College of Natural and Computational Sciences

Andrew Marsh Brittain, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Natural and Computational SciencesAndrew Marsh Brittain, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Microbiology

 

HPU Email: abrittain@hpu.edu

Office Telephone: 356-5288

Office location: 206 Hawaii Loa Campus


B.S.,      1978,  Biology with Marine Options Certificate. University of Hawaii

               at Manoa

Ph. D.,   1993,  Microbiology, University of Hawaii at Manoa

National Research Council Fellow May 1993-May 1996, at Marshall Space

Flight Center studying nutrient cycling of closed ecosystems with stable isotopes and production of recombinant proteins for micro-gravity crystallization studies.

Patents:

US-5969098: Yeast-toxin-related protein for antimicrobial vaccine

and sterilizing preservative use;  Oct. 19, 1999 / June 6, 1997, A. Brittain,  CyberChemics, Inc., Huntsville, AL

US-5,981,698  Antimicrobial Peptides; Nov. 9, 1999 / June 3, 1997,

A. Brittain,  CyberChemics, Inc., Huntsville, AL

Publications:

Noever, D.A., H. Matsos, and A. Brittain, Genetic Algorithm

Application. Biosystems, vol.39, 2. 1997

Cronise, R.J. Noever, D.A. and Brittain, A.M. 1996.  Self organized

criticality in closed ecosystems: carbon dioxide fluctuations in Biosphere II. International Journal Of Climatology, vol. 16 (1-6) 1996.

Noever, D. A.  Brittain, A. B., Matsos, H. C., Obenhuber, D. C. 

Cronise R. and Armstrong, S. icrobial diffraction grating as optical detectors for heavy metal pollutants: in press Review of Scientific Instruments. 1996.

Noever, D.A., H. Matsos, A. Brittain, D. Obenhuber, Subbiah

Baskaran, "The effects of variable biome distribution on global climate," Biosystems, 26,2-7 (1996).

Brittain, A. M. and Shaffer, J.A.  The niche for biosphere science: A

researchh agenda for a            thermodynamic approach to closed ecological systems. Conference Proceeding of the 2nd    International Conference on Life Support and Biospherics, 1994, University of Alabama Huntsville Alabama.

Brittain, A. B. The steady state behavior and variability of closed

ecosystems. Conference Proceeding  of  the 2nd International Conference on Life Support and Biosphere  Sciences. 1994, University of Alabama, Huntsville Alabama.

Brittain, A. M. The metabolic diversity, biological activity and stability

of the steady state condition in closed ecological systems. 1993 Ph.D. D Dissertation, University of Hawaii,  Honolulu Hawaii.

Obenhuber, D. C., Shaffer, J. A., Brittain. Recent Developments in the

study of closed  ecosystems.  Conference Proceeding of the International Conference on Life Support and Biospherics, 1992, University of Alabama Huntsville Alabama.

Tien, G., Asato L., Brittain A. M., Bird, D. F., Letelier R. and Karl, D.

M.  RACER: Plankton rate processes in the northern Gerlache Strait, 1989-1990. Antarctic Journal . of the U.S. vol 25:152-154.

Brittain, A. B. and Karl, D. M. 1990. Catabolism of tritiated thymidine

by aquatic microbial communities and incorporation of tritium into RNA and protein. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 56:1245-1254.

Karl D. M., Brittain, A. M. and Tilbrock, B. 1988. Initial microbiology

and chemical investigations of Pele’s vent, Loihi Seamount. NOAA Symp. Series. for Undersea Res.6, 2.

Ramayya, S., Brittain, A. M., DeAlmeida, C. and Antal, M. J. 1988.

Acid-catalyzed  dehydration of alcohols in supercritical water. Fuel 66, 1364-1371.

Antal, M. J., Brittain, A. B. and DeAlmeida, C. 1987. Heterolysis and

homolysis in  supercritcal water, in supercritical Fluids, ACS Symposium Series 329, edited by Squires,T. G. American Chemical Society, Washington D. C.

Antal, M. J. , Brittain, A. M., DeAlmeida, C. and Ramayya, S. 1986.

Catalyzed and uncatalyzed conversion of cellulose biopolymer model compounds to chemical feedstocks in supercritical solvents. Proceedings of the IGT conference on energy from biomass and wastes. Washington D. C.

Folsome, C. E., Brittain, A. B. and Zelko, M. 1983. Photochemical

synthesis of biomolecules under anoxic conditions. Origins of Life 13, 41-48.

Folsome, C.E. and Brittain A. M. 1981. Model protocells conduct a

UV photochemical reduction of carbonate to organic carbon. Nature 291,482-83.

Folsome, C. E. and  Brittain, A. M. 1981. Hydrazines and

carbohydrazides produced from oxidized carbon in earth’s primitive environment. Nature 294, 64.

Presentations:

Donald C. Obenhuber,  Robert L. Newton, Andrew Brittain, and

Harvey Cotton, Remote Interactive Experiments for Students using Virtual Instrumentation via the Internet.  Post presented at  96th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiolgy.  Atlanta,  May 1998.

Brittain, A.M. (1996). Diversity Libraries, November 1996, USCD

Connect Conference, San Diego, CA, USA..

Brittain, A. M. A Spacecraft as A Closed Ecosystem: Theory, Reality,

and Testbed. Invited talk at the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiolgy.  New Orleans May 1996.

Brittain, A. M., Noever, D. A. and Cronise, R.  Advanced artificial

intelligence methods for forecasting CO2 fluctuations in the Biosphere II gas phase.  Institute of Ecotechnics and the Linnean Society 4th International Conference on Closed Ecological Systems. In London England April 7-10, 1996

Brittain, A. M. and Shaffer,.J. A. Closed ecological systems,

experimental models to study very complex systems: Linking thermodynamics, information theory and biology in vitro. Institute of Ecotechnics and the Linnean Society 4th International Conference on Closed Ecological Systems. In London England April 7-10, 1996

Brittain, A. M., Noever, D. A.,  Matsos, H.C.  and Baskaran, S. Effects

of Variable Biome  Distribution On Global Climate..  Poster to be presented at the 7th Global Warming International Conference and Expo April, 1996.

Brittain, A. M.  Ecosystems, Closed Ecosystems  and

Thermophysics. invited talk to the Geography and Environmental Sciences Department, Boston University March, 1995.

Obenhuber, D. C. and Brittain, A. B.  Re-isolation of a defined

microbial community from a 4 year old materially closed ecosystem. Poster presented at the Spring 1995 American Society for Microbiology meeting in Washington DC,

Brittain, A. B., Planet of Life Episode 9,  Creatures that play god.

taped interview segment for Nippon Broadcast Company documentary on Origin and Evolution of Life. Jan. 1995

Brittain, A. M. and Shaffer, J.A.  The niche for biosphere science: A

research agenda for a thermodynamic approach to closed ecological systems. Conference Presentation to the 2nd International Conference on Life Support and Biospherics, 1994, University of Alabama Huntsville Alabama.

Brittain, A. B. The steady state behavior and variability of closed

ecosystems.  Conference Presentation to the 2nd International Conference on Life Support and Biosphere Sciences. 1994, University of Alabama Huntsville Alabama.

Brittain, A. M. Closed ecosystems, thermodynamics and space flight.

Speaker for the Monasano Engineers Annual Meeting Sept. 1994, Decatur Alabama.

Brittain, A. M. Characterization of genetically unlinked cold-sensitive

suppressers of the latest acting G! cell division cycle mutation known in baker’s yeast (cdc7). Presentation at the 1993 Big Island Science Conference.

Brittain A.M., 1991. Are Materially-Closed Energetically-Open

Ecosystem Useful Models of Natural Ecosystem?  Paper presented NASA GSRP Conference, Washington D.C.

Brittain, A. M. Greenhouses in the Sky, Closed Environment Life

Support Systems. Invited talk for the Hawaii Space Society,

1991.

Obenhuber D. C., Shaffer J. A., Brittain A. M. and E. B. Rogers.

Closed ecological systems as models for long-term life support systems.  American Society for Gravity and Space Biology, Seventh Annual Meeting, 1991

Brittain, A. M. and Karl, D. M., 1990 Evidence for thymidine

catabolism in natural microbial ecosystems.  Presented at the American Geophysical Union 1990 Ocean Sciences Meeting (invited paper).

Brittain A. M., 1990. Determination of the gas exchange capabilities

of a complex microbial ecosystem for use in bioregenerative life support systems.  Poster presented at NASA GSRP Conference, Washington D.C.

Brittain, A.M., 1989. Stability and effects of perturbation on materially-

closed energetically-open ecosystems. Poster presented at NASA GSRP Conference, Washington D.C.

Brittain, A., Shaffer, J. A. and the late C. E. Folsome, 1989. Closed

ecosystems exhibit functional heterogeneity 5 years after closure. Presentation at Spring 1989 American Society for Microbiology meeting.

Shaffer, J. A., Brittain, A. and the late C. E. Folsome, 1989.  A

comparison of closed ecological ecosystems and open microcosms;  as measured by carbon production and biomass. Presentation at Spring 1989 American Society for Microbiology Annual meeting.


Service:


External service has been directed to leadership roles in two non-profit organizations and volunteer work with a third.  I have been a board member for on the Hawaii Academy of Science helping to direct that organization in promoting science education, largely through the statewide science fairs.  I have been a board member of the Kailua Bay Advisory Council for the last four years helping to direct that organizations efforts at improving environmental water quality on the windward side.  I have also assisted the Friends of He’eia in many initiatives which are described best as scholarship but which are also service.


Courses Routinely taught at HPU (Past five years):

BIOL 3050     Genetics

BIOL 4940     Biology Seminar

BIOL 2050     General Biology I

BIOL 2051     General Biology I Lab

BIOL 2052     General Biology II

BIOL 2053     General Biology II Lab