Newcastle University

Introduction

I joined Newcastle as a Demonstrator in 1976 and after a period (1981-1984) as a BBSRC Research Fellow (partly held at the University of California, Riverside) I was appointed to Lectureship in Botany in 1984, with responsibility for primarily for teaching cell structure and phycology. My long-standing research interests are studying aquatic fungi and I am also interested in the biology and development of algae and their parasites. My international contribution to mycology was recognised in 2009 with my award of Honorary Membership of the American Mycological Society, an honour reserved for distinguised overseas mycologists.

I served as the degree programme director for Biology of Plants and Animals degree programme from 1994 until 2004 and was Undergraduate Admissions tutor for Biology from 2004-2009. I am currently DPD for Biology (C100) and Biology (Ecology and Conservation) (C180) degree programmes (from 2009). I have acted as the co-ordinator for Biological Sciences stream for the widening participation "Partners" programme since it was introduced in 2001.

Roles and Responsibilities

Undergraduate Admissions Tutor 2004-2009
Member of Partners Steering Group (since 2001)
Member of School Teaching and Learning advisory board
DPD for Biology Degree 1991-2004 2009-presnt
Chairman BoS in Biology 2002-2004
Member of Biomedical EM Lab user group

Qualifications

First Degree: B.Sc Hons (lst Class) ARCSc. Botany & Plant Technology (June 1971).
Awards: 1st Year Scholarship (1968/69); Forbes Memorial Medal (1971).
Postgraduate Degree: Ph.D. (Lond.) DIC (Aug. 1976).

Previous Positions

1998 to present. Reader in Developmental Mycology (August 1998-present) Department of Biological and Nutritional Sciences, The University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
1984-1998: Lecturer in Biology (October 1984 -July 1998). Department of Biological and Nutritional Sciences, The University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU.
1981-1984: SERC Advanced Research Fellow (June 1981 - Sept. 1984). Department of Plant Pathology, University of California at Riverside (Sept 82-Sept 83) and above.
1976-1981 Senior Demonstrator (April 1976 - April 1981). Department of Plant Biology, The University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU.
1974-1976 Junior Demonstrator (Sept. 1974 - April 1976). Department of Biology, University of Keele, Staffordshire.

Memberships

British Mycological Society (1976)Council Member 1988-1997 (Membership Secretary for 5 years).
American Mycological Society (1988). Elected as Honorary Member 2009
Royal Microscopical Society (1979-2001);
British Phycological Society (1985-presnt)
Society for General Microbiology (1984-2004);
Freshwater Biological Association (1986-2008)

Informal Interests

I am a respected photographer of natural history subjects and lecture widely to groups throughout NE on topics such as Wild Fungi, Microscopy and Plants and Algae.

I run adult education courses on Wild Fungi (for Sunderland University and Newcastle College). Have run continuing education courses on Plant Photography, Seaweeds and Freshwater algae; Microscopes and Microscopy.

Research Interests

Electron microscopist and fungal and algal cell biologist.
I am interested in the phylogeny and modes of infection of oomycete parasites of marine algae, nematodes and fish and in chytrid and parasites of algae and nematodes.
Using laser confocal microscopy in conjunction with vital stains to visualize live algal cells.

Current Work

1. Evolutionary Phylogeny of Oomycete Fungi
The objective of this research project is to clarify the evolutionary origins of the economically important oomycete 'fungi'. Previous work on simple holocarpic parasites of nematodes (funded by Leverhulme Trust) has shown that these organisms are structurally diverse and almost certainly not part a monophyletic lineage. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies carried out in collaboration with Dr Claire Gachon, SAMS Oban, Marco Thines, Honneheim, Dr S L Glockling and Dr Tim James, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, has confirmed this. Phylogenies based upon the small ribosomal subunit gene has shown that the problematic genus Haptoglossa forms, together with the marine species Eurychasma, the earliest branching clade to the oomycete lineage.
Other holocarpic nematode parasites such as Chlamydomyzium and Myzocytiopsis spp. form separate clades within the two main oomycete sub-orders. Work is in progress comparing morphology and cell structure amongst the early branching marine genera and Haptoglossa (in conjunction with Satoshi Sekimoto and Daiske Honda, Konan University).

2. Molecular taxonomy of Botryococcus braunii.
This green, colonial alga is of interest because of its ability to synthesise and secrete hydrocarbons, as well as its historic importance as the origins of many coal and petroleum deposits. We have shown that Botrycoccus is a member of the Trebouxiophyceae and forms the sister clade to a unicellular nanoplankter, Chloricystis. We have collaborated closely on this project with Prof Pierre Metzger,CNRS, Paris who has provided us with many of the isolates that we used and has carried out lipid analyses on our uncharacterised isolates. We have shown that the main biochemical races, map closely on molecular clades but these bear little relation to species defined by classical morphological descriptions. We are in the process of trying to re-define the classification and nomeclature used for what clearly is a species complex.

Future Research

1. It is hoped to further clarify relationships amongst the basal oomycete fungi, by broadening both taxon sampling and number of genes sequenced, so that a robust multigene phylogeny of this important group can be established.

Postgraduate Supervision

1 current PhD Student (Alanoud Rawdhan) on iPhD programme.

One of my past PhD students was awarded Manton Prize of Linnean Society for best national PhD thesis in 'Plant Sciences' in 1997.

International and National Esteem Indicators

I have been invided to participate and take a lead co-ordinating role in an initiative launced by "Frontiers in Plant Science" to lead a forum related to oomycete phylogeny and evolution (April 2012) as a topic recognized by this on-line publishing organisation as a topic of international importance as a result of recent review articles that I have written.

I have been invited to bea member of the international subcommittee dealing with taxonoic and nomenclatural aspects of Oomycete fungi under the auspices of International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi. (April 2012). 

I am one of the two external assessors on the Advisory Board of an EU Funded "SAPRO project" (Sustainable Approaches to Reduce Oomycete (Saprolegnia) Infections in Aquaculture) which is a Marie Curie Initial Training Network funded by the European Commission (EC) under Framework Program 7. (2010-2014). I have been invited to give one of the plenary lectures at the final conference for this project in Aberdeen, September 2013.

I am co-editor (with Prof Pieter Van West) on a special issue of Fungal Biology devoted to Saprolegnia parasitica, to co-incide with the public release of the full genome sequence of this important fish pathogen.

Elected as Honorary Member of Mycological Society of America, July 2009

Invited to participate in TOLWEB workshop on Protist Diversity, Halifax Nova Scotia, July 2008.

I serve on the advisory panel of an NSF funded 'Tree of Life' project the Evolutionary Phylogeny of Heterokont Algae (PI Dr RA Andersen) (awarded 2006).

Served on Plant and Microbial Sciences Review Panel of Reseach Institute Staff (2001/2).

Editorial Board member of Mycological Research (1993-1998; 2008-present) and formerly of the Mycologist (1994-1998).

Invited lectures at International Symposia
"A brief history of nearly everything about chytrids" 8th Internatinal Mycological Congress, Cairns Aug 06.
"Sexless pistols: the enigmatic life history and infection process of the zoosporic nematode pathogen, Haptoglossa". 7th International Mycological Congress, Oslo, Norway. August 2002
"An historical overview of biflagellate fungal diversity based upon morphological and structural information". "The use of computer assisted learning programmes in the teaching of mycology and microscopy". 3rd Asia-Pacific Mycological Congress on Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Kunming, China. November 2002.
"The seven ages of Salomon Bartnick-Garcia" Invited introductory biography of honoured keynote speaker. "Infection strategies shown by zoosporic fungal parasites of nematodes".
7th International Fungal Biology Conference, Guanajuato, Mexico. December 2002.
"The evolutionary phylogeny of oomycete fungi" 8th International Marine and Freshwater Mycology Symposium, Chiang Mai, Thailand. November 2004.

Invited Research Seminars
"Infection strategies in zoosporic fungal parasites of nematodes". CABI Biosciences, Egham Surrey. July 2001.
"Enigmatic superguns." Departmental Seminar, City University Hong Kong, November 2002.
"My fungi and other animals - the evolutionary origins of fungi and fungal-like organisms." School Seminar, Biological Sciences, Birmingham, November 2003.
"Grappling irons to superguns - a microscopic search for weapons of fungal mass destruction." Invited Annual M.C. Cooke lecture to Queckett Microscopical Club, Natural History Museum, July 2004

Funding

The work has been funded by NERC, Leverhulme Trust and MAFF.

Industrial Relevance

Studies on fish pathogens will be of use in control of these organisms and is of importance to Scottish fish farming industry.

Botryococcus may in future be exploited as a source of biofuel.

Projects

• Microbial interactions with the reef coral holobiont
  Project Leader(s): Michael sweet
  Investigation into the controls on bacterial community development and organisation on the surface mucus layer (SML) of reef corals.
• Microbial interactions with the reef coral holobiont
  Project Leader(s): Michael Sweet

Undergraduate Teaching

Stage 1
BIO1001 Cell Biology (Module Leader)
BIO1004 Microbiology
BIO1007 Plant Biology I
MST1009 Marine Primary Producers

Stage 2
BIO2003 Field Identification Skills - Fungi (unit leader)
BIO2004 Plant Biology 2
BIO2017 Microbiology 2 (Module leader)
MST2005 Biological Oceanography
ACE2031 Animal Parasitology

Stage 3
BIO3023 Plant Pathology
BIO3032 Cell Biology 2
BIO3022 Residential Field Course (Kielder)
BIO3095 Biological Information Project (Module Leader)
BIO3094 Biological Review (Module leader)

• Greenville-Biggs LJ, Horner NR, Phillips AJ, Beakes GW, Van West P. A family of small tyrosine rich proteins is essential for oogonial and oospore cell wall development of the mycoparasitic oomycete Pythium oligandrum. Fungal Biology 2013, 117(3), 163-172.
• Bruno DW, VanWest P, Beakes GW. Saprolegnia and other oomycetes. In: Woo PTK; Bruno DW, ed. Fish Diseases and Disorders: Volume 3: Viral, Bacterial and Fungal Infections, 2nd Edition. Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI International, 2011, pp.669-720.
• Sato S, Beakes G, Idei M, Nagumo T, Mann DG. Novel Sex Cells and Evidence for Sex Pheromones in Diatoms. PLoS One 2011, 6(10), e26923.
• Beakes GW, Glockling SL, Sekimoto S. The evolutionary phylogeny of the oomycete "fungi". Protoplasma 2011, 249(1), 3-19.
• Levesque CA, Brouwer H, Cano L, Hamilton JP, Holt C, Huitema E, Raffaele S, Robideau GP, Thines M, Win J, Zerillo MM, Beakes GW, Boore JL, Busam D, Dumas B, Ferriera S, Fuerstenberg SI, Gachon CMM, Gaulin E, Govers F, Grenville-Briggs L, Horner N, Hostetler J, Jiang RHY, Johnson J, Krajaejun T, Lin HN, Meijer HJG, Moore B, Morris P, Phuntmart V, Puiu D, Shetty J, Stajich JE, Tripathy S, Wawra S, van West P, Whitty BR, Coutinho PM, Henrissat B, Martin F, Thomas PD, Tyler BM, De Vries RP, Kamoun S, Yandell M, Tisserat N, Buell CR. Genome sequence of the necrotrophic plant pathogen Pythium ultimum reveals original pathogenicity mechanisms and effector repertoire. Genome Biology 2010, 11(7), R73.
• Sekimoto S, Klochkova TA, West JA, Beakes GW, Honda D. Olpidiopsis bostrychiae sp. nov.: an endoparasitic oomycete that infects Bostrychia and other red algae (Rhodophyta). Phycologia 2009, 48(6), 460-472.
• Beakes GW, Sekimoto S. The evolutionary phylogeny of oomycetes - insights gained from studies of holocarpic parasites of algae and invertebrates. In: Lamour K; Kamoun S, ed. Oomycete Genetics and Genomics: Diversity, inteactions and research tools. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Blackwell, 2009, pp.1-24.
• Sekimoto S, Beakes GW, Gachon CMM, Muller DG, Kupper FC, Honda D. The Development, Ultrastructural Cytology, and Molecular Phylogeny of the Basal Oomycete Eurychasma dicksonii, Infecting the Filamentous Phaeophyte Algae Ectocarpus siliculosus and Pylaiella littoralis. Protist 2008, 159(2), 299-318.
• Beakes GW. All things bright and beautiful: The hidden cosmos of microscopic planktonic algae. In: Seckbach, J, ed. Life As We Know It. Berlin Heidelberg New York: Springer, 2006, pp.685-700.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. An ultrastructural study of development and reproduction in the nematode parasite Myzocytiopsis vermicola. Mycologia 2006, 98(1), 1-15.
• Rezaeian M, Beakes GW, Chaudhry AS. Effect of feeding chopped and pelleted lucerne on rumen fungal mass, fermentation profiles and in sacco degradation of barley straw in sheep. Animal Feed Science and Technology 2006, 128(3-4), 292-306.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. Structural and developmental studies of Chlamydomyzium oviparasiticum from Rhabditis nematodes and in culture. Mycological Research 2006, 110(9), 1119-1126.
• Beakes GW, Glockling SL, James TY. The diversity of oomycete pathogens of nematodes and its implications to our understanding of oomycete phylogeny. In: 8th International Mycological Congress. 2006, Cairns, Australia: Medimond s.r.l.
• Rezaeian M, Beakes GW, Chaudhry AS. Relative fibrolytic activities of anaerobic rumen fungi on untreated and sodium hydroxide treated barley straw in in vitro culture. Anaerobe 2005, 11(3), 163-175.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. Corrigendum to “Ultrastructural morphogenesis of dimorphic arcuate infection (gun) cells of Haptoglossa erumpens an obligate parasite of Bunonema nematodes” [Fung. Genet. Biol. 37 (2002) 250–262]. Fungal Genetics and Biology 2004, 41(11), 1052-1052.
• Rezaeian M, Beakes GW, Parker DS. Distribution and estimation of anaerobic zoosporic fungi along the digestive tracts of sheep. Mycological Research 2004, 108(10), 1227-1233.
• Beakes GW. Grappling irons to super guns: a microscopic search for fungal weapons of mass destruction. The 2004 M C Cooke lecture. Quekett Journal of Microscopy 2004, 39, 741-753.
• Rezaeian M, Beakes GW, Parker DS. Methods for the isolation, culture and assessment of the status of anaerobic rumen chytrids in both in vitro and in vivo systems. Mycological Research 2004, 108(10), 1215-1226.
• Senousy HH, Beakes GW, Hack E. Phylogenetic placement of Botryococcus braunii (Trebouxiophyceae) and Botryococcus sudeticus isolate UTEX 2629 (Chlorophyceae). Journal of Phycology 2004, 40(2), 412-423.
• Beakes GW. A picture is worth a thousand words. A personal view of using images in the teaching of the biological sciences. Bioscience Education Journal 2003, 1(1), 15.
• Beakes GW. Lower fungi: a review of microscopical techniques for the taxonomic and ecological the study zoosporic freshwater fungi. In: Tsui, C.K.M., Hyde, K.D, ed. Freshwater Mycology. Hong Kong: Fungal Diversity Press, 2003, pp.51-80.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. Ultrastructural morphogenesis of dimorphic arcuate infection (gun) cells of Haptoglossa erumpens an obligate parasite of Bunonema nematodes. Fungal Genetics and Biology 2002, 37(3), 250-262.
• Lilley JH, Beakes GW, Hetherington CS. Characterization of Aphanomyces invadans isolates using pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS). Mycoses 2001, 44(9-10), 383-389.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. Two new species of Haptoglossa from N.E. England, H. northumbrica and H. polymorpha. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 2001, 136(3), 329-338.
• Glocking SL, Beakes GW. Two new species of Haptoglossa from north-east England. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 2001, 136(3), 329-338.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. A review of the taxonomy, biology and infection strategies of "biflagellate holocarpic" parasites of nematodes. Fungal Diversity 2000, 4, 1-20.
• Beakes GW, Glockling SL. An ultrastructural analysis of organelle arrangement during gun (infection) cell differentiation in the nematode parasite Haptoglossa dickii. Mycological Research 2000, 104(10), 1258-1269.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. An ultrastructural study of sporidium formation during infection of a rhabditid nematode by large gun cells of Haptoglossa heteromorpha. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 2000, 76(3), 208-215.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. The ultrastructure of the dimorphic infection cells of Haptoglossa heteromorpha illustrates the developmental plasticity of infection apparatus structures in a nematode parasite. Canadian Journal of Botany 2000, 78(8), 1095-1107.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. Two new species of Haptoglossa, H. erumpens and H. dickii, infecting nematodes in cow manure. Mycological Research 2000, 104(1), 100-106.
• Glockling SL, Beakes GW. Video microscopy of spore development in Haptoglossa heteromorpha, a new species from cow dung. Mycologia 2000, 92(4), 747-753.
• Beakes GW, Cleary AL. Visualization of plastids and lipophilic components in living colonies of a wild strain of the hydrocarbon-forming green alga Botryococcus by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Journal of Applied Phycology 1998, 10(5), 435-446.