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Dr Michael Macey

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Professional biography

I am a microbiology PDRA working in the AstrobiologyOU group. My research currently involves investigating the diversity and activity of microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments that are analogous to Mars and Enceladus. I also perform simulation experiments to assess the growth dynamics and survival of microbes in simulated extra-terrestrial conditions. 

My PhD at the University of East Anglia involved characterising the impact of plant growth on trace gas metabolising microbes in the soil environment, with a focus on stable isotope probing to identify the active organisms.

 

2017-Current Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Environment, School of Earth and Ecosystem Science - Open University

2013-2017 PhD Environmental Microbiology, School of Environmental Sciences - University of East Anglia

2014 Three month Internship at Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences

2012-2013 Erasmus Year University of Aarhus

Project - The genetic diversity of the Verminephrobacter

2009-2013 BSc (Hons) Biology 1st Class University of York

Project - The isolation and characterisation of Rhizobiophages

Externally funded projects

Earth and Space Exploration Program 2022: Microbiology in Ladakh
RoleStart dateEnd dateFunding source
Lead10 Jun 202207 Aug 2022Microbiology Society

We plan to provide a course that teaches Indian postgraduate students microbiological and geological techniques at field sites within the Tso Kar region of Ladakh. This training will be provided to groups of students by a team of twelve academics on rotation. This course will be a combination of online lectures and practical work in the field, with the characterisation of samples collected from the multiple sites of scientific interest being developed into research manuscripts. A key component of the microbiological work will be screening for isolates that produce antimicrobial compounds, taking inspiration from the small world initiative, as extreme environments potentially represent a reservoir of undiscovered antimicrobial agents.

Publications

Habitability and Biosignature Formation in Simulated Martian Aqueous Environments (2022-12-26)
Macey, Michael; Ramkissoon, Nisha; Cogliati, Simone; Toubes-Rodrigo, Mario; Stephens, Ben; Kucukkilic-Stephens, Ezgi; Schwenzer, Susanne; Pearson, Victoria; Preston, Louisa J. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
Astrobiology ((Early Access))


Sulfur isotopes as biosignatures for Mars and Europa exploration (2022-11-04)
Moreras-Marti, A.; Fox-Powell, M.; Cousins, C. R.; Macey, M. C. and Zerkle, A.L.
Journal of the Geological Society, 179, Article jgs2021-134(6)


Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries (2022-04)
Oliver, James A.W.; Kelbrick, Matthew; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Dugdale, Amy; Stephens, Ben; Kucukkilic-Stephens, Ezgi; Fox-Powell, Mark G.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Antunes, André and Macey, Michael C.
Life, 12, Article 523(4)


Astrobiology as a Driver to Connect India's Public, Scientists, and Space Missions (2022-03-16)
Pandey, Siddharth; Macey, Michael C.; Das, Debashree; Mohanty, Anurup; Tiwari, Satyam; Jose, Jovel Varghese and Sharma, Siddhant
New Space, 10(1) (pp. 51-67)


Oligotrophic Growth of Nitrate-Dependent Fe 2+ -Oxidising Microorganisms Under Simulated Early Martian Conditions (2022-03)
Price, Alex; Macey, Michael C.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Ramkissoon, Nisha K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, Article 800219


Microbes from Brine Systems with Fluctuating Salinity Can Thrive under Simulated Martian Chemical Conditions (2022-01)
Kelbrick, Matthew; Oliver, James A. W.; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Dugdale, Amy; Stephens, Ben; Kucukkilic-Stephens, Ezgi; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Antunes, André and Macey, Michael C.
Life, 12(1) (p 12)


Hunting for Life on Mars by Studying Life on Earth (2021-10)
Macey, Michael; Grand, Ann; Fox-Powell, Mark; Ramkissoon, Nisha; Cousins, Claire and Olsson-Francis, Karen
Frontiers for Young Minds, 9, Article 665929


Exploring the environments of Martian impact‐generated hydrothermal systems and their potential to support life (2021-07)
Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Turner, Stuart M. R.; Macey, Michael C.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Reed, Mark H.; Pearson, Victoria K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 56(7) (pp. 1350-1368)


Assembly of Bacterial Genome Sequences from Metagenomes of Spacecraft Assembly Cleanrooms (2021)
Ilieva, Velislava; Steel, Bruce; Pratscher, Jennifer; Olsson-Francis, Karen and Macey, Michael
Microbiology Resource Announcements, 10, Article e01439-20(7)


Soil, senescence and exudate utilisation: characterisation of the Paragon var. spring bread wheat root microbiome (2021)
Prudence, Samuel MM.; Newitt, Jake T.; Worsley, Sarah F.; Macey, Michael C.; Murrell, J. Colin; Lehtovirta-Morley, Laura E. and Hutchings, Matthew I.
Environmental Microbiome, 16, Article 12(1)


Impact of plants on the diversity and activity of methylotrophs in soil (2020-03-10)
Macey, Michael C.; Pratscher, Jennifer; Crombie, Andrew T. and Murrell, J. Colin
Microbiome, 8(31)


Simulating microbial processes in extraterrestrial, aqueous environments (2020-02-29)
Olsson-Francis, K.; Ramkissoon, N. K.; Macey, M.; Pearson, V. K.; Schwenzer, S. P. and Johnson, D. N.
Journal of Microbiological Methods, 172, Article 105883


The identification of sulfide oxidation as a potential metabolism driving primary production on late Noachian Mars (2020)
Macey, M. C.; Fox-Powell, M.; Ramkissoon, N. K.; Stephens, B. P.; Barton, T.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Pearson, V. K.; Cousins, C. R. and Olsson-Francis, K.
Scientific reports, 10, Article 10941


Draft Genome Sequence of Clostridium sp. Strain E02, Isolated from an Estuarine Environment (2019-01-10)
Macey, Michael; Curtis-Harper, Elliot and Olsson-Francis, Karen
Microbiology resource announcements, 8(2)


Draft Genome Sequences of the Nitrate-Dependent Iron-Oxidizing Proteobacteria Acidovorax sp. Strain BoFeN1 and Paracoccus pantotrophus Strain KS1 (2018-09-13)
Price, A.; Macey, M. C.; Miot, J. and Olsson-Francis, K.
Microbiology Resource Announcements, 7, Article e01050-18(10)


Draft Genome Sequences of Obligate Methylotrophs Methylovorus sp. Strain MM2 and Methylobacillus sp. Strain MM3, Isolated from Grassland Soil (2018)
Macey, Michael Christopher; Pratscher, Jennifer; Crombie, Andrew and Murrell, J. Colin
Microbiology Resource Announcements, 7, Article e00824-18(8)


Fifty important research questions in microbial ecology (2017-05-01)
Antwis, Rachael E.; Griffiths, Sarah M.; Harrison, Xavier A.; Aranega-Bou, Paz; Arce, Andres; Bettridge, Aimee S.; Brailsford, Francesca L.; de Menezes, Alexandre; Devaynes, Andrew; Forbes, Kristian M.; Fry, Ellen L.; Goodhead, Ian; Haskell, Erin; Heys, Chloe; James, Chloe; Johnston, Sarah R.; Lewis, Gillian R.; Lewis, Zenobia; Macey, Michael C.; McCarthy, Alan; McDonald, James E.; Mejia-Florez, Nasmille L.; O’Brien, David; Orland, Chloé; Pautasso, Marco; Reid, William D. K.; Robinson, Heather A.; Wilson, Kenneth and Sutherland, William J.
FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 93, Article fix044(5)


Earthworm ecology affects the population structure of their Verminephrobacter symbionts (2016-05)
Viana, Flávia; Jensen, Christopher Erik; Macey, Michael; Schramm, Andreas and Lund, Marie Braad
Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 39(3) (pp. 170-172)


The Study of Microbial Survival in Extraterrestrial Environments Using Low Earth Orbit and Ground-Based Experiments (2018-10)
Olsson-Francis, Karen; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Price, Alex B.; Slade, David J.; Macey, Michael C. and Pearson, Victoria K.
In: Gurtler, Volker and Trevors, Jack T. eds. Microbiology of Atypical Environments. Methods in Microbiology (pp. 27-65)
ISBN : 978-0-12-814604-0 | Publisher : Elsevier


First insights into the chemistry and microbial community composition of the Western Sahara salt plains, a potential Mars analogue (2022)
Ilieva, Velislava; Stephens, Ben; Goodall, Tim; Ori, Gian Gabriele; Read, Daniel; Pearson, Victoria; Olsson-Francis, Karen and Macey, Michael
In : Geomicrobiology Research In Progress Meeting (30 Jun - 1 Jul 2022, University of Huddersfield)


Geochemical Energy Available to Microbes in Martian Impact Craters (2021)
Ramkissoon, Nisha; Turner, Stuart; Macey, Michael; Schwenzer, Susanne; Reed, M.H.; Pearson, Victoria and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2021 (15-19 Mar 2021, Virtual)


Colour Peak:An analogue environment for the waters of late Noachian Mars (2020-08-28)
Macey, Michael; Ramkissoon, Nisha; Fox-Powell, Mark; Barton, Tim; Stephens, Ben P.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Cousins, Claire R. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : EANA 2020 (27-28 Aug 2020, Online)


Testing the habitability of distinct simulated martian environments (2020)
Macey, Michael C.; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : AbGradE 2020 (26/08/2020, Online)


Colour Peak: An analogue environment for late Noachian Mars (2020)
Macey, Michael C.; Fox-Powell, Mark; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Stephens, Ben P.; Barton, Tim; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Cousins, Claire R. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : Astrobiology Australasia Meeting (9-11 Sep 2020, Online)


The identification of sulfide oxidation as potential metabolism driving primary production on late Noachian Mars (2020)
Macey, Michael C; Fox-Powell, Mark; Ramkissoon, Nisha K; Baharier, Bea; Oliver, James A W; Stephens, Ben; Schwenzer, Susanne P; Pearson, Victoria K; Cousins, Claire R and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (15-19 Mar 2020 (Virtual), Houston, USA)


Viable metabolisms in a simulated martian environments (2019-06-24)
Macey, Michael; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : AbSciCon 2019 (24-28 Jun 2019, Bellevue, Washington)


The microbial diversity of a sulfur-rich and saline cold pool in the Canadian high Arctic (2019-04-08)
Macey, Michael Christopher; Stephens, Ben; Fox-Powell, Mark; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Cousins, Claire R. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2019 (8-11 Apr 2019, ICC Belfast, UK)


Viable metabolisms in a simulated martian chemical environment (2019-04-08)
Macey, Michael; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2019 (8-11 Apr 2019, ICC Belfast, UK)


Microbial growth in simulated martian environments (2018)
Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Macey, Michael C.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : European Planetary Science Congress 2018 (16-21 Sep 2018, Berlin, Germany)


Arctic microbes – The phylogenetic and functional diversity of prokaryotes at Colour Peak (2018)
Macey, Michael Christopher; Fox-Powell, Mark; Stephens, Ben; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Cousins, Claire R. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : Molecular Microbial Ecology Group (MMEG) Meeting 2018 (17-19 Dec 2018, Swansea)


Prokaryotes at Colour Peak – An analogue for the Icy Moons (2018)
Macey, Michael C; Stephens, Ben; Fox-Powell, Mark; Cousins, Claire R.; Schwenzer, Susanne P; Pearson, Victoria K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : EANA 2018 (24-28 Sep . 2018, Berlin)


Viable metabolisms in a simulated martian chemical environment (2018)
Macey, Michael C.; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : AbGradE Symposium 2018 (22-24 Sep 2018, Berlin)


Characterisation of novel isolates from an Enceladan analogue (2018)
Macey, Michael C.; Fox-Powell, Mark; Cousins, Claire R.; Pearson, Victoria K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : AbGradE Symposium 2018 (22-24 Sep 2018, Berlin, Germany)


Simulating martian environments for microbial growth experiments (2018)
Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Macey, Michael C.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : 12th International Congress of Extremophiles (16-20 Sep 2018, Ischia, Naples)


Prokaryotes at Colour Peak – An analogue for the Icy Moons (2018)
Macey, Michael C.; Stephens, Ben; Fox-Powell, Mark; Cousins, Claire R.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : 12th International congress of Extremophiles (16-20 Sep 2018, Ischia, Naples)


The impact of martian brine chemistry on the growth of microorganisms (2017)
Macey, Michael C.; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : 1st British Planetary Science Congress (3-5 Dec 2017, Glasgow)


The impact of martian chemistry on the metabolism of methanogenic archaea (2017)
Macey, Michael C.; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Pearson, Victoria K. and Olsson-Francis, Karen
In : 7th Astrobiology Society of Britain Conference (13-14 Sep 2017, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK)