Dr Mary Boyce
Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research
Teaching Areas
- Applied and Analytical Chemistry
Units Taught
- SCC1111 General Chemistry
- SCC1112 Inorganic Chemistry
- SCC3313 Analytical Chemistry I
- SCC3414 Environmental and Analytical Chemistry I
- SCC3415 Project
General Research Interests
Analytical chemistry is my principal area of research. In particular, I have been active in the development and application of emerging analytical technologies including capillary electrophoresis and solid-phase microextraction.
My work involves fundamental chemical research to better understand the chemical processes involved in isolating and separating target compounds. As an analytical chemist, I also get the opportunity to collaborate with scientists from a number of fields.
For example, I have been working with a botanist to determine plant chemicals that protect plants from insect attack, working with marine scientists to better identify seagrass communities in estuaries in south western Australia and working with a food scientist to quantify additives (antioxidants, preservatives and artificial sweeteners) and phytoestrogens in food.
Current Research Interests
Analytical chemistry:
Development of solid-phase microextraction (spme) in combination with gas chromatography (GC) analysis for novel applications including an investigation of essential oil profiles in Australian native plant species.
Investigation of wall coated capillary electrochromatography for the separation of organic compounds
Plant Chemistry:
Investigation of the role of phenolics in disease resistance and rooting production in Eucalypts. Investigation of the phytoestrogen content in native legumes using high performance liquid chromatography
Chemical Education:
Development and assessment of web-based self-assessing feedback modules.
Honours/Postgraduate Students
CURRENT
- Janelle Atkinson
- Bea Sommer - Factors controlling wetland sediment response to alternate drying
and wetting and how this affects water quality
- Anetta Staniek - Phenolics and rooting production in jarrah
- Nick Wood - Nutrient content of seagrass in Shark Bay World Heritage Area and its relevance to the Dugong
PAST
- Tomislav Sostaric - Development of a solid-phase microextraction
method for the analysis of natural vanilla extracts
- Andrew Tromans - Development and optimisation of a MECC method for the separation
and identification of phenolics from eucalypt species
- Monica Gluszak - The determination and quantification of phenolics in a variety
of eucalypt species
- Desmond Menon - The determination of the potential of Australian native plants to phytoremediate lead
Suggested Honours/Postgraduate topics for future students
- Investigation of the potential of solid phase microextraction (spme) gas chromatography to characterise Australian wines
- Investigation of the potential of spme to extract glyphosate from water for quantification by gas chromatography
- Investigation of phytoestrogen levels in native legumes
- Characterisation of native plant by esential oil profiles using solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography
- Development of innovative instrumentation based experiments for use in the undergraduate laboratory
Abbreviated CV/Basic Career Development
In 1991 I graduated with a PhD in inorganic chemistry from the National University of Ireland, Galway. I taught at the Institute of Technology in Waterford, Ireland before taking up my appointment at ECU in July 1992. Since then I have been actively developing and pursuing research in analytical chemistry and in particular chromatography. I have also been active in undergraduate course development, which led to the introduction of a joint ECU-TAFE degree, the Bachelor of Technology (Applied and Analytical Chemistry). This degree is unique in that it is truly integrated and provides multiple exit points (certificate/diploma/degree).
Other/Outside Interests
- Bushwalking
- Squash
Publications
Rummey, J. and Boyce, M.C. (2004). Introducing the program gNMR in an introductory NMR spectrometry course to parallel its use by spectroscopists. Journal of Chemical Education 81: 762-763.
Leggett, M., Kinnear, A., Boyce, M. and Bennett, I. (2004) Student and staff perceptions of the improtance of generic skills in science. Higher Education Research and Development 23 (3): 295 -312.
Boyce, M., Haddad, P. R. and Sostaric, T. (2003) Determination of flavour components in natural vanilla extracts and synthetic flavourings by mixed micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. Analytica Chimica Acta.
Boyce, M. and Haddad, P.R. (2003). Tailoring the separation selectivity of metal complexes and organometallic compounds resolved by CE using auxiliary separation processes. Electrophoresis 24: 2013-2022
Boyce, M. (2001) Determination of additives in food by capillary electrophoresis - a review. Electrophoresis 22. 1447-1459.
Sostaric, T., Boyce, M. C. and Spickett, E. E. (2000) Analysis of the volatile components in vanilla Extracts and flavourings by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography. Journal of Agricultural And Food Chemistry. 48. 5802-5807.
Boyce, M. C., Breadmore, M., Doble, P., Macka, M. and Haddad, P. R. (2000) Indirect detection of inorganic ions in ion exchange open tubular capillary electrochromatography. Electrophoresis 21. 3073-3080.
Boyce, M. and Spickett, E. (2000) Separation and quantification of preservatives using ion-pair HPLC and CZE. Journal of Chemical Education 77. 740-742.
