James McDonald is Professor of microbial ecology at Bangor University.

Current research themes include microbiome analysis of biomass-degrading microorganisms for biofuels and biotechnology, high-throughput methods for the detection of human pathogens in aquatic environments, and microbiome analysis of the complex tree disease, Acute Oak Decline.

His group applies a combination of microbiological culture techniques and contemporary ‘omics’ technologies (e.g. genomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics) to address these research themes.

Location: 2nd Floor ECW Building

Tel: +44 (0)1248 383077

Personal webpage: https://www.jamesmcdonaldlab.com/

  • PhD: Microbial Ecology
    Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Liverpool,
  • BSc: Microbiology with Industrial Experience
    University of Manchester,
I welcome enquiries from potential postgraduate researchers (MScRes, MPhil, PhD) on topics related to my group's research interests in microbiomes - viromes - tree health/forest pathology - plant biomass degradation - pathogen ecology - microbial ecology. Specific topics include: -Characterising the oak microbiome in health and disease -Cultivation and molelcular analysis of anaerobic biomass degrading microbiomes -Designing engineered microbiomes for biotechnology Current vacancies: Competitive PhD studentship on Armillaria honey fungus and tree health: http://www.envision-dtp.org/2019/what-lurks-beneath-unravelling-the-chemically-guided-ecological-interactions-of-armillaria-fungi-a-devastating-group-of-subterranean-forest-pathogens/

2025

2024

  • CyhoeddwydSoil metabolomics - current challenges and future perspectives
    Brown, R., Reay, M. K., Centler, F., Chadwick, D., Bull, I. D., McDonald, J., Evershed, R. P. & Jones, D. L., 1 Meh 2024, Yn: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 109382.
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

  • CyhoeddwydA communal catalogue reveals Earth's multiscale microbial diversity
    Thompson, L. R., Sanders, J. G., McDonald, D., Amir, A., Ladau, J., Locey, K. J., Prill, R. J., Tripathi, A., Gibbons, S. M., Ackermann, G., Navas-Molina, J. A., Janssen, S., Kopylova, E., Vazquez-Baeza, Y., Gonzalez, A., Morton, J. T., Mirarab, S., Xu, Z. Z., Jiang, L. & Haroon, M. F. & 283 eraill, Kanbar, J., Zhu, Q., Song, S. J., Kosciolek, T., Bokulich, N. A., Lefler, J., Brislawn, C. J., Humphrey, G., Owens, S. M., Hampton-Marcell, J., Berg-Lyons, D., McKenzie, V., Fierer, N., Fuhrman, J. A., Clauset, A., Stevens, R. L., Shade, A., Pollard, K. S., Goodwin, K. D., Jansson, J. K., Gilbert, J. A., Knight, R., Agosto Rivera, J. L., Al-Moosawi, L., Alverdy, J., Amato, K. R., Andras, J., Angenent, L. T., Antonopoulos, D. A., Apprill, A., Armitage, D., Ballantine, K., Bárta, J., Baum, J. K., Berry, A., Bhatnagar, A., Bhatnagar, M., Biddle, J. F., Bittner, L., Boldgiv, B., Bottos, E., Boyer, D. M., Braun, J., Brazelton, W., Brearley, F. Q., Campbell, A. H., Caporaso, J. G., Cardona, C., Carroll, J., Cary, S. C., Casper, B. B., Charles, T. C., Chu, H., Claar, D. C., Clark, R. G., Clayton, J. B., Clemente, J. C., Cochran, A., Coleman, M. L., Collins, G., Colwel, R. R., Contreras, M., Crary, B. B., Creer, S., Cristol, D. A., Crump, B. C., Cui, D., Daly, S. E., Davalos, L., Dawson, R. D., Defazio, J., Delsuc, F., Dionisi, H. M., Dominguez-Bello, M. G., Dowell, R., Dubinsky, E. A., Dunn, P. O., Ercolini, D., Espinoza, R. E., Ezenwa, V., Fenner, N., Findlay, H. S., Fleming, I. D., Fogliano, V., Forsman, A., Freeman, C., Friedman, E. S., Galindo, G., Garcia, L., Garcia-Amado, M. A., Garshelis, D., Gasser, R. B., Gerdts, G., Gibson, M. K., Gifford, I., Gill, R. T., Giray, T., Gittel, A., Golyshin, P., Gong, D., Grossart, H.-P., Guyton, K., Haig, S.-J., Hale, V., Hall, R. S., Hallam, S. J., Handley, K. M., Hasan, N. A., Haydon, S. R., Hickman, J. E., Hidalgo, G., Hofmockel, K. S., Hooker, J., Hulth, S., Hultman, J., Hyde, E., Ibáñez-Álamo, J. D., Jastrow, J. D., Jex, A. R., Johnson, L. S., Johnston, E. R., Joseph, S., Jurburg, S. D., Jurelevicius, D., Karlsson, A., Karlsson, R., Kauppinen, S., Kellogg, C. T. E., Kennedy, S. J., Kerkhof, L. J., King, G. M., Kling, G. W., Koehler, A. V., Krezalek, M., Kueneman, J., Lamendella, R., Landon, E. M., Lane-deGraaf, K., LaRoche, J., Larsen, P., Laverock, B., Lax, S., Lentino, M., Levin, I. I., Liancourt, P., Liang, W., Linz, A. M., Lipson, D. A., Liu, Y., Lladser, M. E., Lozada, M., Spirito, C. M., MacCormack, W. P., MacRae-Crerar, A., Magris, M., Martín-Platero, A. M., Martín-Vivaldi, M., Martínez, L. M., Martínez-Bueno, M., Marzinelli, E. M., Mason, O. U., Mayer, G. D., McDevitt-Irwin, J. M., McDonald, J., McGuire, K. L., McMahon, K. D., McMinds, R., Medina, M., Mendelson, J. R., Metcalf, J. L., Meyer, F., Michelangeli, F., Miller, K., Mills, D. A., Minich, J., Mocali, S., Moitinho-Silva, L., Moore, A., Morgan-Kiss, R. M., Munroe, P., Myrold, D., Neufeld, J. D., Ni, Y., Nicol, G. W., Nielsen, S., Nissimov, J. I., Niu, K., Nolan, M. J., Noyce, K., O’Brien, S. L., Okamoto, N., Orlando, L., Ortiz Castellano, Y., Osuolale, O., Oswald, W., Parnell, J., Peralta-Sánchez, J. M., Petraitis, P., Pfister, C., Pilon-Smits, E., Piombino, P., Pointing, S. B., Pollock, F. J., Potter, C., Prithiviraj, B., Quince, C., Rani, A., Ranjan, R., Rao, S., Rees, A. P., Richardson, M., Riebesell, U., Robinson, C., Rockne, K. J., Rodriguezl, S. M., Rohwer, F., Roundstone, W., Safran, R. J., Sangwan, N., Sanz, V., Schrenk, M., Schrenzel, M. D., Scott, N. M., Seger, R. L., Seguin-Orlando, A., Seldin, L., Seyler, L. M., Shakhsheer, B., Sheets, G. M., Shen, C., Shi, Y., Shin, H., Shogan, B. D., Shutler, D., Siegel, J., Simmons, S., Sjöling, S., Smith, D. P., Soler, J. J., Sperling, M., Steinberg, P. D., Stephens, B., Stevens, M. A., Taghavi, S., Tai, V., Tait, K., Tan, C. L., Tas, N., Taylor, D. L., Thomas, T., Timling, I., Turner, B. L., Urich, T., Ursell, L. K., van der Lelie, D., Van Treuren, W., van Zwieten, L., Vargas-Robles, D., Vega Thurber, R., Vitaglione, P., Walker, D. A., Walters, W. A., Wang, S., Wang, T., Weave, T., Webster, N. S., Wehrle, B., Weisenhorn, P., Weiss, S., Werner, J. J., West, K., Whitehead, A., Whitehead, S. R., Whittingham, L. A., Willerslev, E., Williams, A. E., Wood, S. A., Woodhams, D. C., Yang, Y., Zaneveld, J., Zarraonaindia, I., Zhang, Q. & Zhao, H., 23 Tach 2017, Yn: Nature. 551, 7681, t. 457-+
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydCritical Review on the Public Health Impact of Norovirus Contamination in Shellfish and the Environment: A UK Perspective
    Hassard, F., Sharp, J., Taft, H., Le Vay, L., Harris, J., McDonald, J., Tuson, K., Wilson, J., Jones, D. & Malham, S., Meh 2017, Yn: Food and Environmental Virology. 9, 2, t. 123-141
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydEvaluation of Molecular Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Pathogen-Derived Nucleic Acids in Sediment
    Farkas, K., Hassard, F., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D., 24 Ion 2017, Yn: Frontiers in Microbiology. 6, t. 1-12 53.
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydEvaluation of Two Triplex One-Step qRT-PCR Assays for the Quantification of Human Enteric Viruses in Environmental Samples
    Farkas, K., Peters, D. E., McDonald, J., de Rougemont, A., Malham, S. & Jones, D., Medi 2017, Yn: Food and Environmental Virology. 9, 3, t. 342-349
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydFifty important research questions in microbial ecology
    Antwis, R. E., Griffiths, S. M., Harrison, X. A., Aranega-Bou, P., Arce, A., Bettridge, A. S., Brailsford, F., de Menezes, A., Devaynes, A., Forbes, K. M., Fry, E. L., Goodhead, I., Haskell, E., Heys, C., James, C., Johnston, S. R., Lewis, G. R., Lewis, Z., Macey, M. C. & McCarthy, A. & 9 eraill, McDonald, J., Mejia-Florez, N. L., O'Brien, D., Orland, C., Pautasso, M., Reid, W. D. K., Robinson, H. A., Wilson, K. & Sutherland, W. J., Mai 2017, Yn: Fems Microbiology Ecology. 93, 5, fix044.
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydIdentification of Armillaria species on declined oak in Britain: implications for oak health
    Denman, S., Barrett, G., Kirk, S. A., McDonald, J. & Coetzee, M. P. A., 7 Ion 2017, Yn: Forestry. 90, 1, t. 148-161
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydLignocellulose-Degrading Microbial Communities in Landfill Sites Represent a Repository of Unexplored Biomass- Degrading Diversity Emma
    Ransom-Jones, E., McCarthy, A., Haldenby, S., Doonan, J. & McDonald, J., Awst 2017, Yn: mSphere. 2, 4, e00300.
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydMultilocus sequence typing provides insights into the population structure and evolutionary potential of Brenneria goodwinii, associated with acute oak decline
    Kaczmarek, M., Mullett, M. S., McDonald, J. & Denman, S., 1 Meh 2017, Yn: PLoS ONE. 12, 6, e0178390.
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydPhysicochemical Factors Influence the Abundance and Culturability of Human Enteric Pathogens and Fecal Indicator Organisms in Estuarine Water and Sediment
    Hassard, F., Andrews, A., Jones, D. L., Parsons, L., Jones, V., Cox, B. A., Daldorph, P., Brett, H., McDonald, J. & Malham, S., Hyd 2017, Yn: Frontiers in Microbiology. 8, 1996.
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydSubtle shifts in microbial communities occur alongside the release of carbon induced by drought and rewetting in contrasting peatland ecosystems
    Potter, C., Freeman, C., Golyshin, P., Ackerman, G., Fenner, N., McDonald, J., Ehbair, A., Jones, T., Murphy, L. & Creer, S., Medi 2017, Yn: Scientific Reports. 7, 11314.
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
  • CyhoeddwydTaxonomy and identification of bacteria associated with acute oak decline
    Brady, C., Arnold, D., McDonald, J. & Denman, S., Gorff 2017, Yn: World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 33, 7, t. 143
    Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl adolygu › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2010

2009

2008

2022

  • BU-IIA Funded Project: Exploring technology transfer options for microbial bioaugmentation of anaerobic waste biomass conversion to biogas

    The overarching aim of this application is to build on our current work on the EU SYNBIOGAS project which is developing engineered microbial communities to enhance waste biomass conversion to biomass. This proposal, which will fund additional plant-scale bioaugmentation of anaerobic digestion processes and techno-economic assessment of the bioprocess, enables us to increase our research activity at TRL6 and build a roadmap for technology adoption by our industrial partners. The project will facilitate applications for follow-on-funding, generate REF-relevant impact and provide possibilities for commercialisation. The project aligns directly with the University’s Strategy 2030 and the RWIF strategic priorities. 

    Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £42,055

    1 Ebr 2022 – 31 Maw 2023

    Gweithgaredd: Arall (Cyfrannwr)