Biological Sciences

Profile

Research Interests

Eric May is active in environmental research, particularly pollution control by wastewater treatment and the microbiology of historic buildings. His research involves collaboration with the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying (Dr John Williams) through the Environmental Engineering Research Group, a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers. By cooperation with Southern Water plc, he helped establish laboratories at the University's Centre for Environmental Technology (Petersfield, Hampshire).

PhD research at the University of Dundee on nitrogen cycling in freshwater lochs led to a long-term interest in understanding how microbes can be used to purify wastewater, notably using reed-beds in constructed wetlands. Protection of the environment from road-runoff using purpose-built wetlands (on the A34 Newbury by-pass) has recently extended this interest. Other on-going research is directed at concerns about phthalate pollution from plastics and the behaviour of the diarrhoeal bug Cryptosporidium in wastewater during treatment. He has also worked on wastewater projects with partners in Egypt, Colombia and Greece.

Early collaboration with the Building Research Establishment at Garston helped establish his research in heritage microbiology, especially in relation to damage of historic buildings and monuments by microbes. Now the aim of research is to make microbes work to remove salt damage using biotechnology. Linking up with the Department of Geography (Dr Rob Inkpen), he is currently coordinator for a European consortium (funded by an EU Fifth Framework Programme worth 1.75 million Euros) investigating ways of treating building materials with microbes using bioremediation (BIOBRUSH).

Eric May has extensive experience of postgraduate research supervision at MSc and PhD levels. His undergraduate teaching interests range from microbial and cell diversity at Level One, introductory microbiology at Level Two to environmental and applied microbiology at Level Three. He is pathway leader for BSc (Hons) Applied Microbiology and an Admissions tutor for the pathway scheme in biological sciences. He has acted as external examiner for BSc and BEd courses.

Recent Publications

More recent publications

Publications Before 2008:

• MAY, E.; PAPIDA, S.; ABDULLA, H.; TAYLER, S.; DEWEDAR, A. (2000) Comparative studies of bacterial populations on stone in temperate and semi-arid climates. In Of Microbes and Art, the role of microbial communities in the degradation and protection of cultural heritage. O. Ciferri, P. Tiano and G. Mastromei, eds. Kluwer/Plenum, New York.
• PAPIDA S.; MURPHY W; MAY E. (2000) The use of sound velocity determination for the non-destructive estimation of physical and microbial weathering of limestones and dolomites. In: Proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation of Stone, V. Fassina, ed. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
  PAPIDA S.; MURPHY W; MAY E. (2000) Enhancement of physical weathering of building stones by microbial populations. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation Journal 46 (4), 305-317.
• TAYLER, S.; MAY, E. (2000) Investigations of the localisation of bacterial activity on sandstone from ancient monuments. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation Journal 46 (4), 327-333.
• PONTIER, H; MAY, E.;WILLIAMS, J.B. (2001) Treatment of runoff from the Newbury bypass in constructed wetlands CIWEM Journal 15 (2), 125-129.
  HODGKINSON, B.; WILLIAMS, J.B.; MAY, E.; BUTLER, J.E. (2001) Factors affecting the treatment performance of a packaged sewage treatment plant. CIWEM Journal 15 (3), 223-226.
• PONTIER, H; WILLIAMS, J.B.; MAY, E. (2001) Metals in combined conventional and vegetated road runoff control systems. Water Science & Technology 44 (11), 191-198.
• STOTT, R; MAY, E.; MATSUSHITA, E.; WARREN, A. (2001) Protozoan predation as a mechanism for the removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts from wastewaters in constructed wetlands. Water Science & Technology 44 (12), 607-614.
• MAY,E.; WILLIAMS, J. B.; STOTT, R.; BAHGAT, M.M.; LOVERIDGE, R.F.; AWAD, A.; FORD, M.G.; BUTLER, J.E. (2002). Sun, sand and sewage: the Gravel Bed Hydroponic experience. Proceedings of AquaEnviro Workshop held at the Earth Centre, Leeds, UK, December 2001.
• STOTT, R; MAY, E.; MARA, D. (2002). Parasite removal by natural wastewater treatment systems. Performance of Waste Stabilisation Ponds and Constructed Wetlands. Proceedings of IWA/NZWWA Waste Stabilisation Ponds: technology for a new millennium, 2-5th April, New Zealand.
• MAY, E.; PAPIDA, S.; ABDULLA, H. (2002) Consequences of microbe-biofilm-salt interactions for stone integrity in monuments. Proceedings of Art, Biology and Conservation, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, June 2002