbicola) on soil properties that may relate to soil resilience were tested. Inoculum + straw + NPK significantly increase the number of free living N2 fixers. After 5 years of study both inocula + straw +NPK treatment significant increase soil res...

In 2015, member countries of the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York. These global goals have 169 targets and 232 indicators that are based on the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. Substantial challenges remain in obtaining data of...

BACKGROUND This research is focused on the effect of temperature on the growth of active biofilms on polypropylene (PP) filter media in aerobic fixed biofilm reactors (FBR) for wastewater treatment. RESULTS High‐throughput sequencing was used to explore the composition and diversity of the microbial community of 14‐days old (starting phase) biofil...

This chapter briefly discusses economic sustainability and looks at environmental sustainability that involves several sub-topics, including mitigation of climate change, food vs fuel and change of land use. Scientific achievements have been made in wood fuel, heat and light generation, fermentation and distillation, esterification of vegetable oil...

Biomass is widely used across the Southern African Development Community, including in South Africa. A large proportion of the existing resource is used in relatively inefficient, small scale devices, including combustion of fuel wood for heating and cooking, although larger scale applications can be found in some regions. The land base and agricul...

This paper introduces the work and diversity of the Council for Frontiers of Knowledge (CFK). In a series of vignettes relating to the intellectual interests of some of the leading academics working with the CFK, both the mission and the trans- disciplinary oversight of the agency are explored.

Illegal logging threatens tropical forests and carbon stocks. Governments must work together to build an early warning system, say Jim Lynch and colleagues.

http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/publications/NEREUS/

Traditionally, biomass such as wood has been used for cooking and heating purposes. The oil crises of the 1970s, however, prompted interest in biomass to produce liquid biofuels and replace fossil-based transport fuels. Subsequent falls in oil prices evaporated much of the incentive and stalled the momentum to expand biofuel production in most coun...

A number of pseudomonad bacteria were investigated for their in vitro antagonism on agar against Pseudomonas tolaasii, the causative agent of bacterial blotch of the cultivated mushroom. Addition of FeCl3 to the culture medium suppressed the antagonism in 14 of the 20 bacteria tested and the production of a substance with an absorption peak at 400...

A variety of strains of Trichoderma cultured on a molasses medium were added to a peat/sand potting compost at 1% and 0·1% dry w/w. When lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) seeds were planted in the compost, some strains of the fungus prompted seedling emergence and produced larger plants, while other strains had an inhibitory effect on those processes.

Continuous-flow column reactors were used to study the dynamics of plasmid exchange in a structured, thermodynamically open system containing either Enterobacter cloacae or Pseudomonas cepacia, both carrying the transmissible recombinant plasmid R388::Tn1721. Plasmid transfer rates were higher in vermiculite and sterile soil columns supplied with n...

Clostridium butyricum was grown with cellulolytic fungi on the substrates wheat straw and cellulose at a range of oxygen concentrations. The straw was not sterile and was inoculated with Sodaria alcina while the cellulose was sterile and was inoculated with Trichoderma harzianum as examples of cellulolytic organisms. The straw subsequently develope...

A strain of Pseudomonas aureofaciens (SBW25EeZY-6KX) that was chromosomally marked with a lacZY and a kmr-xylE cassette could be recovered from non-sterile soil by a selective Pseudomonas enrichment broth amended with 100 ppm kanamycin and 50 ppm X-gal in an MPN (most probable number) assay. The assay was sensitive and reliable, allowing detection...

Mixed cultures of the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma harzianum with the anaerobic diazotroph Clostridium butyricum were shown to co-operatively degrade cellulose and utilize the degradation products for N2 fixation. Cellulose degradation and N2 fixation were stimulated by small (0.1 mg/ml) additions of (NH4)2SO4. The (NH42SO4 stimulates cellulolys...

Bacteria, mainly pseudomonads, were isolated from mushroom farms and from soil and plant materials. They were screened for antagonism to Pseudomonas tolaasii, the cause of bacterial blotch of mushroom, using an exclusion zone assay against a bacterial lawn of the pathogen. Selected potential antagonists were identified by the API system and whole c...

Chapman, S.J. & Lynch, J.M. 1984. A note on the formation of microbial polysaccharide from wheat straw decomposed in the absence of soil. Journal of Applied Bacteriology56, 337–342. The proportions of neutral sugars in fresh and decomposed wheat straw polysaccharide were similar, irrespective of the oxygen concentration used during breakdown. Polys...

Some concepts of sustainability applied to soils are given in relation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Co-operative Research Programme 'Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems'. The application of these concepts to climate change will be discussed in relation to seven high-profile pap...

To determine the role of fungal metabolites in the desorption of metals. Desorption of Zn from charcoal by three different fungi was compared against metal desorption with reverse osmosis water, a 0.1% Tween 80 solution and a 0.1 mol l(-1) CaCl(2) solution. All three fungal filtrates desorbed three times more Zn than either 0.1% Tween 80 or 0.1 mol...

IntroductionA Most Probable Number (MPN) Recovery TechniqueThe Need for an Eco-Physiological Index (EPI)Conclusions References

This book contains 28 chapters grouped into six sections providing information on forests interact with the other components of the physical and natural world with the human society, and how we could manage forests globally to make the most of their contribution to mitigation of climate change along with the established objective of sustainable man...

We investigated if the plant growth promoting fungus Trichoderma harzianum Rifai 1295-22 (also known as "T22") could be used to enhance the establishment and growth of crack willow (Salix fragilis) in a soil containing no organic or metal pollutants and in a metal-contaminated soil by comparing this fungus with noninoculated controls and an ectomyc...

Isolates of Trichoderma were tested for their ability to control Rhizoctonia solani in lettuce seedlings and mature plants in a glasshouse. The best isolate (T. viride IMI 298375) was tested for its ability to control bottom rot disease in mature lettuce plants grown in polythene tunnels. Control was achieved in several trials but there was little...

A simple initial screening procedure for selecting strains of white-rot fungi with potential for use in bioremediation of contaminated sites is described. Besides the ability to degrade low molecular weight PAHs, isolates were screened for their growth rate on straw-based agar media, their potential to tolerate high concentrations of phenanthrene a...

The losses of total weight and of the individual components of oat straw were followed under field conditions over one cropping season. Decomposition rates of cellulose and hemicellulose were closely similar, and together these polysaccharides accounted for most of the weight losses. Losses of lignin were small, and total weight loss can be calcula...

The breakdown of wheat straw in slurries of soil was studied under controlled physical conditions. In the absence of oxygen there was a reduction in the redox potential and pH of the slurries and there were concomitant increases in the concentrations in solution of total carbon compounds, acetic acid, iron and manganese. The temperature coefficient...

Acetic acid was applied to localized regions of barley roots. Treating a single root tip with a small concentration (5 mol m−3) of the acid stimulated root and shoot growth. No stimulation was observed when more than one root was treated or with greater concentrations of the acid. Treating 2 cm lengths along the root axis distal to the root tip reg...

Abstract A range of aliphatic, aromatic and amino acids at a concentration of 5 mol m-3 inhibited the extension of roots of barley seedlings. Acetic acid is one of the least toxic but its action has the greatest ecological significance because it can be formed in phytotoxic concentrations by micro-organisms in soil. Its uptake and toxicity were gre...

The biodegradation of cyanide by Trichoderma and Fusarium spp. growing in association with plant roots in microcosms was investigated with CN– at 50 or 100mg/kg. Pea and wheat seeds germinated and plants grew only when seeds were inoculated with the fungi, probably because the plant/fungal association was capable of promoting cyanide catabolism. In...

The rate of degradation of cyanide by certain strains of the Trichoderma spp. was evaluated. For comparison two Fusarium spp., which had previously been demonstrated to degrade metallocyanides were also studied. Studies were carried out to assess the rate of degradation using cyanide as the sole source of carbon or in the presence of glucose. Biode...

It has been estimated that there may be as much as 300 000 ha in the UK where contamination from previous industrial land use has occurred. The ‘Source-Pathway-Receptor’ model is used to evaluate these risks. Traditional engineering approaches have dominated remediation technology, but biological methods have become increasingly important in recent...

This review mainly discusses three related topics: the application of ecological theories to soil, the measurement of microbial diversity by molecular techniques and the impact of transgenic plants and microorganisms on genetic diversity of soil. These topics were debated at the Meeting on Soil Emergency held in Erice (Trapani, Italy) in 2001 for t...

The antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (Phl) is produced by a range of naturally occurring fluorescent pseudomonads. One isolate, Pseudomonas fluorescens F113, protects pea plants from the pathogenic fungus Pythium ultimum by reducing the number of pathogenic lesions on plant roots, but with a concurrent reduction in the emergence of plants such...

Trichoderma spp. are among the most abundant culturable fungi in many soils. The fungi in this genus are genetically quite diverse, with a number of different capabilities between different strains. This chapter illustrates how these prolific fungi may be used in remediation or amelioration of pollutants in the environment, with foci on mechanisms...

We have used the AT-cut quartz crystal sensor to measure in real-time the total cholesterol concentration in buffer and serum, using the trienzyme system of cholesterol esterase (ChE), cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The hydrogen peroxide produced from the ChE–ChOx reaction oxidises diaminobenzidine (DAB), in the presen...

In this study, we investigated the effect of three substrate types (wheat straw, white rice and grit-bran) on conidia production of the cellulolytic fungus Trichurus spiralis. Besides the number of conidia produced per gram substrate, enzyme activity and spore vigour of the produced inoculum were assessed. Subsequently, conidia produced on the diff...

A biochemical characterisation of the rhodanese enzyme in different strains of Trichoderma was carried out in this study. The predominantly extracellular activity of this enzyme from Trichoderma was evaluated and the kinetics of the rhodanese enzyme reaction, including pH and temperature profiles, were assessed. Studies on the rhodanese enzyme from...

The Rhizosphere; a Definition

An investigation was made into the occurrence and distribution of the enzymes involved in HCN catabolism in different strains of the fungus Trichoderma. Three enzymes, cyanide hydratase, rhodanese and β-cyanoalanine synthase were studied. All the strains showed a high capacity to degrade cyanide via both the cyanide hydratase and rhodanese pathways...

The benzidines, 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB), 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine (DMOB) and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) were enzymatically oxidised to detect hydrogen peroxide, using the quartz crystal. The oxidised product mainly remains in suspension, resulting in a limited quartz sensor signal. We have used two non-ionic surfactants, Tween 80 and T...

The effect of addition of a municipal solid waste (MSW) compost and its water-soluble and humic fraction to suppress the effect of Pythium ultimum on pea plants was studied and compared with that of a chemical pesticide (metalaxyl). The biotic and abiotic characteristics of compost involved in the biocontrol effects of these materials were also eva...

The effect of Cd pollution (50 mg kg-1), with and without sewage sludge (Sw) and PO43- fertiliser (P) addition, on soil biochemical activity and available Cd was assessed in a 112-day soil incubation experiment. The availability of Cd decreased with incubation time and was reduced by the Sw and P additions resulting in the following order of treatm...

The effects of seed inoculation with the 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG)-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens strain F113 and a non-DAPG-producing Tn5 mutant of this strain (F113G22) on the growth of pea roots (Pisum sativum) was studied in three different soil types (sand, silty loam and clay) at two different temperatures (14C and 21C). It could b...

The rhizosphere is a dominant site of microbial metabolism in soil and whereas it can be shown that anthropogenic disturbances can influence this metabolism, the impact of these disturbances on biodiversity is rather difficult to determine at the species level. This is in part because no more than 10% of the microbial species are culturable, and in...

It was shown that inoculation of straw with cellulolytic fungi offers potential for manipulating and improving the composting of cellulose waste, where the C:N ratio is not optimal for composting. In this paper we report on a screening strategy used to isolate novel cellulolytic fungi from field samples. The screen comprised of two phases. In phase...

The effects of an antibiotic-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens strain (F113) carrying the marker gene cassette lacZY and a marked, non-producing strain (F113G22) on the uptake of nitrogen from 15N enriched organic residues incorporated into a sandy soil were investigated in microcosm studies. Strain F113 produces the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphlorogl...

Using undisturbed sandy loam soil cores heavily infested with mycorrhizae, the effects of the antibiotic-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens strain F113 and its non-antibiotic derivative Ps. fluorescens F113G22 on nodulation by introduced and indigenous Rhizobium were studied. Furthermore, the effects of the different microbial inocula on the coloniz...

Ecotoxicology can be defined as “the study of harmful effects of chemicals upon ecosystems.” This implies that ecotoxicology is not concerned with the detection of chemicals per se, but that it deals with biological effects of (toxic) chemicals that contaminate (or have contaminated) the environment. Biological effects induced by chemicals can be a...

The promoter region of the katG gene of Escherichia coli was fused to the bacterial luciferase reporter gene luxCDABE from Photorhadbus luminescens. In E. coli, this system is limited to compounds that produce oxidative stress. Consequently we designed a system that would detect compounds that do not generate such stress. As proof of concept we cho...

Pseudomonas fluorescens F113lacZY and modified strains carrying different function modifications were assessed for their impact in the rhizosphere of pea. Strain F113lacZY naturally produces the anti-fungal metabolite 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (Phl) useful in plant disease control. The first modified strain of F113 was repressed in production of P...

The effect of copper on the degradation by soil micro-organisms of phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, was investigated. Inert nylon filters were incubated in the soil for 28 days at 25 degrees C. Each filter was inoculated with a soil suspension, phenanthrene (400 ppm), copper (0, 70, 700 or 7000 ppm) and nitrogen/phosphorus sources....

Microorganisms in soil, especially those associated with plant roots, are surrounded by envelopes of polysaccharides. These originate from both microbes and roots and are a characteristic feature of the rhizosphere. We have shown these materials to selectively restrict the diffusion of anions by the measurement of diffusion potentials. Using xantha...

The effects of seed inoculation with the Pseudomonas fluorescens strains F113lacZY [a genetically marked biocontrol agent producing the anti-fungal agent 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG)] and F113G22 [a genetically modified (GM) derivative strain of F113lacZY incapable of producing DAPG] on associated nematode communities were investigated over 17...

The rhizosphere is that part of the soil ecosystem where plant roots, soil and the soil biota interact with each other. These interactions are often of benefit to plants, improve soil fertility and enhance the degradation of toxic chemicals. Rhizodeposition from plants is the key energy supply for the rhizosphere biota. Mineral nutrients are suppli...

To investigate the effect of flow rate and inoculation order on plasmid transfer frequency between bacteria in a model rhizosphere system. A physical model system was constructed and used to demonstrate that although flow rate did affect plasmid transfer frequency for an introduced strain, the flow rates necessary for a significant effect on an est...

Aims To investigate the effect of flow rate and inoculation order on plasmid transfer frequency between bacteria in a model rhizosphere system. Methods and Results A physical model system was constructed and used to demonstrate that although flow rate did affect plasmid transfer frequency for an introduced strain, the flow rates necessary for a si...

Four well-described strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens were assessed for their effect on pea growth and their antagonistic activity against large Pythium ultimum inocula. Methods and The effect of Pseudomonas strains on the indigenous soil microflora, soil enzyme activities and plant growth in the presence and absence of Pythium was assessed. Pythi...

In accordance with the theory of contact exchange, it is hypothesized that the presence of negative charge in microbial exopolysaccharides increases the rate of cation transport. These typically acidic materials may provide a fast-track for the diffusion of nutrient cations through the polymer layer for uptake at the organism cell surface. We have...

This paper reports on the study of effects on total and immobilised enzyme activities (urease and phosphatase) on amendment of organic waste to arid soil. The organic materials contained considerable values of total urease and phosphatase activity. The fresh organic materials contained the highest values for both total enzymatic activities. The add...

The influence of substrate concentration on plasmid transfer frequency in the rhizosphere was investigated using a physical model employing a hollow fiber membrane instead of a real root. The absolute number of transconjugants produced increased with increasing substrate (glucose) concentration, but the plasmid transfer frequency decreased exponent...

 The effect of addition of municipal solid waste (MSW) at different degrees of stabilisation on the biological properties of an arid soil was studied 24 months after application. This included effects on the indigenous soil microflora and soil enzyme activities in the presence and absence of Pythium ultimum. The addition of organic waste (fresh or...

Five strains of Trichoderma with known biocontrol activities were assessed for their effect upon pea growth and their antagonistic activity against large Pythium ultimum inocula. The effect of Trichoderma inocula upon the indigenous soil microflora and soil enzyme activities in the presence and absence of Pythium is assessed. In the absence of Pyth...

Visible information on world agriculture can help to understand the current world agricultural status. The global maps for cereal yield and nitrogenous fertilizer application are composed of data sets provided by USGS (United States Geological Survey) and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Arable land is not distribu...

Jointly published with INRA, Paris. The application of new production methods in the food industry - genetic engineering in plants and animals - as well as recent crises over food-borne diseases have led consumers to a growing concern about science as an appropriate basis for developing sound agricultural policies. This book presents the discussio...

Previous studies have shown that inoculation of pea seeds with Pseudomonas fluorescens strains F113lacZY or F113G22 increased mineralization of organic nitrogen in the rhizosphere. In contrast, inoculation of the same strains onto wheat seeds reduced mineralization of N from organic residues incorporated into soil. In the present study, we report o...

Continuous-flow, packed-bed column reactors, which provide an experimental model of a soil profile, were used to investigate survival of, and plasmid transfer between, strains of Enterobacter cloacae. When columns, inoculated with nutrient-sufficient donor and recipient strains, were provided with a minimal salts medium with no added carbon source,...

The effects of an antibiotic-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens strain (F113) carrying the marker gene cassette lacZY and a marked, non-producing strain (F113G22) on the uptake of nitrogen from 15N-enriched organic residues incorporated into a sandy soil were investigated in microcosm studies. Strain F113 produces the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphlorogl...

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of wild type and functionally modified Pseudomonas fluorescens strains on C fractions in the rhizosphere of pea. The lacZY marked F113 strain produces the antibiotic 2,4 diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) useful in plant disease control. The modified strain of F113 was represented in production of DAPG, c...

> Abstract The aim of this microcosm study was to determine influence of the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) on the effect of wild-type and functionally modified Pseudomonas fluorescens F113 strains in a sandy loam soil of pH 5.4 planted with pea (Pisum sativum var Montana). The functional modification of strain F113 was a repressed pr...

A uridine auxotrophic mutant (pyrG) of Trichoderma reesei was successfully transformed to constitutively produce chitinase using a construct containing an Aphanocladium album cDNA chitinase gene fused in frame to the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter of Aspergillus nidulans. The transformation frequency was high (897–1,421 transform...

Nuclear (1H) magnetic stray field gradient methods have been used to measure the concentration dependence of the water self-diffusion coefficient (Dself) in the commercially available bacterial exopolysaccharide xanthan and a chemically derived deacetylated form. The Dself coefficient of water is interpreted to directly relate to the degree of wate...

An isolate of Pseudomonas fluorescens (SBW25) was modified with different marker genes (lacZY, aph-1, and xylE). These marker genes were inserted singly or in combination into two separate (1 Mbp apart) and presumably nonessential sites (-6- and Ee) on the chromosome of SBW25. This allowed the production of a range of genetically modified SBW25 var...

Ecophysiological and molecular biological investigations of soil microorganisms have developed well, including critical studies of the fate and transport of genetically-modified microorganisms. Such studies will make contributions to areas ranging from the understanding of global change to the catabolism of xenobiotics in soil. Inundative inoculati...

Sawdust was composted by inoculation with a cellulose-decomposing fungus (Cephalosporium sp.) and an N2-fixing bacterium (Azospirillum brasilense). The product was investigated as a possible carrier for Bradyrhizobium, Rhizobium and Azospirillum. The simple technology and composition of the carrier supported good growth and survival of the investig...