Dr John G Day
Head of CCAP

My first degree was in microbiology at Dundee University, in Scotland, where I became interested in algal biotechnology. I subsequently worked on the excretion of metabolites, including cyanobacterial toxins, by immobilized photo-autotrophs in Prof Geoff Codds’ lab (also at Dundee Univ.) for my PhD (1987). After submitting my PhD I worked in the algal biotechnology sector for 4 years, developing microalgal based aquaculture feeds. This was primarily based in Cell Systems Ltd on the Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK with scale-up being undertaken in the Kantvik and Hanko, Finland. In December 1990 I took on the role of Curator of CCAP at Windermere and I continue in this role since the freshwater section of CCAP relocated to SAMS in 2004. I have wide ranging interests in algae and protozoa and current interests include: Biological Resource Centres (BRC), cryopreservation, cryoinjury, algal stress physiology, algal biotechnology, algal biofuels, application of molecular method in culture collections, bioinformatics and networking.

Dr Frithjof C Küpper

Christine Campbell
Curator of Marine Algae

I started working for CCAP when the marine section came to Dunstaffnage in 1986 and am now the marine curator in our team of 9 scientists.

My  work interests are:

- marine microalgae

- isolating new strains for the Collection from a wide range of habitats

- using phylogenetics and morphology for identification of marine algae

- applied phycology

- harmful algal bloom causing algae

- outwith the Collection, I am an active union representative at SAMS

Undine Achilles-Day
Protistologist in charge of protozoa

I studied biology/ limnology at Bielefeld University, in my native Germany, prior to moving to the UK and completing my BSc at the University of Central Lancashire in 1996. In 1997 I gained teaching qualification from the University College of St. Martin, Lancaster. I changed career in 1999 when I started working for The Centre of Ecology and Hydrology in Windermere. I began working in the freshwater algal and protozoan section of CCAP, at CEH Windermere, in April 2003. After a short period of intensive training, I took on the role of maintaining the majority of protozoan strains in the CCAP. This includes a wide diversity of free-living non-pathogenic amoeba, ciliates and heterotrophic flagellates isolated from freshwater, terrestrial and marine niches. I moved with the collection to its new “home” at DML in Feb 2004 and have had the responsibility of assisting the cultures to adapt to their new environment. I am interested in developing further the protozoan collection, i.e. increasing diversity and to cryopreserve protozoa.

Rachel Saxon
Administrator

Originally from Manchester, I graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in Biological Sciences in 1998 and have worked in various locations, including a summer as a volunteer on Sherkin Island Marine Station in Ireland, before joining CCAP as Admin/database Assistant in November 2004. My job is to manage all CCAP sales and despatches, maintain the strain holdings data, process strain accessions and patent deposits, and manage and develop the CCAP database and website. We are currently in the process of building an image database for the website, and aim to expand this to contain comprehensive information for each strain in the Collection.

I was involved with CCAP's collaboration in AlgiNet, an EU funded project to coordinate microalgal research and resources across Europe. I also contribute to the FSA Phytoplankton Monitoring project at SAMS, allowing me to occasionally escape my desk and microscopically analyse local  seawater samples for harmful algal species.

Cecilia Rad Menendez

Support Scientist - Protistology

I come originally from Asturias (Spain) where I completed a degree in Biology at Oviedo University. Following my degree I was awarded a Leonardo da Vinci grant to spend 6 months on a work placement at SAMS. After this, I spent 2 years at a biotechnology company based at Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory working as a culture collection scientist in a marine culture collection of  bacteria and fungi.

In 2007 I joined CCAP as a support scientist.

Joanne Field

Support Scientist - Protistology

I graduated from Napier University in 1994 with a BSc in Biological Sciences.  In July 2007 I joined the CCAP team as a support scientist.

My primary role is the maintenance and subculture of sections of the protozoan and algal collection.  I am also involved in acquiring images of the collection for our database, cryopreservation, and the DNA sequencing of our holdings.

Alison Clarke

Support Scientist

I joined the CCAP group as a Support Scientist in December 2007.

My primary role is in the preparation and supply of high quality culture media for the service collection and research, I also provide technical support for CCAP science.

In May 2008 I became a member of the Dunstaffnage Hyperbaric Unit.