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Details for Dr Timothy Knowles

Personal details
Name Dr Timothy Knowles
Job title Research Fellow in Radiocarbon Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
Department School of Chemistry University of Bristol
Contact details This expert can be contacted via the University of Bristol Public Relations Office.

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work+44 (0)117 331 8092
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Qualifications BSc(Bristol), PhD(Bristol)
Professional details
Keywords null
gc/ms analyses
amino acids
Areas of expertise Huge amounts (approx. 70 million tonnes) of solid manure are applied to agricultural land in England and Wales each year, as well as treated sewage sludges and composted wastes. There is only a limited understanding of the nature of the organic nitrogen-containing compounds present in these, and even less is known about their fate in the environment.

My project aims to characterise the major organic N constituents of animal wastes and investigate their mobility and mineralization rates in, and leaching from soils. This will be achieved by GC/MS analyses and compound-specific δ15N GC/C/IRMS studies to track highly 15N enriched organic compounds in animal wastes. Simple compounds such as amino acids, amino sugars, peptides and urea will be studied as well as macromolecules such as proteins.