Richard Webb

Richard Webb serves as Adjunct Senior Lecturer and Senior Laboratory Manager at the University of Queensland's Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CMM). In this capacity, he manages the day-to-day operations of the centre's laboratories and instrumentation, conducts interviews with new clients to determine optimal use of facilities, and contributes to senior-level management decisions. As a Senior Research Officer, Webb develops innovative biological sample processing procedures and engages in collaborative research across microbiology, cell biology, zoology, and botany. His work supports advanced microscopy techniques essential for structural analysis in life sciences.

Webb's extensive publication record underscores his impact in microbial ecology and ultrastructure research. Key contributions include co-authoring 'Missing lithotroph identified as new planctomycete' (Nature, 1999), which identified a novel planctomycete central to nitrogen cycling; 'Candidatus “Anammoxoglobus propionicus” a new propionate oxidizing species of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria' (Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 2007); and 'Candidatus “Scalindua brodae”, sp. nov., Candidatus “Scalindua wagneri”, sp. nov., two new species of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria' (Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 2003). Additional significant papers are 'Cell compartmentalisation in planctomycetes: novel types of structural organisation for the bacterial cell' (Archives of Microbiology, 2001), 'Plants can use protein as a nitrogen source without assistance from other organisms' (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008), 'Metamorphosis of a scleractinian coral in response to microbial biofilms' (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2004), 'Investigation of Candidate Division TM7, a recently recognized major lineage of the domain Bacteria with no known pure-culture representatives' (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2001), 'High-resolution mapping reveals topologically distinct cellular pools of phosphatidylserine' (Journal of Cell Biology, 2011), and 'Identification of the primary lesion of toxic aluminum in plant roots' (Plant Physiology, 2015). These works, spanning high-impact journals, demonstrate his expertise in bacterial compartmentalization, anammox processes, plant-microbe interactions, and microscopy applications.