Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E9
Office Number: M462 Bio Sciences
Email address: michael.pickard@ualberta.ca
Fax number: (780) 492-9234
Phone number: (780) 492-0831

Academic Degrees

BSc: Hons. Biochemistry, Liverpool University, U.K.
PhD: Biochemistry, Liverpool University, U.K.

Teaching

Microbial Physiology (MICRB 311)
Industrial Microbiology (MICRB 415)
Fermentation Microbiology (MICRB 450)

Administration

Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Council, 1980-present

Supervisor and Consultant, Fermentation Facility, Department of Biological Sciences, 1993-present

Faculty of Graduate Studies Graduate Program Review Committee 2000-2003

Editor, Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 1983-89

Section Editor for Fungi and Eucaryotic Protists, Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 1989-93

American Society for Microbiology

Society for Industrial Microbiology

Current Research Interests

The research in my laboratory is mainly in the area of microbial metabolism, focussed on applied and environmental microbiology. In recent years we have studied the production and uses of a variety of bacterial and fungal metabolites, including fungal peroxidases.

Our current studies are focussed on the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are environmental pollutants produced by natural (forest fire) and anthropogenic (creosote, wood preservative) means, using laccases and manganese peroxidases from white rot fungi. In the biosphere these enzymes are primarily involved in lignin breakdown. We are searching for new enzyme forms which are more resistant to chemical inactivation or degradation and which are more stable to temperature and pH, for use in pollutant metabolism. One source of our fungal strains is the University of Alberta Microfungus Collection.

Vandertol-Vanier, H., Vazquez-Duhalt, R., Tinoco, R. and Pickard, M.A. 2002. Enhanced activity by poly(ethylene glycol)-modification of Coriolopsis gallica laccase. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. Submitted 5 Dec 2001.

Wang, Y., Vazquez-Duhalt, R. and Pickard, M.A. 2002. Purification, characterization and chemical modification of manganese Peroxidase from Bjerkandera adusta UAMH 8258. Curr. Microbiol. 43: [in press, July 2002].

Calabrese Barton, S., Pickard, M., Vazquez-Duhalt, R and Heller, A. 2002. Electroreduction of O2 to Water at 0.6 V (NHE) at Neutral pH on the Wired Pleurotus ostreatus Laccase Cathode. Biosensors & Bioelectronics, accepted 13 March 2002.

Wang, Y., Vazquez-Duhalt, R. and Pickard, M.A. 2002. Manganese-lignin peroxidase hybrid from Bjerkandera adusta oxidizes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence and absence of manganese. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. Submitted March 2002

Van Hamme, J.D., Wong, E., Dettman, H., Gray, M.R. and Pickard, M.A. 2002. Dibenzyl sulfide metabolism by fungi. App. Environ. Microbiol. Submitted March 2002

Ayala, M., Horjales, E., Pickard, M.A. and Vazquez-Duhalt, R. 2002 Cross-linked crystals of chloroperoxidase. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. Submitted June 2002.

Tinoco, R., Pickard, M.A. and Vazquez-Duhalt, R. 2001. Kinetic differences of purified laccases from six different Pleurotus ostreatus strains. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 32:331-335.

Wang, Y., Vazquez-Duhalt, R. and Pickard, M.A. 2001. Effect of Growth Conditions on the Production of Manganese Peroxidase by three strains of Bjerkandera adusta. Can. J. Microbiol. 47:277-282

Bugg, T., Foght, J.F., Pickard, M.A. and Gray, M.R. 2000. Active efflux of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas fluorescens LP6a. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66:5387-5392.

Bressler, D.C., Fedorak, P.M. and Pickard, M.A. 2000. Oxidation of carbazole, N-ethylcarbazole, fluorene, and dibenzothiophene by the laccase of Coriolopsis gallica UAMH 8260. Biotechnol. Lett. 22:1119-1125

Chen, P., Pickard, M.A. and Gray, M.R. 2000. Surfactant inhibition of bacterial growth on solid anthracene. Biodegradation. 11:341-347.

Gray, M.R., Banerjee, D.K., Dudas, M.J., and Pickard, M.A. 2000. Protocols to enhance biodegradation of hydrocarbon contaminants in soil. Bioremediation J. 4:249-257

Beaudette, L.A., Ward, O.P., Pickard, M.A. and Fedorak, P.M. 2000. Low surfactant concentration increases fungal mineralization of a PCB congener but has no effect on overall metabolism. Lett. App. Microbiol. 30:155-160

Reyes, M.P., Pickard, M.A. and Vazquez-Duhalt, R. 1999. Hydroxybenzotriazole increases the range of textile dyes decolorized by immobilized laccase. Biotechnol. Lett. 21: 875-880

Pickard, M.A., Vandertol, H., Roman, R., and Vazquez-Duhalt, R. 1999. High production of ligninolytic enzymes from white rot fungi in cereal bran liquid medium. Can.J.Microbiol. 45:627-631

Tongpim, S. and Pickard, M.A. 1999. Cometabolic oxidation of phenanthrene to phenanthrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol by Mycobacterium S1 growing on anthracene in the presence of phenanthrene. Can.J. Microbiol. 45:369-376.

Pickard, M.A., Roman, R., Tinoco, R. and Vazquez-Duhalt, R. 1999. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism by white rot fungi, and oxidation by Coriolopsis gallica UAMH 8260 laccase. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:3505-3509

Rodriguez, E., M.A. Pickard and R. Vazquez-Duhalt. 1999. Industrial dye decolorization by laccases from ligninolytic fungi. Current Microbiol.38:27-32.

Stelmack, P.L., Gray, M.R. and Pickard, M.A. 1999. Bacterial adhesion to soil contaminants in the presence of low levels of surfactants.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:163-168