Keith Baronian
Position
Lecturer - Microbiology
Room
von Haast 447
Contact Details
Phone: International +64 +3 Local 364 2987 ext 45723
Fax: +64 3 364 2590
Email: keith.baronian@canterbury.ac.nz
Postal address: School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
Research and Publications
Keith's UC Research Profile
Electrochemistry of redox processes of cells and isolated enzymes. Application of electrochemical techniques in whole cell and enzyme biosensors, and microbial fuel cells. Modification of electrode surfaces, mediated and non-mediated electron transfer from biological entities to the electrode.
I am interested in the use of electrochemical techniques to investigate redox processes in cells and enzymes and in the application of these techniques in whole cell biosensors, enzyme biosensors and microbial fuel cells. Most of my work involves yeast but other cells such as bacteria and mammalian cells are also investigated. Yeast cells have some advantages in these applications but have, to date, been less studied than bacteria. In general yeast are more robust than bacteria and they can provide information that is more relevant to other eukaryote organisms than can bacteria.
Projects:
Saccharomyces cereviseae and Arxula adeninivorans are used in fundamental studies to investigate redox processes in yeast cells.
An oestrogen assay was developedusingwild type Saccharomyces as the sensing element. This work is continuing with Candida albicans as the sensing element.
The yeast Arxula adeninivorans has been used in a BOD sensor study and is currently the biocatalyst in our microbial fuel cell
Another project in collaboration with Prof Alison Downard, an electrochemist in the UC Department of Chemistry, involves constructing electrodes with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on their surface. The intention is that these electrodes will provide more intimate contact with cells than conventional electrodes such as glassy carbon or platinum can provide.
Publications
Relevant References
Giersberg, M., K. Florschütz, K. Baronian, G. Kunze (2011) Arxula adeninivorans (Blastobotrys adeninivorans) – an imperfect dimorphic yeast of biotechnological potential. In: Microorganisms in sustainable agriculture and biotechnology (Eds. Satyanarayana, T, B. Johri, A. Prakash) Springer Verlag, Berlin – Heidelberg – New York (in press).
David J. Garrett, Benjamin S. Flavel, Joseph G. Shapter, Keith H. R. Baronian and Alison J. Downard. 2009. Robust Forests of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Chemically Assembled on Carbon Substrates. Langmuir, 26 (3), pp 1848–1854
Xianming Liu, Keith H.R. Baronian, Alison J. Downard. 2009. Direct growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on a planar carbon substrate by thermal chemical vapour deposition. Carbon, 47, 2, 500-506
Olivier Schaetzle, Frederic Barriere, Keith Baronian. 2008. Bacteria and yeasts as catalysts in microbial fuel cells: electron transfer from micro–organisms to electrodes for green electricity. Energy and Environmental Science, 1, 607-620
Keith Baronian, Saroja Gurazada, 2007. Electrochemical detection of wild type Saccharomyces cerevisiae responses to estrogens. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 22, 11, 2493–2499
K H R Baronian. 2004. The use of yeasts and moulds as sensing elements in biosensors. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 19, 9, 953–962
K H R Baronian, A. J. Downard, R. K. Lowen, N. Pasco. 2002. Detection of two distinct substrate–dependent catabolic responses in yeast cells using a mediated electrochemical method. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 60, 108 – 113