Maggie Cusack

Maggie Cusack is Professor of Biomineralisation at the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow.[1] Her central research focuses on biominerals (shells, corals and bones.)

Career

Cusack initially studied cell biology and did her doctoral thesis on protein biochemistry, however she is better known as a pioneer of geoscience in applying her discoveries about living organisms to advance out understanding of fossils which allows a more accurate and reliable record of climate change.[2]

Specifically, her research interests include determining the influence of ocean acidification on marine microbial photosynthesises, biometrics and biominerals in the realm of materials, bone therapies and stem cells.[1] Some of the analytical approaches she employs include scanning electron microscopy; electron backscatter diffraction, synchrotron analyses and stable isotope measurements.[1] Cusack's work has implications not only in that field but in the modern era too, in developing new synthetic materials for use in medicine, engineering and construction.[2]

She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[3]

Select publications
  • Fitzer, S., Chung, P., Maccherozzi, F., Dhesi, S. S., Kamenos, N. A., Phoenix, V. R., and Cusack, M. (2016) Biomineral shell formation under ocean acidification: a shift from order to chaos. Scientific Reports, 6, 21076. (doi:10.1038/srep21076) (PMID 26876022) (PMC 4753494)
  • Fitzer, S. C., Vittert, L., Bowman, A., Kamenos, N. A., Phoenix, V. R., and Cusack, M. (2015) Ocean acidification and temperature increase impacts mussel shell shape and thickness: problematic for protection? Ecology and Evolution, 5(21), pp. 4875–4884. (doi:10.1002/ece3.1756)
  • Freer, A., Bridgett, S., Jiang, J., and Cusack, M. (2014) Biomineral proteins from Mytilus edulis mantle tissue transcriptome. Marine Biotechnology, 16(1), pp. 34–45. (doi:10.1007/s10126-013-9516-1)
  • Sommerdijk, N. A. J. M., and Cusack, M. (2014) Biomineralization: crystals competing for space. Nature Materials, 13(12), pp. 1078–1079. (doi:10.1038/nmat4147)[1]

References
  1. "Professor Maggie Cusack". Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  2. "Interview Professor Maggie Cusack". Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  3. "Royal Society of Edinburgh". Retrieved 8 December 2016.
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