Contact:
Research project:
Project: Phylogenetic analysis of effluent impacted wetland soils.
This research project is done in collaboration with Pr. Stephanie Burton’s research group at CPUT. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of various effluents (winery effluents and ethanol are currently tested) on the microbial community of wetland soils. This, in order to determine key phylotypes or enzyme to follow which are implicated in bioremediation. To do this study, pilot-scale mesocosms constructed wetlands were build at CPUT.
Publications:
J-B. Ramond, T. Berthe, J. Deloffre, R. Lafite, B.Ouddane and F. Petit. 2008. Relationships between hydrosedimentary processes and occurrence of mercury-resistant bacteria (merA) in estuary mudflats (Seine, France). Marine Pollution Bulletin. 56: 1168-1176.
J-B. Ramond, T. Berthe, R. Duran and F. Petit. 2009. Comparative effects of mercury contamination and wastewater effluent inputs on Gram-negative merA gene abundance in mudflats of an anthropized estuary (Seine, France): a microcosm approach. Research in Microbiology. 160 (1): 10-18.
J-B. Ramond, T. Berthe, L. Quillet, B. Ouddane and F. Petit. 2010. Evidence of methylmercury production in estuarine anaerobic sediments contaminated with wastewater-plant treated-effluents: Impact on microbial communities. In preparation.
J-B. Ramond, T. Berthe, E. Laroche, B. Pawlak and F. Petit. 2010. Assessment of mercury-resistant merA bacteria abundances and origins in the Seine estuary waters (France). In preparation.
Book Chapter:
C. Amiard-Triquet, C. Durou, C. Mouneyrac, F. Denis, J-B. Ramond, T. Berthe, F. Petit. Chapter 7: Tolerance in organisms chronically exposed to estuarine pollution. 2009. In “Environmental assessment of estuarine ecosystems: a case study.” Eds C. Amiard-Triquet & P.S. Rainbow; Taylor and Francis, a CRC Press book, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
Who am I:
Originally from France, I obtained a Master’s degree in Biochemistry at the University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI, France) and Laval University (Québec, Canada) with a specialization in Marine and Molecular Microbiology and in Environmental Chemistry. Following my master I then did a 1 year post-graduate degree in Environment and Materials at the Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (UPPA, France) with a specialization in Environment and Molecular Biology. Supervised by Pr. Robert Duran and Dr. Maria Soledad Goñi-Urriza at the Laboratoire d’Ecologie Moléculaire, my research project was entitled “Research of a putative bacterial dioxygenase gene in contaminated sediments through a metagenomic approach”
I then continued my studies and obtained a Ph.D in Microbiology (specialization in Microbial ecology) in 2008 in the UMR CNRS 6143 – Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière – Groupe Microbiologie, at the University of Rouen (France). The title of my project was “Study of the mercury-resistant microbial communities in estuarine environments” and I was supervised by Pr. Fabienne Petit and Dr. Thierry Berthe.
Since April 2009, I am a Postdoctoral research associate at IMBM and am co-supervised by Pr. Don Cowan and Pr. Stephanie Burton. I enjoy this exiting research experience abroad as it allows me to continue the research that has always interested me, i.e. the impact of pollutants on environmental microbial communities and their answer to such contamination, in a friendly and multicultural atmosphere.
Even though challenging, the move of my family, my wife and our two young children, to South Africa is now I think a success as this country has all what a French family could dream of: Wild animals, nice wines and good rugby games! We are now looking forward for the 2010 World Cup and to visit as much as we can of Cape Town, South Africa and if possible the southern African countries.
