Dr Angela Sherry

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

I am an Environmental Molecular Microbiologist interested in the function and community composition of microbes in the environment. I have a diverse research portfolio focused on projects related to the biodegradation of oil, methane oxidation, geothermal energy, and the effects of pesticide use on microbes in agricultural soils. I have tested novel biotechnologies for their ability to deliver nutrients to oil spills to increase bioremediation rates. My research aims to mechanistically understand the role of microbes in geochemical processes and the impacts that environmental change or engineering interventions have had or will have. I enjoy working on collaborative ventures with both industry and academia with interdisciplinary teams, which has led to successful publications in e.g. Environmental Microbiology, Frontiers in Microbiology and Nature. My current research interests include microbe:textile biohybrids, built environment microbiomes, carbonate precipitation in microbial mats and engineered soils, aerobic methane oxidation in marine sediments, oil bioremediation and/or carbon sequestration using waste mineral amendments and microbially-influenced oil field issues. I am Assistant Professor in Microbial Environments, affiliated with the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE), Applied Sciences, Northumbria University.
Environmental Microbiology
Anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation
Aerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation
Petroleum microbiology
Oil spill bioremediation
Methane cycling (methanogenesis and methanotrophy)
Carbonate precipitation in hypersaline microbial mats
Carbonate precipitation in soils
Response of soil microbial communities to pesticides
Use of wastes for soil hydrocarbon bioremediation and CO2 sequestration
Built environment microbiomes (air and surface communities)
Microbe:Material interactions and biohybrids

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Assessment of the interactions of the soil microbiome with crop protection products under laboratory and field conditions., Olley, L., Flynn, S., Higham, L., France, E., Hand, L., Sherry, A. 19 Sep 2024, Syngenta Biological Sciences & Product Safety External Collaboration Event
Biogenic Construction, Gilmour, K., Haystead, J., Karimian, A., Moreland, P., Wang, J., Arnandottin, T., Christgen, B., Rodrigues Corral, J., Guyet, A., Zhang, M., Wipat, A., Mitrani, H., Dade-Robertson, M., Sharma Ghimire, P., Wright, J., James, P., Mwebaza, D., Theodoridoua, M., Bruno, A., Bridgens, B., Sherry, A., Ozkan, D., Agraviador, A., Perry, O., Bagga, M., Alex, A., Hamley-Bennett, C., Justo-Reinoso, I., Gebhard, S., Paine, K., Masoero, E., Ofiteru, I., Wang, C., Eiriksdottir, S., Savas, E., Jones, E., De Nardi, C., Harbottle , M., Reitzer, P., New, R., Bryan, S., Mol, L., Campbell, O., Gilbert, O., Gudnadottir, B., Cuzman, O., Peritto, B. 20 Mar 2024
Effect of (in)organic additives on microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation, Haystead, J., Gilmour, K., Sherry, A., Dade-Robertson, M., Zhang, M. 1 Jan 2024, In: Journal of Applied Microbiology
Effects of High Salinity PWRI Practice on Sulfidogenesis and Microbially Influenced Corrosion, Sindi, M., Zhu, X., Christgen, B., Sherry, A., Gray, N., Head, I. 4 Mar 2024, Petroleum Microbiology, Boca Raton, US, CRC Press
Healing Masonry: demonstrating the potential of biological self-healing in lime-based mortars, Theodoridoua, M., Mwebaza, D., Koltsou, P., Dade-Robertson, M., Sherry, A., Zhang, M., Ozkan, D., Agraviador, A. Sep 2024, SUBLime 2024 Conference – Towards the next generation of sustainable masonry systems: Mortars, renders, plasters and other challenges, Braga, Portugal, Universidade do Minho
Sensory Textile-Bacterial Hybrids: Textile-Bacteria Fusion to Impart Forest-Associated Scents, Nerlich, P., Sherry, A., Deary, M., Morrow, R., Scott, J. 24 Aug 2024, In: Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice
Air microbiome diversity in the built environment across a rural – urban gradient is driven by farm type, room type and animal presence., Delgado Corrales, B., Davis, H., Sherry, A. 2023, Microbiology Society Annual Conference
Biocellular Concrete Facade: Storing Waste and Absorbing Carbon Dioxide, Morrow, R., Bloch, K., Sherry, A., Agraviador, A., Gilmour, K., Doherty, R., Nanukuttan, S., Gilligan, E., Perry, O. 15 Apr 2023, BioProtopia, Basel, Switzerland, Birkhauser Verlag Basel
Biohybrids: textile fibres provide scaffolds and highways for microbial translocation, Sherry, A., Martins Dell' Agnese, B., Scott, J. 13 Jun 2023, In: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
BioMateriOME: to understand microbe-material interactions within sustainable, living architectures, Delgado Corrales, B., Kaiser, R., Nerlich, P., Agraviador, A., Sherry, A. 1 May 2023, Advances in Applied Microbiology, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Academic Press Inc.

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Other: Future Materials within Growing Home: A New World of Materials Exhibition (Edinburgh Science Festival 2024) 2024
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: Northumbria University - Experience day 2024
Hosting an academic visitor: Fengji Wu 2023
Oral presentation: Location and room type drive air microbiome diversity in farms across an urban - rural gradient. Presenter: Beatriz Delgado Corrales. 2023
Invited talk: Invited Guest Speaker - My Academic Research Journey 2023
Oral presentation: BioMateriOME: Microbe-Material Interactions in the Built Environment. 2023
Oral presentation: Demonstrating the potential of biological self-healing for conservation through the healing masonry prototype. Presenter: Magdalini Theodoridou. 2023
Invited talk: Fibre Highways: translocation of the microbiome on textiles for multiple applications 2022
Invited talk: Manipulating microbiomes for enhanced hydrocarbon bioremediation in the natural environment. 2022
Invited talk: Current challenges of monitoring the microbial quality of air in the Built Environment 2021

PGR Supervision

Lauren Olley Assessment of the interactions of the anaerobic soil microbiome with crop protection products under laboratory and field conditions. Start Date: 01/03/2024
Samuel Marron The role of the soil microbiome in carbon sequestration and capture in soils amended with mineral wastes Start Date: 01/10/2024
Rebecca Pearman Understanding Bacillus spore interactions on textiles for innovative cleaning technologies Start Date: 01/10/2023

Qualifications

Microbiology PhD February 01 2005
Microbiology BSc (Hons) June 01 2000

Links

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Sediment cooling triggers germination and sulfate reduction by heat-resistant thermophilic spore-forming bacteria, Bell, E., Sherry, A., Pilloni, G., Suárez-Suárez, A., Cramm, M., Cueto, G., Head, I., Hubert, C. 2 Jan 2020, In: Environmental Microbiology
Beyond N and P, Mejeha, O., Head, I., Sherry, A., McCann, C., Leary, P., Jones, D., Gray, N. Dec 2019, In: Chemosphere
Combining electrokinetic transport and bioremediation for enhanced removal of crude oil from contaminated marine sediments, Cappello, S., Cruz Viggi, C., Yakimov, M., Rossetti, S., Matturro, B., Molina, L., Segura, A., Marqués, S., Yuste, L., Sevilla, E., Rojo, F., Sherry, A., Mejeha, O., Head, I., Malmquist, L., Christensen, J., Kalogerakis, N., Aulenta, F. 15 Jun 2019, In: Water Research
Anode potential selection for sulfide removal in contaminated marine sediments, Daghio, M., Vaiopoulou, E., Aulenta, F., Sherry, A., Head, I., Franzetti, A., Rabaey, K. 15 Oct 2018, In: Journal of Hazardous Materials
Distribution of thermophilic endospores in a temperate estuary indicate that dispersal history structures sediment microbial communities, Bell, E., Blake, L., Sherry, A., Head, I., Hubert, C. 1 Mar 2018, In: Environmental Microbiology
A new model for the formation of microbial polygons in a coastal sabkha setting., Lokier, S., Andrade, L., Court, W., Dutton, K., Head, I., van der Land, C., Paul, A., Sherry, A. 1 Dec 2017, In: The Depositional Record
Bridging spatially segregated redox zones with a microbial electrochemical snorkel triggers biogeochemical cycles in oil-contaminated River Tyne (UK) sediments, Viggi, C., Matturro, B., Frascadore, E., Insogna, S., Mezzi, A., Kaciulis, S., Sherry, A., Mejeha, O., Head, I., Vaiopoulou, E., Rabaey, K., Rossetti, S., Aulenta, F. 15 Dec 2017, In: Water Research
Electrobioremediation of oil spills, Daghio, M., Aulenta, F., Vaiopoulou, E., Franzetti, A., Arends, J., Sherry, A., Suárez-Suárez, A., Head, I., Bestetti, G., Rabaey, K. 1 May 2017, In: Water Research
How to access and exploit natural resources sustainably, Sherry, A., Andrade, L., Velenturf, A., Christgen, B., Gray, N., Head, I. 1 Sep 2017, In: Microbial Biotechnology

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