Professor James McDonald
Honorary Professor

Contact info
James McDonald is Professor of microbial ecology at Bangor University.
Current research themes include microbiome analysis of biomass-degrading microorganisms for biofuels and biotechnology, high-throughput methods for the detection of human pathogens in aquatic environments, and microbiome analysis of the complex tree disease, Acute Oak Decline.
His group applies a combination of microbiological culture techniques and contemporary ‘omics’ technologies (e.g. genomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics) to address these research themes.
Location: 2nd Floor ECW Building
Tel: +44 (0)1248 383077
Personal webpage: https://www.jamesmcdonaldlab.com/
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Tracing the fate of wastewater viruses reveals catchment-scale virome diversity and connectivity
Adriaenssens, E. M., Farkas, K., McDonald, J. E., Jones, D. L., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J., 15 Sept 2021, In: Water Research. 203Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Improving quantification of bivalve larvae in mixed plankton samples using qPCR: A case study on Mytilus edulis
Alexander, J., Malham, S., Smyth, D., Webb, J., Fidler, D., Bayford, P., McDonald, J. & Le Vay, L., 15 Feb 2021, In: Aquaculture. 532, 736003.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Fifty important research questions in microbial ecology
Antwis, R. E., Griffiths, S. M., Harrison, X. A., Aranega-Bou, P., Arce, A., Bettridge, A. S., Brailsford, F., de Menezes, A., Devaynes, A., Forbes, K. M., Fry, E. L., Goodhead, I., Haskell, E., Heys, C., James, C., Johnston, S. R., Lewis, G. R., Lewis, Z., Macey, M. C., McCarthy, A., McDonald, J., Mejia-Florez, N. L., O'Brien, D., Orland, C., Pautasso, M., Reid, W. D. K., Robinson, H. A., Wilson, K. & Sutherland, W. J., May 2017, In: Fems Microbiology Ecology. 93, 5, fix044.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Impact of Sediment Concentration on the Survival of Wastewater-Derived blaCTX-M-15-Producing E. coli, and the Implications for Dispersal into Estuarine Waters
Bashawri, Y. M. A., Robins, P., Jones, D. L., McDonald, J., Cooper, D. & Williams, P., 19 Oct 2020, In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17, 20, 15 p., 7608.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Taxonomy and identification of bacteria associated with acute oak decline
Brady, C., Arnold, D., McDonald, J. & Denman, S., Jul 2017, In: World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 33, 7, p. 143Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Integrated multi-omic analysis of host-microbiota interactions in acute oak decline
Broberg, M., Doonan, J., Mundt, F. & McDonald, J., 30 Jan 2018, In: Microbiome. 6, 21.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Extraction of Microbial and Host DNA, RNA, and Proteins from Oak Bark Tissue
Broberg, M. & McDonald, J., 5 Feb 2019, In: Methods and Protocols. 2, 1, 15.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Soil metabolomics - current challenges and future perspectives
Brown, R., Reay, M. K., Centler, F., Chadwick, D., Bull, I. D., McDonald, J., Evershed, R. P. & Jones, D. L., 1 Jun 2024, In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 109382.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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A multiplex real‐time PCR assay enables simultaneous rapid detection and quantification of bacteria associated with acute oak decline
Crampton, B. G., Plummer, S., Kaczmarek, M., McDonald, J. & Denman, S., Sept 2020, In: Plant Pathology. 69, 7, p. 1301-1310 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Identification of Armillaria species on declined oak in Britain: implications for oak health
Denman, S., Barrett, G., Kirk, S. A., McDonald, J. & Coetzee, M. P. A., 7 Jan 2017, In: Forestry. 90, 1, p. 148-161Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Microbiome and infectivity studies reveal complex polyspecies tree disease in Acute Oak Decline
Denman, S., Doonan, J., Ransom-Jones, E., Broberg, M., Plummer, S., Kirk, S. A., Scarlett, K., Griffiths, A., Kaczmarek, M., Foster, J., Peace, A., Golyshin, P., Hassard, F., Brown, N., Kenny, J. G. & McDonald, J., 2018, In: The ISME Journal. 12, p. 386-399Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Isolation studies reveal a shift in the cultivable microbiome of oak affected with Acute Oak Decline
Denman, S., Plummer, S., Peace, A. & McDonald, J., 1 Oct 2016, In: Systematic and Applied Microbiology. 39, 7, p. 484-490Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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The intergenic transcribed spacer region 1 as a molecular marker for identification and discrimination of Enterobacteriaceae associated with acute oak decline
Doonan, J., Denman, S., Gertler, C., Pachebat, J. A., Golyshin, P. N. & McDonald, J. E., 1 Jan 2015, In: Journal of Applied Microbiology. 118, 1, p. 193-201 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Genomic analysis of bacteria in the Acute Oak Decline pathobiome
Doonan, J., Denman, S., Pachebat, J. A. & McDonald, J., 8 Jan 2019, In: Microbial Genomics. 5, 1, 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Host–microbiota–insect interactions drive emergent virulence in a complex tree disease
Doonan, J., Broberg, M., Denman, S. & McDonald, J., 26 Aug 2020, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 287, 1933, 20200956.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing Analysis of Soft-Rot Enterobacteriaceae in Polymicrobial Communities
Doonan, J., Denman, S., McDonald, J. & Golyshin, P., 30 Nov 2016, Metagenomics. Streit , W. R. & Daniel, R. (eds.). Springer New York, Vol. 1539. p. 85-97 (Methods in Molecular Biology; vol. 1539).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Identification of carbohydrate metabolism genes in the metagenome of a marine biofilm community shown to be dominated by gammaproteobacteria and bacteroidetes
Edwards, J. L., Smith, D. L., Connolly, J., McDonald, J. E., Cox, M. J., Joint, I., Edwards, C. & McCarthy, A. J., 26 Oct 2010, In: Genes. 1, 3, p. 371-84 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Taxonomic description and genome sequence of Anaerorudis cellulosivorans gen. Nov. sp. nov., a novel cellulose- and Xylan-degrading bacterium of the Bacteroidota phylum isolated from a lab-scale methanogenic landfill bioreactor digesting municipal solid waste
El Houari, A., Carpenter, M., Chaplin, D., Golyshin, P. & McDonald, J., 1 Mar 2025, In: Systematic and Applied Microbiology. 49, 2, 126590.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Spatial patterns and environmental constraints on ecosystem services at a catchment scale
Emmett, B., Cooper, D., Smart, S., Jackson, B., Thomas, A., Cosby, B., Evans, C., Glanville, H., McDonald, J., Malham, S., Marshall, M., Jarvis, S., Rajko-Nenow, P., Webb, G. P., Ward, S., Rowe, E., Jones, L., Vanbergen, E. J., Keith, A., Carter, H., Pereira, M. G., Hughes, S., Lebron, I., Wade, A. & Jones, D., 1 Dec 2016, In: Science of the Total Environment. 572, p. 1586-1600Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Evaluation of Molecular Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Pathogen-Derived Nucleic Acids in Sediment
Farkas, K., Hassard, F., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D., 24 Jan 2017, In: Frontiers in Microbiology. 6, p. 1-12 53.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Wastewater and public health: the potential of wastewater surveillance for monitoring COVID-19
Farkas, K., Hillary, L., Malham, S., McDonald, J. & Jones, D. L., Oct 2020, In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 17, p. 14-20 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Evaluation of Two Triplex One-Step qRT-PCR Assays for the Quantification of Human Enteric Viruses in Environmental Samples
Farkas, K., Peters, D. E., McDonald, J., de Rougemont, A., Malham, S. & Jones, D., Sept 2017, In: Food and Environmental Virology. 9, 3, p. 342-349Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Viral indicators for tracking domestic wastewater contamination in the aquatic environment
Farkas, K., Walker, D., Adriaenssens, E., McDonald, J., Hillary, L., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 15 Aug 2020, In: Water Research. 181, 115926.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Seasonal and diurnal surveillance of treated and untreated wastewater for human enteric viruses
Farkas, K., Marshall, M., Cooper, D., McDonald, J. E., Malham, S. K., Peters, D. E., Maloney, J. D. & Jones, D. L., Nov 2018, In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 25, 33, p. 33391-33401Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Concentration and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater using polyethylene glycol-based concentration and qRT-PCR
Farkas, K., Hillary, L., Thorpe, J., Walker, D., Lowther, J. A., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 23 Feb 2021, In: Methods and Protocols. 4, 1, 10 p., 17.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Two-Step Concentration of Complex Water Samples for the Detection of Viruses
Farkas, K., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 10 Sept 2018, In: Methods and Protocols. 1, 3, 35.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Critical Evaluation of CrAssphage as a Molecular Marker for Human-Derived Wastewater Contamination in the Aquatic Environment
Farkas, K., Adriaenssens, E. M., Walker, D. I., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 1 Jun 2019, In: Food and Environmental Virology. 11, 2, p. 113-119Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Concentration and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater Using Polyethylene Glycol-Based Concentration and qRT-PCR.(vol 4, 17, 2021)
Farkas, K., Hillary, L. S., Thorpe, J., Walker, D. I., Lowther, J. A., McDonald, J. E., Malham, S. K. & Jones, D. L., 12 Nov 2021, In: Methods and Protocols. 4, 4Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Shifts in Soil Structure, Biological, and Functional Diversity Under Long-Term Carbon Deprivation
George, P. B. L., Fidler, D. B., Van Nostrand, J. D., Atkinson, J. A., Mooney, S. J., Creer, S., Griffiths, R. I., McDonald, J. E., Robinson, D. A. & Jones, D. L., 14 Sept 2021, In: Frontiers in Microbiology. 12, 735022.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Bioreduction of Sheep Carcasses Effectively Contains and Reduces Pathogen Levels under Operational and Simulated Breakdown Conditions
Golyshin, P., Gwyther, C. L., Jones, D. L., Golyshin, P. N., Edwards-Jones, G., McKillen, J., McNair, I., McDonald, J. E. & Williams, A. P., 21 May 2013, In: Environmental Science and Technology. 47, 10, p. 5267–5275Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Physicochemical Factors Influence the Abundance and Culturability of Human Enteric Pathogens and Fecal Indicator Organisms in Estuarine Water and Sediment
Hassard, F., Andrews, A., Jones, D. L., Parsons, L., Jones, V., Cox, B. A., Daldorph, P., Brett, H., McDonald, J. & Malham, S., Oct 2017, In: Frontiers in Microbiology. 8, 1996.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Abundance and Distribution of Enteric Bacteria and Viruses in Coastal and Estuarine Sediments—a Review
Hassard, F., Gwyther, C. L., Farkas, K., Andrews, A., Jones, V., Cox, B., Brett, H., Jones, D., McDonald, J. & Malham, S., 1 Nov 2016, In: Frontiers in Microbiology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Critical Review on the Public Health Impact of Norovirus Contamination in Shellfish and the Environment: A UK Perspective
Hassard, F., Sharp, J., Taft, H., Le Vay, L., Harris, J., McDonald, J., Tuson, K., Wilson, J., Jones, D. & Malham, S., Jun 2017, In: Food and Environmental Virology. 9, 2, p. 123-141Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater to evaluate the success of lockdown measures for controlling COVID-19 in the UK
Hillary, L. S., Farkas, K., Maher, K. H., Lucaci, A., Thorpe, J., Distaso, M. A., Gaze, W. H., Paterson, S., Burke, T., Connor, T. R., McDonald, J. E., Malham, S. K. & Jones, D. L., 15 Jul 2021, In: Water Research. 200, p. 117214 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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RNA-viromics reveals diverse communities of soil RNA viruses with the potential to affect grassland ecosystems across multiple trophic levels
Hillary, L. S., Adriaenssens, E. M., Jones, D. L. & McDonald, J. E., 8 Apr 2022, In: ISME Communications. 2, 1, p. 34 34.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in feces and urine and its potential role in person-to-person transmission and the environment-based spread of COVID-19
Jones, D. L., Baluja, M. Q., Graham, D. W., Corbishley, A., McDonald, J. E., Malham, S. K., Hillary, L. S., Connor, T. R., Gaze, W. H., Moura, I. B., Wilcox, M. H. & Farkas, K., 20 Dec 2020, In: Science of the Total Environment. 749, 141364.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Multilocus sequence typing provides insights into the population structure and evolutionary potential of Brenneria goodwinii, associated with acute oak decline
Kaczmarek, M., Mullett, M. S., McDonald, J. & Denman, S., 1 Jun 2017, In: PLoS ONE. 12, 6, e0178390.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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A comparison of precipitation and filtration-based SARS-CoV-2 recovery methods and the influence of temperature, turbidity, and surfactant load in urban wastewater
Kevill, J. L., Pellett, C., Farkas, K., Brown, M. R., Bassano, I., Denise, H., McDonald, J. E., Malham, S. K., Porter, J., Warren, J., Evens, N. P., Paterson, S., Singer, A. C. & Jones, D. L., 20 Feb 2022, In: Science of the Total Environment. 808, 151916.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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The interaction of human microbial pathogens, particulate material and nutrients in estuarine environments and their impacts on recreational and shellfish waters
Malham, S. K., Rajko-Nenow, P., Howlett, E., Tuson, K. E., Perkins, T. L., Pallett, D. W., Wang, H., Jago, C. F., Jones, D. L. & McDonald, J. E., 7 Jul 2014, In: Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts. 16, p. 2145-2155Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Multi-scale influences on Escherichia coli concentrations in shellfish: From catchment to estuary
Malham, S., Taft, H., Farkas, K., Ladd, C., Seymour, M., Robins, P., Jones, D. L., McDonald, J., Le Vay, L. & Jones, L., 1 Feb 2025, In: Environmental Pollution. 125476.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Seasonal and spatial dynamics of enteric viruses in wastewater and in riverine and estuarine receiving waters
Malham, S., Farkas, K., McDonald, J., Jones, D. L., Cooper, D. & de Rougemont, A., 1 Sept 2018, In: Science of the Total Environment. 634, p. 1174 1183 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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The microbial ecology of anaerobic cellulose degradation in municipal waste landfill sites: evidence of a role for fibrobacters
McDonald, J. E., Houghton, J. N., Rooks, D. J., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J., 1 Apr 2012, In: Environmental Microbiology. 14, 4, p. 1077-1087Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Detection of novel Fibrobacter populations in landfill sites and determination of their relative abundance via quantitative PCR.
McDonald, J. E., Lockhart, R. J., Cox, M. J., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J., 1 May 2008, In: Environmental Microbiology. 10, 5, p. 2360-2365Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Composition of the landfill microbial community as determined by application of domian- and group-specific 16s and 18s rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes.
McDonald, J. E., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J., 1 Feb 2010, In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76, 4, p. 1301-1306Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Enhancing first year undergraduate student engagement via the School of Biological Sciences tutorials module
McDonald, J. E. & Robinson, R. L., 1 Jul 2014, In: Bioscience Education. 22, 1, p. 54-69Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Molecular biological detection and quantification of novel Fibrobacter populations in freshwater lakes.
McDonald, J. E., De Menezes, A. B., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J., 1 Aug 2009, In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 75, 15, p. 5148-5152Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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High-Throughput Method for Rapid Induction of Prophages from Lysogens and Its Application in the Study of Shiga Toxin-Encoding Escherichia coli Strains
McDonald, J. E., Smith, D. L., Fogg, P. C., McCarthy, A. J. & Allison, H. E., 1 Apr 2010, In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76, 7, p. 2360-2365Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Characterising the Canine Oral Microbiome by Direct Sequencing of Reverse-Transcribed rRNA Molecules
McDonald, J., Larsen, N., Pennington, A., Connolly, J., Wallis, C., Rooks, D. J., Hall, N., McCarthy, A. J. & Allison, H. E., 8 Jun 2016, In: PLoS ONE. 11, 6, e0157046.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Application of ecological and evolutionary theory to microbiome community dynamics across systems
McDonald, J., Marchesi, J. R. & Koskella, B., 23 Dec 2020, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 287, 1941, 20202886.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Methods for the isolation of cellulose-degrading microorganisms
McDonald, J. E., Rooks, D. J. & McCarthy, A. J., 2012, In: Methods in Enzymology. 510, p. 349-74 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review