• Research Interests
• Brief Biography
• Teaching and Learning
• Publications
• Studentships
• Research Income
• Conference Presentations

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Research Interests

• Organic and petroleum geochemistry
• Environmental organic geochemistry
• Application of GC and GC-MS, in conjunction with the biological marker concept, to problem solving in a wider context
• Graph theoretical calculations and their application to geochemically interesting compounds
• Computer applications in organic geochemistry

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Brief History

I obtained my Ph.D. in organic geochemistry from the University of Bristol in 1985, having worked in the Organic Geochemistry Unit under the direction of Professor J.R. Maxwell. In January 1986, I moved to the School of Geology & Geophysics, University of Oklahoma to work with Professor R.P. Philp on the petroleum geochemistry of the Anadarko Basin. The southern hemisphere beckoned and, in April 1988, I moved on to the Department of Applied Chemistry, Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia. Whilst there, I worked with Professor R. Alexander and Professor R.I. Kagi (Centre for Petroleum and Environmental Organic Geochemistry) on the alkylbiphenyl geochemistry of the Canning Basin and the analysis of halocarbon contamination in the potable water supplies of Perth. In December 1989 I returned to the U.K. and, in February 1990, I was offered a BP EMRA by Professor S.J. Rowland in, as it was then, the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth. We applied a mass balance approach to the early diagenesis of organic matter in offshore Peru sediments and observed the formation of a fraction we called "uncharacterised" on a short time-scale. After completing the EMRA, I stayed in Plymouth and accepted the post of Scientific Officer in the Petroleum and Environmental Geochemistry Group (PEGG). In the summer of 2000 I was offered and accepted a Senior Lectureship in the School of Environmental Sciences, now the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SoGEES). In August 2006, as a result of the implementation of the "National Framework Agreement for the Modernisation of Pay Structures", this was regraded to a Lectureship, although in September 2008 I gained promotion to Senior Lecturer.

I am a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, The Geochemical Society, the British Mass Spectrometry Society and the European Association of Organic Geochemists. Between September 2001 and September 2009 I was on the board of the EAOG as the Membership and Website Officer.

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Teaching and Learning

I teach mainly on the Chemical Sciences Scheme within the Centre for Chemical Sciences, which includes a significant proportion of the organic chemistry in Stage 1 and 2 (theory and practical). In addition, I teach much of the Stage 1 information technology material (including amongst other topics, instruction on software packages, molecular modelling, web resources and web page construction) and in the past have discussed chemoinformatics in a Stage 3 module. I am the module leader for Stage 1 and Stage 2 modules and the Stage 3 chemistry project module. I am the Stage 3 Tutor for the Chemical Sciences Scheme. In January 2004 I became the Programme Manager for the Chemical Sciences Scheme, a post that I held until September 2007. In September 2016 I took over this role again.

On the Environmental Science Scheme, I deliver a short course on three selected anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs), specifically benzo[a]pyrene, pentabromodiphenyl ether and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, as part of a Stage 1 module. In the past, I have taught part of a Stage 2 chemical and biological oceanography module (I discussed the flux of and processes affecting natural organic matter in the marine environment) and tutored on data analysis and interpretation as part of a Stage 2 research skills module. I was the module leader for the Stage 3 environmental science research project module from September 2008 until June 2016. For the M.Sc. in Applied Marine Sciences I discussed aspects of the flux, budget and fate of POPs, e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs).

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Recent Publications

My refereed publications since 1996 are listed below (reverse chronological) and my 'My Citations' page from Google Scholar provides additional bibliographic metrics. See also my ORCiD and ResearcherID numbers.

Published

• Scarlett, A.G., Clough, R., West, C.E., Lewis, C.A., Booth, A.M. and Rowland, S.J. (2011) Alkylnaphthalenes: Priority pollutants or minor contributors to the poor health of marine mussels? Environmental Science & Technology 45, 6160-6166. [doi: 10.1021/es201234a].
• Booth, A.M., Scarlett, A.G., Lewis, C.A., Belt, S.T. and Rowland, S.J. (2008) Unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs) of aromatic hydrocarbons: Branched alkyl indanes and branched alkyl tetralins are present in UCMs and accumulated by and toxic to, the mussel Mytilus edulis. Environmental Science & Technology 42, 8122-8126. [doi: 10.1021/es801601x].
• Smith, B.E., Lewis, C.A., Belt, S.T., Whitby, C. and Rowland, S.J. (2008) Effects of alkyl chain branching on the biotransformation of naphthenic acids. Environmental Science & Technology 42, 9323-9328. [doi: 10.1021/es801922p].
• Booth, A.M., Aitken, C., Jones, D.M., Lewis, C.A., and Rowland, S.J. (2007) Resistance of toxic alkylcyclohexyltetralins to biodegradation by aerobic bacteria. Organic Geochemistry 38, 540-550. [doi: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2006.12.008].
• Booth, A., Sutton, P.A., Lewis, C.A., Lewis, A.C., Scarlett, A., Wing Chau, Widdows, J. and Rowland, S.J. (2007) Unresolved complex mixtures of aromatic hydrocarbons: Thousands of overlooked persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic contaminants in mussels. Environmental Science & Technology 41, 457-464. [doi: 10.1021/es0615829].
  This publication was featured on the ACS Publications website as one of the Most-Cited Articles published in 2007 and cited through the period ending 31 December 2007. Most-Cited Articles listed are based on data from Thomson Web of Science®.
• Smith, B.E., Sutton, P.A., Lewis, C.A., Dunsmore, B., Fowler, G., Krane, J., Lutnaes, B.F., Brandal, Ø., Sjöblom, J. and Rowland, S.J. (2007) Analysis of 'ARN' naphthenic acids by high temperature gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. Journal of Separation Science 30, 375-380. [doi: 10.1002/jssc.200600266].
• Sutton, P.A., Lewis, C.A. and Rowland S.J. (2005) Isolation of individual hydrocarbons from the unresolved complex hydrocarbon mixture of a biodegraded crude oil using preparative capillary gas chromatography. Organic Geochemistry 36, 963-970. [doi: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2004.11.007].
• Massé, G., Belt, S.T., Allard, W.G., Lewis, C.A., Wakeham, S.G. and Rowland, S.J. (2004) Occurrence of novel monocyclic alkenes from diatoms in marine sedimenting particles and sediments. Organic Geochemistry 35, 813-822.
• Johns, L., Belt, S.T., Lewis, C.A., Rowland, S.J., Massé, G., Robert J.-M. and König W.A. (2000) Configurations of polyunsaturated sesterterpenoids from the diatom, Haslea ostrearia. Phytochemistry 53, 607-611.
• Rowland, S.J., Belt, S.T., Johns, L., Wraige, E.J., Lewis, C.A., Robert, J.-M. Massé, G., König, W., Frampton, D., Blackburn, S., Revill, A.T. and Volkman, J.K. (1999) Controls on the sedimentary distributions of the highly branched isoprenoid lipids of diatomaceous algae. 19^th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Istanbul, Turkey, 6-10 September 1999, Abstracts Part 1, 04B, Tubitak Marmara Research Center, 17-18.
• Johns, L., Wraige, E.J., Belt, S.T., Lewis, C.A., Massé, G., Robert, J.-M. and Rowland, S.J. (1999) Identification of a C₂₅ highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) diene in Antarctic sediments, Antarctic sea-ice diatoms and cultured diatoms. Organic Geochemistry 30, 1471-1475.
• Sutton, P.A., Lewis, C.A., Patell, Y., Seddon, K.R. and Rowland, S.J. (1998) Attempted dissolution of 'insoluble organic matter' from Methanococcus jannaschii and Rostherne Mere (UK) sediment with 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride/aluminium (III) chloride. Ancient Biomolecules 2, 195-207.
• Heath, D.J., Lewis, C.A. and Rowland, S.J. (1997) The use of high temperature gas chromatography to study the biodegradation of high molecular weight hydrocarbons. Organic Geochemistry 26, 769-785.
• Lewis, C.A. (1997) Analytical techniques in organic geochemistry. In: Modern Analytical Geochemistry (Edited by Gill, R.), pp. 243-272, Addison Wesley Longman Limited, Harlow, U.K.
• Wraige, E.J., Belt, S.T., Lewis, C.A., Cooke, D.A., Robert, J.-M., Massé, G. and Rowland, S.J. (1997) Variations in structures and distributions of C₂₅ highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) alkenes in cultures of the diatom, Haslea ostrearia (Simonsen). Organic Geochemistry 27, 497-505.

Publications prior to 1996 are given here.

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Studentships

Studentships since 1996:

Dates	Student	Funding Body	Award and Date	Present Employment
		Title
2014-2017	W.J. Robson	Plymouth University	In progress	-
		The polar constituents of petroleum With Professor S.J. Rowland (Director of Studies)
2012-2015	M.J. Wilde	European Research Council and Plymouth University	PhD 2016	Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, U.K.
		On the bicyclic acids of petroleum [abstract] With Professor S.J. Rowland (Director of Studies)
2010-2014	C.H.L. Cree	NERC Studentship	Ph.D. 2015	-
		Distributions of glycine betaine and the methylamines in coastal waters: Analytical developments and a seasonal study [abstract] Dr Mark Fitzsimons (Director of Studies), Dr C. Anthony Lewis, Dr Steve Archer (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) and Dr Ruth Airs (Plymouth Marine Laboratory)
2009-2012	D.E.A. Jones	University of Plymouth	PhD 2013	Plymouth International College, Plymouth, U.K.
		Synthesis, fractionation, characterisation and toxicity of naphthenic acids from complex mixtures [abstract] With Professor S.J. Rowland (Director of Studies)
2003-2006	C.E. West	University of Plymouth Scholarhip/Astrazeneca Brixham Environmental Laboratory	Ph.D. 2007	Saudi Aramco
		The photodegradation of diazepam and its human metabolites in water [abstract] With Professor S.J. Rowland (Director of Studies)
2002-2005	B.E. Smith	University of Plymouth Studentship	Ph.D. 2006	bp, U.K.
		Naphthenic acids: Synthesis, characterisation and factors influencing environmental fate [abstract] With Professor S.J. Rowland (Director of Studies)
2000-2003	A.M. Booth	NERC Studentship	Ph.D. 2004	SINTEF Petroleum Research, Norway
		Biodegradation, water solubility and characterisation studies of unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs) of aromatic hydrocarbons [abstract] With Professor S.J. Rowland
1995-1999	P.A. Sutton	University of Plymouth Studentship/NERC	Ph.D. 2000	Plymouth University, U.K.
		The quantitative isolation of 'insoluble organic matter' (IOM) from sediments and bacteria, and its attempted dissolution using the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminium (III) chloride [abstract] With Professor S.J. Rowland (Director of Studies)
1994-1997	H.F. Sturt	SERC Case	Ph.D. 2000	Woods Hole Ocenaographic Institution, U.S.A.
		Molecular characterisation of fluidised catalytic cracker feedstocks using ruthenium tetroxide oxidation: A study of model hydrocarbons [abstract] With Professor S.J. Rowland (Director of Studies)

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Research Income

Income since 1996:

Dates	Funding Body and Project	Amount
2007-2010	FCO Analysis of crude oils (with Professor S.J. Rowland)	£300,000
2007-2009	Weatherford SLS, Knowledge Transfer Partnership GC Tracer (with Professor S.J. Rowland)	£193,268
2003	NERC Hydrocarbon humps	£3,600
2002-2003	NERC Identification of Aromatic UCM Components of Petroleum Using Semi-Preparative HPLC	£29,874
2000-2003	NERC Characterisation and toxicity of petroleum-derived unresolved complex mixtures of hydrocarbons in mussels (M. edulis)	£
Total Since 2000 =		£526,742

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International & National Conference and Meeting Presentations

Conference presentations since 1996:

• 27^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, London, U.K., 13-14 July 2016 (oral, colleague).
• Petrophase 2016, The 17^th International Conference on Petroleum Phase Behavior and Fouling, Elsinore, Denmark, 19-23 June 2016 (poster, colleague).
• 7^th Annual Biogeochemistry Centre Conference, Plymouth University Marine Station, Plymouth, U.K., 16 December 2015 (2 orals, colleague).
• SETAC North America 35^th Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 9-13 November 2014 (oral, colleague).
• Gordon Research Conference, Organic Geochemistry, Holderness School, Holderness, NH, U.S.A. 3-8 August 2014 (poster/invited poster oral, colleague).
• 24^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Plymouth, U.K., 10-11 July 2013 (oral, colleague; poster, colleage).
• 23^rd Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Leeds, U.K., 4-5 July 2012 (oral, colleague).
• 24^th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Bremen, Germany, 6-11 September 2009 (2 posters^{1, 2}; 2 posters^{3, 4}, colleague).
• 19^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K., 1-2 July 2008 (poster).
• 23^rd International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Torquay, U.K., 9-14 September 2007 (3 posters^{1, 2}, colleague).
• Vice Chancellor’s Research and Innovation Conference, Plymouth, U.K., 4 April 2007 (poster; colleague) .
• SETAC North America 27^th Annual Meeting, Québec, Canada, 5-9 November 2006 (oral, colleague).
• 18^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Milton Keynes, U.K., 28-29 June 2006 (poster, colleague).
• 6^th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, 6-10 December 2005 (oral, colleague).
• 22^nd International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Seville, Spain, 12-1 September 2005 (poster, colleague).
• 17^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Liverpool, U.K., 14-15 July 2005 (oral, colleague).
• Royal Society of Chemistry Meeting and Postgraduate Industry Tour, Newcastle, U.K., 18-20 April 2005 (poster, colleague).
• Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Meeting, Pharmaceuticals in the Environment: Fate, Effects and Regulation, London, U.K., 1 March 2005 (poster, colleague).
• 5^th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry, Bari, Italy, 15-18 December 2004 (poster, colleague).
• 16^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemistry Society, Nottingham, U.K., 14-15 July 2004 (oral, colleague; poster, colleague).
• 21^st International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Krakow, Poland, 8-12 September 2003 (oral).
• 15^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Plymouth, U.K., 8-9 July 2003 (poster, colleague).
• RSC Postgraduate Industry Tour, London, U.K., 11-13 May 2003 (poster, colleague).
• 1^st International Symposium on Comprehensive Multidimensional Gas Chromatography, Volendam, The Netherlands, 6-7 March 2003 (poster, colleague).
• 3^rd European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry, Geneva, Switzerland, 11-14 December 2002 (oral, colleague; poster, colleague).
• William Smith and the Deep Biosphere, Geological Society, Burlington House, U.K., 22-23 October 2002 (oral, colleague).
• 14^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, U.K., 2-3 July 2002 (oral, colleague; poster, colleague).
• International Symposium of Column Chromatography, Riva del Garda, Italy, 13-17 May 2002 (poster, colleague).
• Organic Contaminants in Soil, Water and Sediment: The Cutting Edge, Reading, U.K., 2 May 2002 (poster, colleague).
• 13^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Gregynog, Wales, U.K., 23-25 July 2001 (poster).
• 19^th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Istanbul, Turkey, 6-10 September 1999 (poster).
• 10^th Annual Meeting of the British Organic Geochemical Society, Plymouth, U.K., 15-17 July 1998 (poster, colleague).
• 18^th International Meeting on Advances in Organic Geochemistry, Maastricht, The Netherlands, 22-26 September 1997 (poster).

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