Professor Iseult Lynch PhD, MBA

Professor Iseult Lynch

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Professor of Environmental Nanosciences
Theme lead for Environmental Sciences

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 5532
Email
i.lynch@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Iseult Lynch is an Associate Editor for Environmental Science: Nano, and Deputy director for the Facility for Environmental Nanomaterials Analysis and Characterisation (FENAC) at the University of Birmingham.  Her research focuses on the environmental interactions of nanoparticles and nanostructured surfaces with biological entities from macromolecules to organisms.

She has a very broad overview of all aspects of nanomaterials safety assessment and the data requirements, having served as Chair of the EU Nanosafety Cluster Working Group (NSC WG) on databases for two years (and as co-Chair of the Hazed WG prior to that), as well as being theme editor for the Materials and classification section of the NSC Vision2020 research roadmap (under review for publication in June 2013). Prior to the University of Birmingham she was Strategic Research Manager at the Centre for BioNano Interactions in University College Dublin, where she was instrumental in the development and implementation of numerous large EU-funded projects.

Iseult is part of the Birmingham Plastics Network, an interdisciplinary team of more than 40 academics working together to shape the fate and sustainable future of plastics.  This unique team brings together chemists, environmental scientists, philosophers, linguists, economists, and experts in many other fields, to holistically address the global plastics problem.

Qualifications

BSc. (Hons) Chemistry (1995)

PhD (Chemistry, 2000)

MBA (2012)

Biography

Professor Iseult Lynch undertook her PhD in Physical Chemistry at University College Dublin developing responsive polymeric materials for use in medical devices and as tissue growth substrates. She subsequently did several years of postdoctoral research at Physical Chemistry 1, Lund University in Sweden, including as an EU Marie Curie Fellow, investigating several aspects of colloid and interface science and biophysics. She returned to University College Dublin in 2006 where she led the nanoparticle synthesis and bio-characterisation group at the Centre for BioNano Interactions (CBNI). She then became the Strategic Research Manager for CBNI, and was instrumental in securing multiple large scale national and EU funding bids. In March 2013 she joined the University of Birmingham as a Lecturer in Environmental Nanosciences, becoming Senior Lecturer in 2015 and Professor of Environmental Nanosciences in 2016.

Teaching

Professor Lynch is the undergraduate admissions tutor for Environmental Science.

Leads and contributes to undergraduate modules on the following topics:

  • molecules and materials
  • environmental protection
  • environmental pollution

Deputy director of the MRes in Biological and Environmental Nanoscience, and module leader for the MRes module 'Biological and Environmental Nanoscience'.

Postgraduate supervision

Professor Lynch supervises PhD projects on a range of environmental nanoscience topics, including:

  • interactions of engineered nanoparticles with Daphnia and the secreted eco-corona
  • fate and transformation of silver nanoparticles in the environment
  • assessment of the micro- and nano-structure of Vietnamese biochars
  • routes of uptake of SPIONs in cells
  • impacts of microplastics on freshwater ecosystems

Interested students, including those with existing funding or applying for funding, should contact Professor Lynch by email to discuss potential projects.

Research

Research interests

  • Synthesis of novel composite polymeric materials for biomaterials and environmental applications, such as controlled release and delivery, environmental remediation and Nano(eco)toxicology.
  • Nanoparticle interactions with biomolecules in the environment (natural organic matter, secreted proteins, organic pollutants, etc.) – the “eco-corona” and secondary pollutant effects
  • Determination of the fate and behavior of nanomaterials in the environment
  • Development of high throughput screening applications: nano(eco)toxicology, bionanointeractions and assessment of environmental fate of nanomaterials.
  • Impact and risk assessment of nanomaterials / nanoproducts / nanomedicines.

Other activities

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Guo, Z, Zhang, P, Xie, C, Voyiatzis, E, Faserl, K, Chetwynd, AJ, Monikh, FA, Melagraki, G, Zhang, Z, Peijnenburg, WJGM, Afantitis, A, Chen, C & Lynch, I 2023, 'Defining the Surface Oxygen Threshold That Switches the Interaction Mode of Graphene Oxide with Bacteria', ACS Nano. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c10961

Yang, K, Wang, X, Lynch, I, Guo, Z, Zhang, P, Wu, L & Ma, J 2023, 'Design of cryogel based CNTs-anchored polyacrylonitrile honeycomb film with ultra-high S-NZVI incorporation for enhanced synergistic reduction of Cr(VI)', Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 442, 129923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129923

Kukkola, A, Krause, S, Yonan, Y, Kelleher, L, Schneidewind, U, Smith, GHS, Nel, H & Lynch, I 2023, 'Easy and accessible way to calibrate a fluorescence microscope and to create a microplastic identification key', MethodsX, vol. 10, 102053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2023.102053

Qi, Y, Chen, Y, Xia, T, Lynch, I & Liu, S 2023, 'Extra-pulmonary translocation of exogenous ambient nanoparticles in the human body', ACS Nano, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 12–19. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c09299

Xie, C, Li, X, Guo, Z, Dong, Y, Zhang, S, Li, A, Ma, S, Xu, J, Pang, Q, Peijnenburg, WJGM, Lynch, I & Zhang, P 2023, 'Graphene oxide disruption of homeostasis and regeneration processes in freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica via intracellular redox deviation and apoptosis', Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, vol. 249, 114431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114431

Zhou, P, Zhang, P, He, M, Cao, Y, Adeel, M, Shakoor, N, Jiang, Y, Zhao, W, Li, Y, Li, M, Azeem, I, Jia, L, Rui, Y, Ma, X & Lynch, I 2023, 'Iron-based nanomaterials reduce cadmium toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by modulating phytohormones, phytochelatin, cadmium transport genes and iron plaque formation', Environmental Pollution, vol. 320, 121063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121063

Wu, X, Wang, X, Lynch, I, Guo, Z, Zhang, P, Wu, L, Deng, Y, Xie, Y, Ning, P & Ren, N 2023, 'Strategies to improve photocatalytic activity of nanoscale zero valent iron decorated MoS2: Construction of novel S-scheme nanoflower heterojunction with advanced visible-light degradation of tetracycline', Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 388, 135865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.135865

Xie, C, Li, X, Hei, L, Chen, Y, Dong, Y, Zhang, S, Ma, S, Xu, J, Pang, Q, Lynch, I, Guo, Z & Zhang, P 2023, 'Toxicity of ceria nanoparticles to the regeneration of freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica: The role of biotransformation', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 857, 159590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159590

Silva, PV, Silva, ARR, Clark, NJ, Vassallo, J, Baccaro, M, Medvešček, N, Grgić, M, Ferreira, A, Busquets-Fité, M, Jurkschat, K, Papadiamantis, AG, Puntes, V, Lynch, I, Svendsen, C, van den Brink, NW, Handy, RD, van Gestel, CAM & Loureiro, S 2023, 'Toxicokinetics and bioaccumulation of silver sulfide nanoparticles in benthic invertebrates in an indoor stream mesocosm', Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162160

Silva, PV, Santos, CSA, Papadiamantis, AG, Gonçalves, SF, Prodana, M, Verweij, RA, Lynch, I, van Gestel, CAM & Loureiro, S 2023, 'Toxicokinetics of silver and silver sulfide nanoparticles in Chironomus riparius under different exposure routes', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 865, 161087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161087

Thakur, AK, Sathyamurthy, R, Velraj, R, Saidur, R, Lynch, I, Venkatesh, R, Kumar, PG, Kim, SC & Sillanpää, M 2022, 'A novel solar absorber using activated carbon nanoparticles synthesized from bio-waste for the performance improvement of solar desalination unit', Desalination, vol. 527, 115564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2022.115564

Letter

Marx-Stoelting, P, Rivière, G, Luijten, M, Aiello-Holden, K, Bandow, N, Baken, K, Cañas, A, Castano, A, Denys, S, Fillol, C, Herzler, M, Iavicoli, I, Karakitsios, S, Klanova, J, Kolossa-Gehring, M, Koutsodimou, A, Vicente, JL, Lynch, I, Namorado, S, Norager, S, Pittman, A, Rotter, S, Sarigiannis, D, Silva, MJ, Theunis, J, Tralau, T, Uhl, M, van Klaveren, J, Wendt-Rasch, L, Westerholm, E, Rousselle, C & Sanders, P 2023, 'A walk in the PARC: developing and implementing 21st century chemical risk assessment in Europe', Archives of toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-022-03435-7

Review article

Meskher, H, Ragdi, T, Thakur, AK, Ha, S, Khelfaoui, I, Sathyamurthy, R, Sharshir, SW, Pandey, AK, Saidur, R, Singh, P, Sharifianjazi, F & Lynch, I 2023, 'A Review on CNTs-Based Electrochemical Sensors and Biosensors: Unique Properties and Potential Applications', Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408347.2023.2171277

Li, X, Chen, Y, Zhang, S, Dong, Y, Pang, Q, Lynch, I, Xie, C, Guo, Z & Zhang, P 2023, 'From marine to freshwater environment: A review of the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics', Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, vol. 251, 114564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114564

Zhao, W, Adeel, M, Zhang, P, Zhou, P, Huang, L, Zhao, Y, Ahmad, MA, Shakoor, N, Lou, B, Jiang, Y, Lynch, I & Rui, Y 2022, 'A critical review on surface-modified nano-catalyst application for the photocatalytic degradation of volatile organic compounds', Environmental Science: Nano, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 61-80. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EN00955A

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Nanomaterials in the environment (as well as food, cosmetics, consumer products, nanomedicines, nanopesticides etc.); nanomaterials transformations; nanomaterials fate and behaviour; nanomaterials eco/toxicology; Nanosafety assessment; nanoregulation; nanogovernance; Microplastics; nanoplastics; Open data

Culture and collections

Schools, institutes and departments

Services and facilities