Dr Nicola Beresford
Principal Technical Manager (Environmental Sciences)

Summary

Working at Brunel has allowed me to gain almost 30 years laboratory experience in the field of ecotoxicology. I now spend most of my time managing the Environmental Sciences biology and chemistry laboratories as well as a small technical team supporting them. I also train staff and students working in the ecotoxicology laboratories, and do still find time to support research activities as well as carrying out contract work.

My ecotoxicology skills include:

• Exposure studies; flow-through experiments exposing adult fish to chemicals, as well as semi-static embryo exposure studies
• Short-term toxicity tests using a variety of organisms including bacteria and algae, e.g. the Microtox Test and the Algal Toxicity Test
• Biological techniques such as histology and ELISAs, for assessing the effects of chemicals on biomarker responses
• Cell-based assays for screening for chemicals with endocrine activity, as well as cell-based viability assays, e.g. MTT and alamarBlue assays
• Molecular biology; using qPCR to measure gene expression

Qualifications

2021: PhD. Thesis title: Oestrogens and anti-androgens in the aquatic environment and their effects on fish, Brunel University London

1995: MSc. Biology of Water Resource Management, Napier University

1983: BSc. Applied Biology, Brunel University

Career

2019 - present: Principal Technical Manager (Environmental Sciences), College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University of London

1996 - 2019: Senior Research Technician, Institute for the Environment, Brunel University London

1985 - 1988: Research Assistant, Immunology Department, Liverpool University, Liverpool

1984 - 1985: Research Technician, Zoology Department, Oxford University, Oxford

Publications

Baynes A, Lange A, Beresford N, Bryden E, Whitlock K, Tyler CR, et al. Endocrine disruption is reduced but still widespread in wild roach (Rutilus rutilus) living in English rivers. Environmental Science and Technology 2023;57:12632-41.

Hamilton PB, Baynes A, Nicol E, Harris G, Webster TMU, Beresford N, et al. Feminizing Effects of Ethinylestradiol in Roach (Rutilus rutilus) Populations with Different Estrogenic Pollution Exposure Histories. Aquatic Toxicology 2022;249:1-10.

Hettwer K, Jähne M, Frost K, Giersberg M, Kunze G, Trimborn M, et al. Validation of Arxula Yeast Estrogen Screen assay for detection of estrogenic activity in water samples: Results of an international interlaboratory study. Science of the Total Environment 2017;621:612-25.

Hassell K, Pettigrove V, Beresford N, Jobling S, Kumar A. No evidence of exposure to environmental estrogens in two feral fish species sampled from the Yarra River, Australia: A comparison with Northern Hemisphere studies. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2016;131:104-17.

Beresford N, Baynes A, Kanda R, Mills MR, Arias-Salazar K, Collins TJ, et al. Use of a battery of chemical and ecotoxicological methods for the assessment of the efficacy of wastewater treatment processes to remove estrogenic potency. Journal of Visualized Experiments 2016;115.

Mills MR, Arias-Salazar K, Baynes A, Shen LQ, Churchley J, Beresford N, et al. Removal of ecotoxicity of 17α-ethinylestradiol using TAML/peroxide water treatment. Scientific Reports 2015;5.

Runnalls TJ, Beresford N, Kugathas S, Margiotta-Casaluci L, Scholze M, Scott AP, et al. From single chemicals to mixtures-Reproductive effects of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol on the fathead minnow. Aquatic Toxicology 2015;169:152-67.

Julis J, Bartlett SA, Baader S, Beresford N, Routledge EJ, Cazin CSJ, et al. Selective ethenolysis and oestrogenicity of compounds from cashew nut shell liquid. Green Chemistry 2014;16:2846-56.

Bannister R, Beresford N, Granger DW, Pounds NA, Rand-Weaver M, White R, et al. No substantial changes in estrogen receptor and estrogen-related receptor orthologue gene transcription in Marisa cornuarietis exposed to estrogenic chemicals. Aquatic Toxicology 2013;140:19-26.

Runnalls TJ, Beresford N, Losty E, Scott AP, Sumpter JP. Several synthetic progestins with different potencies adversely affect reproduction of fish. Environmental Science and Technology 2013;47:2077-84.

Scott AP, Hill T, Ellis T, Beresford N, Runnalls TJ, Sumpter JP. Out-of-season production of 17,20β-dihydroxypregn-4-en-3-one in the roach Rutilus rutilus. Journal of Fish Biology 2013.

Baynes A, Green C, Nicol E, Beresford N, Kanda R, Henshaw A, et al. Additional treatment of wastewater reduces endocrine disruption in wild fish-a comparative study of tertiary and advanced treatments. Environmental Science and Technology 2012;46:5565-73.