Linda Lawton, Ph.D., FRSE is a Scottish researcher in microcystins and toxins produced by cyanobacteria and has researched into the impact of the so-called 'blue-green algae" from drinking water supply.[1] Her detection method is now used worldwide[2] and was used by the World Health Organization to develop drinking water safety standards,[2] scientists are trained in it from Sri Lanka to fish farms in Scotland, and Lawton is investigating potential cancer treatments[3] and positive uses such as digesting waste plastics in microbiology.[4] She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2021.[5] Lawton is Professor of Environmental Biology at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.[2]
Linda Lawton | |
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Occupation | researcher |
Employer | Robert Gordon University Aberdeen |
Known for | research into cyanobacteria and water safety |
Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 2021 |
Lawton studied Brewing and Microbiology and Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh and began her academic career in microbiology in the 1980s at the University of Surrey Center for Environmental Strategy.[6] She then worked at Dundee University, for seven years and also obtained her PhD on "biological effects & significance of cyanobacterial peptide toxins", bringing a focus on cyanobacteria for the past 30 years. She became group research leader at Robert Gordon University (RGU) Aberdeen in 1994, and Full Professor in 2007,[2] and is widely cited[7][8] with substantial network of international collaborators including commercial partnerships.[1] She lives in Stonehaven.[1]
Lawton's research group investigates cyanobacteria and algae and water treatment, photocatalysis and novel biofuels. She has 159 publications to date with 5985 citations,[6] and has been invited to write book chapters and present to learned societies and research conferences globally.[2] Lawton's research has been reported both in local press[3][9] and nationally recognised in a political magazine as leading one of the breakthrough projects in Scotland,[10] and also gave 'fun' science communications on biochemistry.[11]
Her formal list of research funding awards which is estimated to be over £10million to date,[2] and publications are on Orcid[7] or Researchgate[6] A recent £1.4million collaboration with Queen's Belfast and St. Andrew's colleagues, under the banner of CyanoSol is looking at "in reservoir destruction of blue-green algae and their toxins".[12]