Colleen McDermott, DVM, Ph.D.

Professor
Pre-Veterinary Medicine Advisor
HS 154, 424-7090

Education:

B.S. Biology (Animal Physiology) Cornell University 1980
M.S. Animal Science (Nutritional Physiology) Iowa State University 1982
D.V.M. Iowa State University 1986
Ph.D. Pathology (Infectious Disease) Kansas State University 1990

Courses taught:

Bio 341/541 Immunology
Bio 374/574 Cell/Immunology Lab
Bio 312/512 Medical Bacteriology
Bio 250 Medical Mycology
Bio 112 Healthcare Orientation 

Research Interests:

1. Microbial contamination of beach water. My laboratory works in conjunction with Drs. Greg Kleinheinz and Todd Sandrin at UW-Oshkosh, and with Dr. Sandra McClellan (Great Lakes Water Institute) and Dr. Richard Whitman (US Geological Survey) to better understand the sources of microbial contamination of recreational waters. Specifically, we monitor beach water in Lake Michigan (Door and Kewaunee counties, WI), Lake Superior (Ashland, Bayfield, and Iron counties, WI) and in inland lakes (Vilas and Oneida counties, WI) for E. coli (a bacterial indicator of fecal contamination). We then try to determine the source of the fecal contamination by a variety of techniques (DNA fingerprinting, antibiotic sensitivity testing, spatial and temporal sampling, etc.). Most recently we have been measuring E. coli concentrations in beach sand, and in Cladophora mats (green algae located along shore lines), potential reservoirs for E. coli. My lab is particularly interested in detection of pathogens in water, sand, and algae, to ascertain if E. coli is truly a good indicator of fecal contamination and can be used to determine risk to human health. We have begun investigations into the utilization of another bacterial indicator species (Bacteroides), as a replacement for E. coli.

2. Effects of phycotoxins (cyanobacterial) on invertebrates in freshwater ecosystems. The second project undertaken by my laboratory involves the cyanobacterial toxins, specifically microcystin-LR and anatoxin-a. We are interested in the effects of the toxins on invertebrates (especially Daphnia) populations in freshwater environments. We have utilized immunoassay techniques, as well as traditional chemical assays to detect these toxins in water of Lake Winnebago, WI and in collaboration with Dr. Bart DeStasio (Lawrence University) have looked at the effects of cyanotoxins on invertebrate physiology and behavior in vivo and in vitro.

Recent Publications:

McDermott, C.M., R. Feola, and J. Plude. 1995. Detection of cyanobacterial toxins (microcystins) in waters of northeastern Wisconsin by a new immunoassay technique. Toxicon 33:1433-1443.

McDermott, C.M., C.W. Nho, W. Howard, and B. Holton. 1998. The cyanobacterial toxin, microcystin-LR, causes apoptosis in a variety of cell types. Toxicon 36:1981-1996.

Kleinheinz, G.T., C.M. McDermott, and R.W. Sampson. 2003. Recreational water: Microbial contamination and human health. Transactions Wisconsin Acad. Sci., Arts, and Letters. 90:75-86.

Trabeau, M., R. Bruhn-Keup, C.M. McDermott, M. Keomany, A. Millsaps, A. Emery, and B. DeStasio Jr. 2004. Midsummer decline of a Daphnia population attributed in part to cyanobacterial capsule production. J. Plankton Res. 26:949-961.

Sampson, R.W., S. Swiatnicki, C.M. McDermott, and G.T. Kleinheinz. 2005. E. coli at Lake Superior recreational beaches. Great Lakes Research J. 31:116-121.

Sampson, R.W., S.A. Swiatnicki, C.M. McDermott, and G.T. Kleinheinz. 2006. The effects of rainfall on E. coli and total coliform levels at 15 Lake Superior recreational beaches. Water Resource Management. 20(1):151-159.

Sampson, R., S. Swiatnicki, V.L. Osinga, J.L. Supita, C.M. McDermott, and G.T. Kleinheinz. 2006. Effect of temperature and sand on E. coli survival in a lake water microcosm. J Water Health 4:389-393.

Kleinheinz, G.T., C.M. McDermott and V. Chomeau. 2006. Evaluation of avian waste and bird counts as predictors of Escherischia coli contamination at Door County, WI beaches. J. Great Lakes Res. 32:117-123.

Kleinheinz, G.T., C.M. McDermott, M.-C. Leewis, and E. Englebert. 2006. Influence of sampling depth on E. coli concentrations in beach monitoring. Water Research. 40:3831-3837.

Siegrist, T.J., P.D. Anderson, W.H. Huen, C.M. McDermott , G.T. Kleinheinz, and T.R. Sandrin. 2007. Discrimination and Characterization of Environmental Strains of Escherichia coli by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). J Microbiol Methods 68(3): 554-562.

Kleinheinz, G.T., C.M. McDermott, and T.S. Sandrin. 2007. Microbial contamination of recreational waters and the microbial source-tracking toolbox. SIM News 56 (1):6-18.

Englebert, E., C.M. McDermott, G.T. Kleinheinz. 2007. Impact of the alga, Cladophora, on the survival of E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella, in laboratory microcosms. J. Great Lakes Res. In press.