Prof Colin Campbell

Colin has 19 years of research experience in soil microbiology/soil science. His expertise lies in fundamental and applied studies on the role of microorganisms in soil, the effects of pollutants e.g. Trends in Pollution of Scottish Soils (TiPSS) and soil health as well as understanding how microbial diversity contributes to ecosystem functioning in natural habitats.

Research Interests

Current projects include studies of the use of microbiological indicators of soil health in different land use systems and the effects of sewage sludge on soil microorganisms to better define Statutory limits for heavy metals. Other projects include the remediation of polluted soils (ACCESS and ENDEGRADE). He is expert in assessing the structure and functioning of soil microbial communities using novel physiological profiling methods that are patented in the UK and US (MicroResp); phospholipid fatty acid analysis and nucleic acid fingerprinting methods. In relation to ecosystem functioning he is interested in the relationships between aboveground plant diversity and soil microbial diversity (MoorCo), the influence of phytochemistry on soil microbes (Probeco) and peatland restoration (RECIPE)

Colin's highlighted publications

• Use of soil fingerprinting approaches for ascertaining change over time., Dawson, L.; Hillier, S.; Duff, B.; Robertson, J.; Ross, J.; Brewer, M.; Mayes, R.W.; Towers, W.; Hudson, G.; Campbell, C., (In press) ASA, CSSA and SSSA 2010 International Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, 31st October - 4th November 2010.

• Microbial DNA profiling by multiplex terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism for forensic examination of soil evidence and the influence of sample condition., Macdonald, L.M.; Singh, B.K.; Thomas, N.; Brewer, M.; Campbell, C.D.; Dawson, L.A., (2008) Journal Applied Microbiology, 105, 813-821.

Colin's most recent publications

• Public engagement - How we make soils entertaining., Campbell, C.D.; Towers, W.; Dawson, L.A.; Coull, M.C., (In press) Proceeedings of the 19th World Congress of Soil Science, Brisbane, Australia, August 2010.

• Degradation of metalaxyl M in contrasting soils is influenced more by differences in physicochemical characteristics than in microbial community composition after reinoculation of sterilised soils, Baker, K.L.; Marshall, S.; Nicol, G.W.; Campbell, C.D.; Nicollier, G.; Ricketts, D.; Killham, K.; Prosser, J.I., (2010) Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42, 1123-1131.

• Degradation of yew, ragwort and rhododendron toxins during composting., Hough, R.L.; Crews, C.; White, D.; Driffield, M.; Campbell, C.D.; Maltin C., (2010) Science of the Total Environment, 408, 4128-4137.

• Research at the Macaulay to help protect and understand the nation's soils : Soil sampling, databases, fingerprinting, soil forensics (SoilFit), and examples of use., Hudson, G.; Dawson, L.A.; Campbell, C., (2010) Workshop on molecular databases and processing as applied to soils; Molecular structures as drivers and tracers of terrestrial C fluxes (MOLTER), Oslo, 20 May 2010.

• PSMs and the extended phenotype., Iason, G.R.; Moore, B.D.; Lennon, J.L.; Campbell, C.D.; Osler, G.; Stockan, J.; Russell, J.; O'Reilly-Wapstra, J., (2010) Plant Secondary Metabolites: their integrative role in ecosystems, British Ecological Society Symposium, University of Sussex, 12-14 April 2010. Oral presentation and abstract

• The ecological engineering impact of a single tree species on the soil microbial community., Mitchell, R.J.; Campbell, C.D.; Chapman, S.J.; Cameron, C.M., (2010) Journal of Ecology, 98, 50-61.

• Is vegetation composition or soil chemistry the best predictor of the soil microbe community?, Mitchell, R.J.; Hester, A.J.; Campbell, C.D.; Chapman, S.J.; Cameron, C.M.; Hewison, R.L.; Potts, J.M., (2010) Plant and Soil. Published online

• The influence of vegetation type, soil properties and precipitation on the composition of soil mite and microbial communities at the landscape scale., Nielsen, U.N.; Osler, G.H.R.; Campbell, C.D.; van der Wal, R.; Burslem, D.F.R.P., (2010) Journal of Biogeography, 37, 1317-1328.

• Considerations for Scottish soil monitoring in the European context., Aalders, I.H.; Ball, B.; Black, H.I.J.; Campbell, C.D.; Griffiths, B.; Hopkins, D.; Hough, R.L.; Lilly, A.; Mckenzie, B.; Rees, R.M.; Sinclair, A.; Towers, W.; Watson, C., (2009) European Journal of Soil Science, 60, 833-843.

• Long term repeated prescribed burning increases evenness in the basidiomycete laccase gene pool in forest soils., Artz, R.R.E.; Reid, E.; Anderson, I.C.; Campbell, C.D.; Cairney, J.W.G., (2009) FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 67, 397-410.