I was always interested in environmental issues, especially in the area of municipal and industrial waste water treatment. This was part of my every day life due to my father's work as a civil engineer, and I recall visiting my first effluent treatment plant at the age of 6 or 7! My interest in this area was subsequently strengthened when I worked for three summers for a Regional Water Authority near my home in Germany. My responsibilities included analytical work in regional laboratories and on site assessment of local sewage treatment works (STW).

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While working for the Water Authority, the person in charge of all operational aspects of the STWs, as well as all laboratory facilities had a PhD degree in Microbiology. This in itself was unusual as responsibilities for STWs usually lay with engineers. It was this person who first introduced me to the concept of microbiology as a career, and he also made me aware that a mutual understanding of disciplines between scientists and engineers is an essential requirement for understanding the environment and the operation of biological waste treatment systems. These summer jobs helped me to decide that I wanted to take a University degree which would allow me to work in the environmental sector and during the last year of my A-Level studies I decided that the University course I wanted to take was Microbiology.

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Microbiology always fascinated me because in my opinion there is no other subject area which has such a profound influence on the every day lives of human beings as microorganisms. Their effects and influence range from aspects of hygiene, pharmaceuticals and medical sciences to genetic engineering, biotechnology, agriculture, industry and the environment. But it is not just their direct influence on us as such, microorganisms are the only living organisms which can evolve and mutate from one generation to the next, often posing new questions and challenges to us.

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Having approached numerous German Universities on the courses offered in applied or environmental microbiology, it became apparent that the courses were heavily weighted towards medical microbiology and genetics. German degree courses also required that I study general biology for two years before I could take microbiology full time. It was then that I looked at degree courses in Britain. I applied to Cardiff and Birmingham, was accepted by both and ultimately chose Cardiff as the best option.

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I arrived in Cardiff as a foreign student late one September, and to this day I remember my first lecture at the University. The subject was biology and the lecturer was Scottish. I was convinced at the end of the one hour ordeal that the foreign language they taught me at school could have not been English! To help me settle down to British University life and all its inherent problems for a foreign student I was appointed a personal tutor by the microbiology department. I recall with some amusement the first meeting with my tutor, Dr Callely, who sadly is no longer with us. We discussed why I came to Britain to study microbiology and what I aimed to do after my degree. I declared quite innocently, "I am into shit and want to work with sewage". I have refined my language skills since, but my career aspirations are still basically the same!

 

I also recall one of my first meetings with Professor Lloyd who made me aware that although everyone in Germany refers to Great Britain or the UK as "England", it was unthinkable to announce that I came to Cardiff to study at an English University! I later came to understand how important this was.

 

My first encounter with Professor Hughes, Head of Department at that time, was in an introductory lecture to our microbiology degree. One of his statements which always stayed with me, was that in studying microbiology and becoming more knowledgeable about microorganisms and their effect on our daily life, one had two choices: either to become neurotic about cleanliness or to become a "slob". I like to think I am closer to the first choice.

 

Professor Hughes wore glasses and in order to have them handy at all times he would wear them around his neck with a piece of laboratory rubber tubing. This was later to become fashionable on the best European ski-slopes. He was proud to be a "Krebs boy" having established a career in microbiology through research rather than a degree and was very interested in waste treatment and anaerobic digestion In particular. On his advice, I decided on a BSc research project on anaerobic digestion and ultimately he must take responsibility that I met Stephen Etheridge who was working for Professor Hughes doing his PhD In the same area. The first meeting In a smelly laboratory (as many of my fellow students will confirm) in the presence of many anaerobic digesters led to romance which Is still on-going and has culminated in our own environmental consultancy.

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After my BSc, I was offered a Research Associateship by the Energy and Technology Support Unit (ETSU), Department of Energy. My PhD thesis was on anaerobic digestion processes using crop materials and animal wastes and involved work at the Cleppa Park research station which had four pilot scale anaerobic reactors of different design (see Anaerobic Digestion is Hot Shit by Dr Etheridge). My research work also included studies at laboratory scale

involving assessment of enzymes essential for the anaerobic degradation of energy crops.

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After completion of my PhD research, I worked for 12 months as a Visiting Fellow at the Microbiology Department at Cornell University, USA. While at that department I undertook research work on various aspects of hydrolytic and acetogenic bacterial interactions using anaerobic reactors with substrates such as sewage, food and lactic acid waste. The research facilities at Cornell were such that I was able to acquire extensive knowledge and experience of anaerobic microbiological culture and isolation techniques.

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During my time In the USA, I was able to interact with researchers from as far afield as China as well as with research departments of different disciplines all studying anaerobic digestion processes. As a visiting Fellow I was also able to take lecture courses in different disciplines and in subject areas which were of particular Interest to me.

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I returned to Cardiff after I finished my Fellowship and held a part-time position as Research Manager responsible for the protocol development of luminometer technology and design at Cardiff Laboratories for Energy and Resources Limited (CLEAR). My responsibilities included the development and assessment of bacterial and enzymatic preparations used in novel luminometer design in cooperation with a biochemical research group at the Medical School of Medicine, UCC.

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At the same time as working for CLEAR, I decided to utilise my technical knowledge in the waste treatment area and my German language skills. I established my own translation service with both British and German clients. I undertook translation of technical and scientific reports, business information and presentation material on the English and German markets. It allowed me to interact with commercial and government personnel on the subject of technical material and legislature for the purpose of client's introduction to foreign markets. The main area of activity was in the waste water treatment sector but I also worked on projects involving medical microbiology introducing British companies and products to hospitals in Germany.

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In 1990,1 established my own company, Environmental Biotechnology Limited (EBL) with my partner, Dr Etheridge. EBL is an environmental consultancy and our contracts have enabled us to work in Austria, Ireland, Germany and all over the UK. Our company is involved in Waste Audits and Site Audits for industrial and agricultural clients. These Audits can ultimately culminate in the construction of effluent treatment plants with EBL providing design if required, project management and commissioning of treatment systems. EBL has built the largest industrial anaerobic digester (3300 m ) in the UK for a Brewery. The plant is the first of its kind to use a novel heating and mixing system for which EBL successfully applied for an EC Thermic Award for the rational use of energy.

 

EBL is also involved in trouble shooting and remediation of problems associated with effluent treatment plants already in operation. I still make use of my language skills by undertaking market analyses and surveys for British clients who have technical products they which to introduce to the German speaking market.

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Although, the microbiology degree I completed was not always an easy option and did involve subject areas I was not always keen on, overall, it was its applied aspects whihc ultimately allowed me to have a career in the environmental sector making the most of my acquired knowledge while applying it to real life situations. My professional experience has taught me that while solutions to environmental problems such as effluent treatment, contaminated land or garbage digestion relies primarily on the symbiotic relationship between groups of microorganisms, it also needs to rely on the symbiotic interaction of

different disciplines such as engineering and microbiology. Taking a microbiology degree course does not need to result in a career being "stuck" in a laboratory!