Burns, Brendan - University of New South Wales - School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science

个人简介

2008-current: Senior Lecturer 2006-2010 ARC Research Fellow, School of BABS 2005: Lecturer, School of BABS 2005: Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, School of Life & Environmental Science, Uni of Tsukuba 2002-2004: ARC Fellow, School of BABS 2000-2001: Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, Max von Pettenkofer Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Ludwigs Maximilians University, Munich 1999-2000: Postdoctoral Researcher, UNSW School of Microbiology and Immunology 1995-1999: Doctoral Student, UNSW School of Microbiology and Immunology 1992-1994: Research Assistant, UNSW School of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

研究领域

Dr Burns has expertise in the study of stromatolite communities. Of particular significance, Dr Burns conducted the first polyphasic study of modern stromatolite communities identifying a range of metabolically diverse organisms. These included a range of cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, and archaea. This is the first time such a diversity of archaea associated with marine stromatolites has been shown. Several sequences identified are also unique phylotypes with no close relatives in the database, and these may possess novel physiologies vital to the persistent morphogenesis of these living fossils. Characterising the microbial diversity of these stromatolites provided an excellent framework for exploring functional characteristics of these systems to logically advance the research. This is the next rational step in the comprehensive investigation of these ancient ecosystems. Using this excellent base, Dr Burns has isolated several new archaeal species from this environment that possess unique characteristics, including novel osmolyte patterns suggestive of innovative salt tolerance mechanisms. This has the potential for providing results of national significance in relation to Australia's growing salinity and drought problems. Dr Burns' group has conducted lipid analyses of these communities, which will provide vital information for comparisons with fossilised stromatolites and more rational interpretations of the fossil record. Dr Burns has also demonstrated for the first time the genetic potential of these systems to produce novel bioactive compounds, including the identification of a putative anti-cancer agent. Most recently Dr Burns and collaborators identified quorum-sensing molecules in stromatolite archaea, potentially the first evidence of this in this domain of life. Dr Burns' findings have also provided information vital to the conservation of these unique resources, monitoring carefully changes in biological diversity that could indicate possible threats to stromatolite systems. Most significantly, Dr Burns has demonstrated the importance of an integrated approach to the study of a functionally diverse biological system. The long-term goal is to build on this research and extend these kinds of functional complexity studies to other evolutionally significant environments.

近期论文

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Ruvindy R; White RA; Neilan BA; Burns BP, 2016, 'Unravelling core microbial metabolisms in the hypersaline microbial mats of Shark Bay using high-throughput metagenomics', The ISME Journal: multidisciplinary journal of microbial ecology, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 183 - 196, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2015.87 Blaber EA; Finkelstein H; Dvorochkin N; Sato KY; Yousuf R; Burns BP; Globus RK; Almeida EAC, 2015, 'Microgravity Reduces the Differentiation and Regenerative Potential of Embryonic Stem Cells', Stem Cells and Development, vol. 24, no. 22, pp. 2605 - 2621, http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/scd.2015.0218 Charlesworth JC; Burns BP, 2015, 'Untapped Resources: Biotechnological Potential of Peptides and Secondary Metabolites in Archaea', Archaea: an international microbiological journal, vol. 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/282035 Wong HL; Smith DL; Visscher PT; Burns BP, 2015, 'Niche differentiation of bacterial communities at a millimeter scale in Shark Bay microbial mats', Scientific Reports, vol. 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep15607 Charlesworth J; Kimyon O; Manefield M; Burns BP, 2015, 'Detection and characterization of N-acyl-l-homoserine lactones using GFP-based biosensors in conjunction with thin-layer chromatography', Journal of Microbiological Methods, vol. 118, pp. 164 - 167, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2015.09.012 Gudhka RK; Neilan BA; Burns BP, 2015, 'Adaptation, ecology, and evolution of the halophilic stromatolite archaeon Halococcus hamelinensis inferred through genome analyses.', Archaea: an international microbiological journal, vol. 2015, pp. 241608, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/241608 Blaber EA; Dvorochkin N; Torres ML; Yousuf R; Burns BP; Globus RK; Almeida EAC, 2014, 'Mechanical unloading of bone in microgravity reduces mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cell-mediated tissue regeneration', Stem Cell Research, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 181 - 201, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scr.2014.05.005 Leuko S; Rettberg P; Pontifex AL; Burns BP, 2014, 'On the response of halophilic archaea to space conditions', Life, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 66 - 76, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life4010066 Montgomery K; Charlesworth JC; LeBard R; Visscher PT; Burns BP, 2013, 'Quorum sensing in extreme environments', Life, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 131 - 148, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life3010131 Blaber EA; Dvorochkin N; Lee C; Alwood JS; Yousuf R; Pianetta P; Globus RK; Burns BP; Almeida EAC, 2013, 'Microgravity Induces Pelvic Bone Loss through Osteoclastic Activity, Osteocytic Osteolysis, and Osteoblastic Cell Cycle Inhibition by CDKN1a/p21', PLoS One, vol. 8, no. 4, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0061372 Burns BP; Gudhka RK; Neilan BA, 2012, 'Genome sequence of the halophilic archaeon Halococcus hamelinensis', Journal of Bacteriology, vol. 194, no. 8, pp. 2100 - 2101, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.06599-11 Storey MV; van der Gaag B; Burns BP, 2011, 'Advances in on-line drinking water quality monitoring and early warning systems', Water Research, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 741 - 747, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2010.08.049 Leuko S; Neilan BA; Burns BP; Walter MR; Rothschild LJ, 2011, 'Molecular assessment of UVC radiation-induced DNA damage repair in the stromatolitic halophilic archaeon, Halococcus hamelinensis', Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, B: Biology, vol. 102, no. 2, pp. 140 - 145, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2010.10.002 Goh F; Jeon YJ; Barrow K; Neilan BA; Burns BP, 2011, 'Osmoadaptive strategies of the archaeon Halococcus hamelinensis isolated from a hypersaline stromatolite environment', Astrobiology, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 529 - 536, http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0591 Blaber E; Marçal H; Burns BP, 2010, 'Bioastronautics: The influence of microgravity on astronaut health', Astrobiology, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 463 - 473, http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2009.0415 Allen MA; Neilan BA; Burns BP; Jahnke LL; Summons RE, 2010, 'Lipid biomarkers in Hamelin Pool microbial mats and stromatolites', Organic Geochemistry, vol. 41, no. 11, pp. 1207 - 1218, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2010.07.007 Goh F; Barrow KD; Burns BP; Neilan BA, 2010, 'Identification and regulation of novel compatible solutes from hypersaline stromatolite-associated cyanobacteria', Archives of Microbiology, vol. 192, no. 12, pp. 1031 - 1038, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00203-010-0634-0 Blaber E; Marcal H; Foster LJ; Burns BP, 2010, 'In space no one can hear you sneeze.', Australasian Science Magazine, vol. June 10, pp. 29 - 31, http://www.australasianscience.com.au/article/issue-june-2010/space-no-one-can-hear-you-sneeze.html Burns BP, 2010, 'Life: Not as we know it', Journal of Cosmology, vol. 13, pp. 3621 - 3624 Marcal H; Burns BP, 2010, 'A human mission to Mars: A bioastronautics analysis of the biomedical risks and challenges', Journal of Cosmology, vol. 12, pp. 3748 - 3757