Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
- Environmental Microbiology
- Eco-toxicology
- Soil & Water Quality
- Antibiotic resistance in the environment
Microorganisms are omnipresent and capable of impacting the entire biosphere. They, especially the bacteria, are highly diverse in terms of structure and function, and they can play a major role in cycling of nutrients, remediation of contamination, and public health. My research interest involves the integration of state-of-the-art microbiological measurement technologies and ecological principles into the realm of environmental protection and sustainability.
Some on-going projects:
Team DAGGAR - Dangerous and Growing Globally, Antimicrobial Resistance.
Work related to antimicrobial resistance evolved from pharmaceutical eco-toxicology with the development of microbial-community endpoints. This work resulted in international exposure and award-winning publications. International collaborations include researchers and government/policy agencies in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Cuba, Denmark and The Netherlands. Research focus has been to quantitatively measure resistance genes and antibiotics in the environment; it extends previous qualitative observations to a predictive level aimed at solving practical problems. The investigations of PEC (pollutants of emerging concern) continue, as it remains a contemporary international problem.
Team ARMOR – Antimicrobial Resistance May Offer Resilience? (stability and resilience of microbial communities and performance during pollution stress).
Microbial community dynamics are examined in response to contaminant exposure in engineered bioreactors. The research endeavours to find processes that are ecologically resilient and economically robust to avoid major investment in a new (or upgraded) treatment process as new regulations emerge.
GR-AMS - Greco-Roman Antimicrobial Minerals. Multi-disciplinary, collaborative project.
Teaching Interests
Management roles:
Courses taught:
- Water & Wastewater Treatment Design (CL447 + CL978)
- Principles of Environmental Microbiology (CL430 + CL948)
- Pollution and the Rehabilitation of Degraded Ecosystems (CL431 + EV908)
- Independent Study in Collaboration with Industry (CL973, contributor)
Awards:
- 2018 - Teaching Excellence Awards, nominated
- 2016 - Teaching Excellence Awards, shortlisted Best in Faculty.
- 2015 - Teaching Excellence Awards, shortlisted Best in Faculty.
- 2015 - Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- 2014 - Teaching Excellence Awards, shortlisted Overall Best Supportive Teacher
International courses
- Gdansk University of Technology (Poland), Inter-Applied Chemistry (2020)
- Rajamangala University of Technology-Krungthep (Thailand), International School (2020)
- Gdansk University of Technology (Poland, 2018)
- Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Department of Civil Engineering (India, 2017)
- Gdansk University of Technology (Poland, 2014-15)
Academic / Professional qualifications
Work Experience
- 2018 to current, Reader University of Strathclyde
- 2009 to 2018, Senior Lecturer, University of Strathclyde
- 2006 to 2009, Senior Researcher, Newcastle University, England
- 2006, PDRA, Dept. Geological Sciences, The University of Kansas, USA
- 2002 to 2006, Researcher/instructor; CEAE, The University of Kansas, USA
Additional Qualifications:
- 2015 - Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Expertise & Capabilities
Research themes:
- Antibiotic resistance in the environment
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Susceptibility assays
- Biological indicators of environmental pollution
- Microbiological community stability in engineered and natural systems
- Eco-toxicology, bioremediation
- Outdoor, microcosm/mesocosm experimental systems
Routine research services
- DNA/RNA analyses
- PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
- Genetic probe design (primer design)
- Community analysis (sequencing, DGGE)
- Biological assessments of soil, sediment and water
- Molecular and microbiological techniques
- Phytoplankton, algae
- Bacteria
- Micro-invertebrates
- Water quality monitoring
- Soil quality determinations
- Wastewater analysis
Advance Statistics
- Descriptor / inferential
- Multi-parametric analyses
- Non-parametric analyses
- Community analyses
Personal Statement
Dr. Knapp is Director of Postgraduate Studies and Distance Learning, and active researcher in the "Water, Environment, Sustainability and Public Health" (WESP) research centre.
Think you can live without microbes? Wanna take that challenge?
Microorganisms are omnipresent and capable of impacting the entire biosphere. They, especially the bacteria, are highly diverse in terms of structure and function, and they can play a major role in cycling of nutrients, remediation of contamination, and public health. Unfortunately, many people often overlook the ecological interactions within the microbial communities that support the process. Understanding these interactions require knowledge of the distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions in an environmental setting. Further, it requires analytical tools to examine microbial organisms in an effective and timely fashion. Fortunately, high throughput culture-independent molecular methods are allowing researchers to quantitatively monitor these interactions. My research interest involves the integration of state-of-the-art microbiological measurement technologies and ecological principles into the realm of environmental protection and sustainability.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Kansas
Award Date: 1 Jan 2002
Master of Science, University of Kansas
Award Date: 1 Jan 1999
Bachelor of Science, University of Kansas
Award Date: 1 Jan 1994
External positions
Research Associate - EU Marie Curie funded, Newcastle University
1 Oct 2006 → 31 Jan 2009Research Associate, University of Kansas
1 Sep 2002 → 30 Sep 2006Keywords
- wastewater treatment
- bioremediation
- pollution control
- pharmaceutical contamination
- antimicrobial resistance
- antibiotic resistance
- microbiology
- molecular ecology
- microbial ecology
- limnology
- water quality
- molecular biology
- DNA analysis
- RNA analysis
- traditional medicines
- bioinformatics
Fingerprint
- 3 Similar Profiles
Network
Projects
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Scotland-India Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment Network (SIAMREN)
23/10/20 → 30/06/21
Project: Research
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Identification of sensor targets for low cost soil fertility assessment
Ward, A., Corrigan, D. & Knapp, C.
Royal Academy of Engineering RAE
9/03/20 → 8/03/21
Project: Research
Research Output
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Bridging the gaps: Bole and terra sigillata as artefacts, as simples and as antibacterial clays
Venieri, D., Gounaki, I., Christidis, G. E., Knapp, C. W., Bouras-Vallianatos, P. & Photos-Jones, E., 14 Apr 2020, In: Minerals. 10, 4, 11 p., 348.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure) -
Environmental impacts of decommissioning: onshore versus offshore wind farms
Hall, R., João, E. & Knapp, C. W., 31 Jul 2020, In: Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 83, 18 p., 106404.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Datasets
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Antibiotic resistance genes found in soils across the entire Scottish landscape (2007-10)
Knapp, C. (Creator), Graham, D. W. (Contributor), Freitag, T. (Contributor), Pagaling, E. (Contributor), Hough, R. (Contributor), Avery, L. (Contributor), Zhu, Y. (Contributor), Su, J. (Contributor) & Zhou, X. (Contributor), 31 Jan 2020
DOI: 10.5285/d3498e93-4ac5-4eab-bc1a-eb2328771d24
Dataset
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Community antimicrobial resistance genes and concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals in NE England soils (2016)
Knapp, C. (Creator), Graham, D. W. (Creator), Cooke, M. (Creator), McCann, C. (Creator), Zhu, Y. (Contributor) & Su, J. (Contributor), 31 Jan 2020
DOI: 10.5285/35b49db6-8522-4c6b-a779-820268292603, http://doi.org/10.5285/35b49db6-8522-4c6b-a779-820268292603
Dataset
Prizes
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Researcher Development Programme Supervisor, 2017-18 - Nominated
Knapp, Charles (Recipient), 19 Jun 2018
Prize: Other distinction
-
Teaching Excellence Awards (2014) -- Shortlisted "Best Overall Supportive Teacher"
Knapp, Charles (Recipient), 2014
Prize: Other distinction
Activities
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Invited Lectures: Wastewater & water treatment: water resource management
Charles Knapp (Speaker)
7 Oct 2020 → 9 Oct 2020Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Gdańsk University of Technology
Charles Knapp (Visiting researcher)
Oct 2020 → Dec 2020Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution