David Messenger
Personal Details |
|
| Name | : David J. Messenger |
| Email address | : D.Messenger@ed.ac.uk |
| Current Postion | : PhD student (2007-2009) and postdoc (2010) |
| Previous Postion | : PhD student, joint with Dr. A.McLeod in the School of Geosciences and Dr. Sirwan Yamulki at Forest Research |
Education
- 2006-2009 University of Edinburgh : PhD
- 2002-2006 University of Edinburgh : MChem, Masters in Chemistry (2:1).
- 1995-2002 Cité Scolaire Internationale, Lyon, France : Baccalauréat Série Scientifique, mention Bien (73%).
Postdoctoral research project
"Metabolic basis of the borate cross-linking of rhamnogalacturonan-II, a plant cell wall polysaccharide"
As a postdoctoral researcher on a BBSRC-funded project, I designed novel methods for the detection of polysaccharides and used these to study the kinetics of borate-bridging in vivo.
PhD project
"Impact of UV-B on the plant cell wall, methane emissions and ROS production"
During my Ph.D., I set up a large scale field experiment in collaboration with Forest Research and discovered a possible UV-B effect on decomposition rate of leaf litter. I was also part of the team who observed for the first time the aerobic production of methane from pectin upon UV-irradiation. I then designed a set of experiments which showed the potential role of reactive oxygen species in this mechanism and its implications for climate change.
Other relevant work experience
2004: As a research assistant in the quality control laboratory for Bayer Cropscience, France, I had the responsibility to check the viability of all pesticide stocks and worked with a team to develop novel pollution detection methods by HPLC.
Awards
- Donald Mackenzie Scholarship awarded to complete a pre-PhD summer project.
- Natural Environment Research Council Research Studentship Award 2006-2010.
- CASE industrial award for Ph.D. in collaboration with Forest Research.
- NERC Professional Development Scholarship for 6 months funding extension.
Publications
- McLeod A.R., Fry S.C., Loake G.J., Messenger D.J., Reay D.S., Smith K.A. & Yun B. (2008), Ultraviolet radiation drives methane emissions from terrestrial plant pectins. New Phytologist, 180, 124-132.
- Messenger D.J., McLeod A.R. & Fry S.C. (2009), The role of UV radiation, photosensitisers, reactive oxygen
species and ester groups in mechanisms of methane formation from pectin. Plant, Cell and Environment, 32, 1-9.
- Messenger D.J., McLeod A.R. & Fry S.C. (2009), Reactive oxygen species in aerobic methane formation from vegetation. Plant signaling and behavior, 4, 1-2.
- Bloom A.A., Lee-Taylor J., Madronich S., Messenger D.J., Palmer P.I., Reay D.S., & McLeod A.R. (2010), Global methane emission estimates from ultraviolet irradiation of terrestrial plant foliage. New Phytologist, 187, 417-425.
- Messenger D.J., Fry S.C., Yamulki S. & McLeod A.R. (2010), Effects of UV-B filtration on the chemistry and decomposition of Fraxinus excelsior leaves. In Press.
Conferences and poster presentations
- July 2007: 11th International Cell Wall conference, Copenhagen, Denmark. Presented a poster entitled "Impact of UV on the structure of the plant cell wall".
- June 2008: 34th American Society of Photobiology conference, San Francisco, USA.
- February 2009: Invited speaker for the 1st International Workshop on "Aerobic methane emissions from vegetation", Mainz, Germany.
- September 2009: Invited speaker to the 13th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Wroclaw, Poland. "Solving the methane mystery. Does UV radiation cause methane emissions from plants?".
- July 2010: 12th International Cell Wall conference, Porto, Portugal. Presented a poster entitled "Why do plants need boron?".
Other interests
Keen cyclist, I also play classical guitar in a Guitar ensemble , enjoy hillwalking and photography.