Tel: (+44) (0)1847 889577

Joined ERI: November 2006

Background

• PhD (Doctor Technicae) at the Institute of Chemical Engineering at the Vienna University of Technology. Dissertation title “Development, validation and application of molecular biological methods in drinking water analysis refining classical microbiological approaches” (2005)

• MSc (with Commendations) Chemical engineering. Studies of Biotechnology, Microbiology and Biochemistry at the Department for Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology. Thesis title “Differentiation and determination of bacterial fecal contamination by means of Escherichia coli in a representative karst catchment area” (2002)

Research Interests

• Molecular biological techniques for environmental applications

• Microbiological water quality and hygiene

• Microbial ecology of aquatic systems

• MST (Microbial Source Tracking)

Selected Publications

• Burtscher, M.M., Koellner, K.E., Sommer, R., Keiblinger, K., Farnleitner, A.H., Mach, R.L. (2006) Development of a novel amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) typing method for enterococci isolates from cattle faeces and evaluation of the single versus pooled faecal sampling approach. J. Microbiol. Methods 67, 281-293

• Farnleitner, A.H., Wilhartitz, I., Kirschner, A.K.T., Stadler, H., Burtscher, M.M., Hornek, R., Szewzyk, U., Herndl, G., Mach, R.L. (2005) Bacterial dznamics in spring water of two contrasting alpine karst aquifers indicates stable autochthonous microbial endokarst communities and morphological adaptations to hydrological conditions. J. Enviorn. Microbiol. 7 (8), 1248-1259

• Byamukama, D., Farnleitner, A.H., Kansiime, F., Manafi, M., Burtscher, M., Mach, R.L. (2005) Contrasting Occurance of Chromobacterium violaceum in tropical Drinking Water Springs of Uganda. J. Water Health 3 (3), 229-238

• Farnleitner, A.H., Zibuschka, F., Burtscher, M.M., Lindner, G., Reischer, G., Mach, R.L. (2004) Eubacterial 16S-rDNA Amplicon Profiling: A Rapid Technique for Comparison and Differentiation of Heterotrophic Plate Count Communities from Drinking Water. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 92 (3), 333-345

Selected Presentations

• Farnleitner, A.H., Stadler, H., Haider, J., Sommer, R., Kirschner, A.K.T., Ryzinska, G., Reischer, G., Burtscher, M.M., Keiblinger, K., Fischer, U., Wieltschnig, C., Mach, R.L.
(2007) Establishing the basic links between hydrological conditions and microbial quality parameters in alpine karstic spring water under increased discharge. 14th International Symposium on Health Related Water Microbiology, Tokyo, Japan

• Burtscher, M.M., Reischer, G., Ryzinska, G., Wilhartiz, I., Mach, R.L., Farnleitner, A.H.
(2006) Bacterial 16S rDNA amplicon profiling: a screening approach for the investigation of
spatial and temporal HPC and in situ microbial community dynamics in ground- and spring
water sources. International Conference All About Karst & Water, Decision Making in a
Sensitive Environment, Vienna, Austria

• Burtscher, M.M., Köllner, K.E., Ryzinska, G., Sommer, R., Keiblinger, K., Farnleitner,
A.H., Mach, R.L. (2006) Identifizierung von Verursachern fäkaler Einträge mittels
Profildatenbank basierender Methoden. 30. Jahrestagung der österreichischen Gesellschaft für
Hygiene, Mikrobiologie und Präventivmedizin, Linz, Austria.

• Burtscher, M.M., Köllner, K.E., Mach, R.L., Sommer, R., Farnleitner, A.H. (2005)
Developement of a reproducible and sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism
(AFLP) finger-printing method on Enterococcus spp for source tracking applications in an
alpine watershed. Water Micro 05, 13th International Symposium on Health Related Water
Microbiology, Swansea, Wales.

• Farnleitner, A.H., Mach, R.L., Burtscher, M.M., Reischer, G., Ryzinska, G., Keiblinger, K.,
Rudnicki, S., Knetsch, S., Sommer, R. (2005) „Back to the roots“– incidence and abundance
of faecal indicators in faeces and sewage of potential pollution sources in an alpine karstic
catchment area. Water Micro 05, 13th International Symposium on Health Related Water
Microbiology, Swansea, Wales.

• Burtscher, M. M., Mach., R.L., Reischer, G., Farnleitner, A.H. (2004) 16S rDNA
Ampliconprofile zur Analyse der eubacteriellen Populationszusammensetzung
koloniebildender Einheiten (KBE) sowie in situ Populationen in Roh- und Trinkwasser. 29.
Jahrestagung de Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Hygiene , Mikrobiologie und
Präventivmedizin, Bad Ischl, Austria.

• Burtscher, M. M., Farnleitner, A.H., Zibuschka, F., Reischer, G., Lindner, G., Hornek,
R.,Mach, R.L. (2004) Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) versus in situ community eubacterial
16S rDNA amplicon profiles from drinking water reveal distinct spatial and temporal
allocations in a distribution net. 10th international symposium on microbial ecology ISME-10
“ microbial planet: from sub-surface to space”, Cancun, Mexico

Other Info:

Padi Advanced Open Water Diver

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