Bill Grant

Biography

Emeritus Professor of Environmental Microbiology Emeritus Professor of Environmental Microbiology

Research Interest

Since the late 1970s, Professor Grant has been interested in microbial biodiversity in extreme environments, particularly in East African saline and soda lakes. Professor Grant has also worked on the diversity of microbes in salt mines, ancient salt deposits and low level nuclear waste. Professor Grant has held a considerable number of industrial contracts, ranging from the exploitation of the enzymatic of soda lake bacteria, to the analysis of chemical and microbial evolution in low-level nuclear wastes. His work on ancient halite (salt) deposits, demonstrates that such deposits harbour what appear to be ancient bacteria. Because Mars is known to have salt deposits, this work has generated interest as a model system for the experimental detection of extraterrestrial life. Current interests are mainly in the molecular analysis of microbes and microbial signatures in environments, and accessing microbial genetic resources without the need for culture.