Linda Lawton, recently appointed Professor of Environmental Microbiology at The Robert Gordon University (RGU), is set to divulge key points from her research into the safety of drinking water in her Professorial Lecture on Tuesday 6 May.
Professor Lawton has worked at the University's School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences for 14 years. Her main area of expertise is in aquatic microbiology, focussing on blue-green algae and the many problems they cause.
In her Professorial lecture 'Water, water everywhere but is it safe to drink?' Linda will explore the world of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and how they can impinge on the safety of drinking water. She will discuss specifically how they can affect us, how we can understand them better and the ways we can reduce their potentially harmful impact.
'Water, water everywhere but is it safe to drink?'
Linda leads the Cyanotoxin Research Group at RGU, which carries out internationally renowned research into the environmental impact and monitoring of cyanobacterial toxins. These toxins are a significant and increasing threat to human health in both drinking water and at recreational sites. Having made a major contribution to the development of methods to reliably detect and destroy these toxins, Linda is helping to ensure the provision of safer drinking water for all.
Linda is delighted to have been appointed Professor and explained: "I was really thrilled when I was given the news about the appointment. It has already made a significant impact on my international research collaborations."
Professor Terry Healey, Head of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences at RGU, added: "The research that Linda is leading is very important as nothing is more precious than the purity of our drinking water and a sustainable environment."
