At school I had a keen interest in biology, but my passion for the environment and engineering, applying theory to practical applications, led me to a degree in Environmental Chemical Engineering at Exeter University. Apart from main stream chemical engineering, this course included basic microbiology as well as a range of other biology subjects. I first began to appreciate the key role microbes played in the environment in my final year, when I undertook a project on an effluent treatment plant at a local paper mill. This was to set the direction of my professional career.

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I was therefore delighted when, during the external examination at the end of my degree, the examiner, Professor David Hughes, offered me a position as the engineer on a major EC funded project at the Department of Microbiology, University College Cardiff (UCC). I did not realise until much later that Professor Hughes has played a significant role working with Hans Krebs, and had been asked to establish the first independent Microbiology Department in the UK.

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I became the project manager on the team, working under Professor Hughes and Dr David Stafford who had secured this prestigious contract, and in the following four years I was able to undertake research for my PhD while receiving a full time salary.

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The project involved the establishment of a research station and laboratory at Cleppa Part, near Cardiff, to investigate the anaerobic digestion of biomass and wastes. Four different pilot scale (30 m     ) reactors were designed and built to treat a range of materials. Key questions were to be addressed such as: how could this key process be enhanced for the treatment of effluents and animal wastes; could the biogas, generated as a by-product, be produced in sufficient quantities to be a viable source of renewable energy; if so, which wastes or even which crops specifically grown for the purpose (energy crops) would be best? This work was exciting, relevant and applied. Most importantly it demonstrated to me that engineers needed to understand microbial processes fully if they were to create environments in which microorganisms would function at their optimum performance. How can you design a car if you don't know what creature is likely to drive it? The microbiologists on the team were also challenged by this application of microbial technology to real problems.

Several other projects developed while at the Department of Microbiology, including installing a similar research station at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, and the commissioning of one of the first agricultural digesters at
Chediston in Suffolk. At one point I represented the research team at a House of Lords Committee responsible for reviewing anaerobic digestion and I was lucky enough to travel to several European cities presenting our research findings including the EC headquarters in Brussels and alsa Taipei, Taiwan. During this time our team was also involved in a conference on Anaerobic Digestion held in Travemünde, Germany and T-shirts were printed with the title of this article.

 

Unforeseen advantages of my time at the Department of Microbiology

included establishing a number of long term friendships and, most importantly, meeting my partner (see Microbiology, a Degree Course with Professional Options by Dr Ulrike Leroff).

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My experience at Cardiff gave me the opportunity to work in two key areas, the environment and biotechnology, and after four years at the Department of Microbiology I continued my research in the USA at Cornell University. This led to work on a range of new ideas and processes for waste treatment and energy production in biomass, as well as sampling the US lifestyle. I finished my third year as Visiting Professor teaching Biological waste Treatment and Land Application of Wastes.

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Subsequently, I returned to the UK to join Cardiff Laboratories for Energy and Resources Limited (CLEAR) which was established by staff at the Department of Microbiology, UCC some years before. This company developed many of the applied ideas established at Cardiff and exploited them commercially. These included novel waste treatment systems, a new whey protein isolate, a luminometer and engine/generator sets for energy generation from biogas. As Technical & Overseas Director of CLEAR I was lucky enough to develop my US contacts and travelled extensively in the US, Europe and Australia and was involved in the design and installation of agricultural and industrial waste
treatment plants.

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In 1990,1 established my own company, Environmental Biotechnology Limited (EBL) with my partner, Dr Leroff. We have worked in Austria, Ireland, Germany and all over the UK advising industry on environmental issues and waste treatment. We recently designed and built the largest industrial anaerobic digester in the UK at a Brewery in Dorset. This project received an EC Thermic Award in 1992.

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While I remain a director of EBL, I have most recently become Managing Director of a national environmental consultancy, Babtie Environmental Limited, which offers a wide range of general environmental services from environmental assessment, water quality studies, environmental management, process design and pollution control.

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Microbiology has had a key influence on my professional and personal life, and enriched my career prospects considerably.

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