Maxine AD Mowe

Lecturer, National University of Singapore
Email: maxinemowe@nus.edu.sg
PhD National University of Singapore

AlumNUS

PhD NUS
BSc (Hons) (Hawaii Pacific University)

Current designation:

Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore

ResearchGate profile

Department of Biological Sciences profile

Google Scholar profile

Areas of interest

Freshwater and marine phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology; Toxic cyanobacteria ecology; Cyanobacterial blooms

Background

My PhD (2010–2015) was to understand the growth and toxin production of toxic cyanobacteria in Singapore’s reservoirs. Various toxin producing cyanobacterial strains were isolated, cultured and tested for toxins. These strains were then grown under varying physical and chemical variables to acsertain the effects of differing light, temperature and nutrients on growth and toxin cell quotas. The study was carried out under a Public Utilities Board (PUB) grant awarded to P.I. Dr. Darren C. J. Yeo in collaboration with Dr. Simon Mitrovic from the University of Technology, Sydney and Dr. Ambrose Furey, Feras Abbas and Cristina Porojan from Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland.

After which, I took up a postdoctoral research position which focused on investigating the restoration of a Singapore reservoir using macrophytes. The overall objectives of this study are the determination of trigger macrophyte-densities that lead to a switch from cyanobacteria/phytoplankton-dominated to macrophyte-dominated states; taking into account how light, nutrients, and allelopathy may influence this.

Current projects

I am currently a biology lecturer at the National University of Singapore in the Department of Biological Sciences and teach various biology and ecology courses (General Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Freshwater Biology, Plankton Ecology)  for undergraduate students and several courses (Freshwater Conservation, Food Security and Sustainability and Internships) for the Masters’ programme in NUS on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability. My research interests include ecology of cyanobacterial taxa (Microcystis, Cylindrospermopsis), phytoplankton and zooplankton interactions, microplastic impacts and eutrophication and algal bloom mitigation using macrophytes in Singapore’s reservoirs and coastal phytoplankton & zooplankton ecology with emphasis on carbon sequestration by phytoplankton.

Selected publications

• Abbas, F., Porojan, C., Mowe M. A, D., Lehane, M., Mitrovic, S. M., Lim, R. P., D. C. J. Yeo & Furey, A 2020, Sample extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method development and validation for the quantitative detection of cyanobacterial hepatotoxins and neurotoxins in Singapore’s reservoirs. Marine and Freshwater Research..

• Porojan, C., Abbas, F., Mowe, M.A., Lehane, M., Mitrovic, S.M., Lim, R.P., Yeo, D.C. & Furey, A 2020. Survey of microcystins in Singapore’s reservoirs using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Marine and Freshwater Research..

• Mohamed N. H. N., S. H. Te, M. A. D. Mowe, K. Y. Gin, 2019. Environmental factors influence cylindrospermopsin production of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (CR12). Journal of Plankton Research, 41(2): 114–126.

• Song, Y., M. A. D. Mowe, S. Mitrovic, H. T. H. Tan & D. C. J. Yeo, 2019. An ex-situ mesocosm study of emergent macrophyte effects on phytoplankton communities. Fundamental and Applied Limnology, 8(13): 365–378.

• Mowe, M. A. D., Y. Song, D. Z. H. Sim, J. Lu, S. M. Mitrovic, H. T. W. Tan & D. C. J. Yeo, 2019. Comparative study of six emergent macrophyte species for controlling cyanobacterial blooms in a tropical reservoir. Ecological Engineering, 129: 11–21.
• Song, Y., J. H. Liew, D. Z. H. Sim, M. A. D. Mowe, S. M. Mitrovic, H. T. W. Tan & D. C. J. Yeo, 2018. Effects of macrophytes on lake-water quality across latitudes: a meta-analysis. Oikos, 128(4): 468–481.
• Mowe, M. A. D., C. Porojan, F. Abbas, S. M. Mitrovic, R. P. Lim, A. Furey & D. C. J. Yeo, 2015. Rising temperatures may increase growth rates and microcystin production in tropical Microcystis species. Harmful Algae, 50: 88–98.
• Mowe, M. A. D., F. Abbas, C. Porojan, S. M. Mitrovic, R. P. Lim, A. Furey & D. C. J. Yeo, 2015. Roles of nitrogen and phosphorus in growth responses and toxin production (using LC-MS/MS) of tropical Microcystis ichthyoblabe and M. flos-aquae. Journal of Applied Phycology, doi:10.1007/s10811-015-0688-0.
• Mowe, M. A. D., S. M. Mitrovic, R. P. Lim, A. Furey & D. C. J. Yeo, 2015. Tropical cyanobacterial blooms: a review of prevalence, problem taxa, toxins and influencing environmental factors. Journal of Limnology, doi:10.4081/jlimnol.2014.1005.