Dr Elizabeth Watkin

Fields of Interest

Environmental microbiology, Microbial ecology

Current Projects

Microbial population dynamics in biomining systems.
Metaproteomics: a method to unveil functional microbial activity in mining biotechnologies funded by Minerals Down Under Flagship Collaborative Research program.
The diversity of the root nodule bacteria of Western Australian indigenous legumes.
Development of Root Nodule Bacteria Inoculatant for Acacia acuminata as a host for Santalum spicatum plantations.

Also see Environmental Microbiology

Biography

PhD (Microbial ecology), Murdoch University, 1998.
Postdoctoral research fellowship, CSIRO-Plant Industry, Canberra, 1998.
Postdoctoral research fellowship, Centre for Rhizobium Studies, Murdoch University, 1999.
Lecturer in microbiology, Curtin University, 2002.
Senior lecturer in microbiology, Curtin University, 2006.

Selected publications

• Watling, H.R., Watkin E.L.J. and Ralph D.E. (2010). The resilience and versatility of acidophiles that contribute to the bio-assisted extraction of metals from mineral sulphides. Environmental Technology. In press.
• Mutch, L.A., Watling, H.R. and Watkin E.LJ. (2010).Microbial population dynamics of inoculated low-grade chalcopyrite bioleaching columns. Hydrometallurgy. In press.
• Zammit, C.M., Mutch, L.A., Watling, H.R. and Watkin E.LJ. (2009). Nucleic acid extraction from biomining microorganisms. Advanced Materials Research 71-73: 159-162.
• Zammit, C.M., Mutch, L.A., Watling, H.R. and Watkin E.LJ. (2009). The characterization of salt tolerance in biomining microorganisms and the search for novel salt tolerant strains. Advanced Materials Research 71-73: 283-286.
• Watkin E.L.J., Keeling, S.E., Perrot, F.A., Shiers, D.W., Palmer, M.-L., and Watling, H.R. (2009) Metals Tolerance in Moderately Thermophilic Isolates from a Spent Copper Sulfide Heap, closely related to Acidithiobacillus caldus, Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 36:461-465.
• Zammit, C.M., Mutch, L.A., Watling, H.R. & Watkin, E.L.J. (2008) Evaluation of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for enumeration of biomining microorganisms in culture. Hydrometallurgy 94:185-189
• Mutch, L.A., Watkin, E.L.J. & Watling, H.R. (2007). Analysis of the microbial community in the leachate collected from an experimental bioleaching column by cloning and RFLP. Advanced Materials Research. 20-21, 485-488
• Keeling, S.E., Davies, K.L., Palmer, M-L., Townsend, D.E., Watkin, E.L.J., Johnson, J.A. and Watling, H.R. (2006) Utilisation of native microbes from a spent chalcocite test heap. Hydrometallurgy 83:124-131.