School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences

Dr Justin Ridge

PhD, GCHEd
Lecturer in Biochemistry & Molc Bio
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
+61 7 336 57320
Molecular Biosciences Building (76), Room 204
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Primary research interest

Research skills - how can students learn key research skills and how can we assess this.

About me

I graduated with a BSc (Class 2.1) in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Sheffield (UK) in 1994. I then went on to gain my PhD, also from Sheffield, focussing on the role of the polypeptide chain in determining energy transduction in the bacterial photosynthetic reaction centre.

I then moved to Australia and between 1998 and 2008 I was a post-doctoral researcher in the School in a number of labs gaining experience in diverse fields such as environmental microbiology and molecular neuroscience.

Since 2008 my role has been as a teaching-focused academic.

Research focus and collaborations

My current research focus is on teaching and learning. In particular, it revolves around research skills and their explicit teaching and assessment. Are we doing this? Are we teaching the skills required in the lab/workplace?

I also have an interest in how core biochemical, microbiological and molecular biological knowledge can be delivered to students of the health professions (medicine, physiotherapy, nursing etc.) in an engaging and relevant way.

Teaching interests

Teaching core biochemical, microbiological and molecular biology knowledge to undergraduate and postgraduate students from a wide range of programs including BSc, MMBiol, and MD.

Selected publications

Researcher biography

My research looks to understand how effectively expectations are communicated, and how we can use this knowledge to implement methods that improve the effectiveness of this communication. My research has several major themes.

These are:

  • Understanding the current expectations of all stakeholders and whether they believe those expectations are being met.
  • The effectiveness of the means used to communicate expectation between stakeholders: do learners interpret information, such as learning objectives, in the same way as the instructors that wrote them? Do learners understand how assessment is used to evidence their competency in specific skills?
  • Are learning activities and assessment aligned to explicit learning goals?

Publications

Book (1)
Book Chapters (2)
Journal Articles (18)
Conference Papers (19)

Book

Batmanian, Laura, Ridge, Justin and Worrall, Simon (2011). Biochemistry for health professionals. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia.

Book Chapters

Ridge, Justin P. and Dodd, Peter R. (2008). Glutamate and ethanol: The role of ionotropic NMDA glutamate receptors in alcoholism. Amino acid receptor research. (pp. 363-374) edited by Benjamin F. Paley and Tomas E. Warfield. New York, U.S.A.: Nova Science Publishers.
Etheridge, Naomi, Ridge, Justin P., Lewohl, J. and Dodd, Peter R. (2008). The effects of alcohol on the brain. Encyclopedia of neuroscience. (pp. 1034-1036) edited by Marc D. Binder, Nobutaka Hirokawa and Uwe Windhorst. Berlin, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_2897

Journal Articles

Ridge, Justin P., Ho, Ada M.-C. and Dodd, Peter R. (2009). Sex differences in NMDA receptor expression in human alcoholics. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 44 (6), 594-601. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agp052
Ridge, Justin P. and Dodd, Peter R. (2009). Cortical NMDA receptor expression in human chronic alcoholism: Influence of the TaqIA allele of ANKK1. Neurochemical Research, 34 (10), 1775-1782. doi: 10.1007/s11064-009-9941-8
Ridge, Justin P., Ho, Ada M.C., Innes, David J. and Dodd, Peter R. (2008). The expression of NMDA receptor subunit mRNA in human chronic alcoholics: Influence of cirrhosis and genotype. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1139, 10-19. doi: 10.1196/annals.1432.053
Cobb, N, Hemann, C, Polsinelli, GA, Ridge, JP, McEwan, AG and Hille, R (2007). Spectroscopic and kinetic studies of Y114F and W116F mutants of Me2SO reductase from Rhodobacter capsulatus. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282 (49), 35519-35529. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M704458200
Ridge, Justin P., Lin, Marianne, Larsen, Eloise I., Fegan, Mark, McEwan, Alastair G. and Sly, Lindsay I. (2007). A multicopper oxidase is essential for manganese oxidation and laccase-like activity in Pedomicrobium sp ACM 3067. Environmental Microbiology, 9 (4), 944-953. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01216.x
Ridge, J. P., Aguey-Zinsou, K. F., Bernhardt, P. V., Hanson, G. R. and McEwan, A. G. (2004). The critical role of tryptophan-116 in the catalytic cycle of dimethylsulfoxide reductase from Rhodobacter capsulatus. FEBS Letters, 563 (1-3), 197-202. doi: 10.1016/S0014-5793(04)00301-1
Aguey, F. K., Bernhardt, P. V., McEwan, A. G. and Ridge, J. P. (2002). The first non-turnover voltammetric response from a molybdenum enzyme: direct electroscopy of dimethylsulfoxide reductase from Rhodobacter capsulatus. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, 7 (7-8), 879-883. doi: 10.1007/s00775-002-0374-y
Ridge, Justin P., Aguey, Kondo-Francois, Bernhardt, Paul V., Brereton, Ian M., Hanson, Graeme R. and McEwan, Alastair G. (2002). Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Dimethyl Sulfoxide Reductase from Rhodobacter capsulatus: Characterization of a Y114 → F Mutant. Biochemistry, 41 (52), 15762-15769. doi: 10.1021/bi0266582
McEwan, A. G., Ridge, J. P., McDevitt, C. A. and Hugenholtz, P. (2002). The DMSO reductase family of microbial molybdenum enzymes; Molecular properties and role in the dissimilatory reduction of toxic elements. Geomicrobiology Journal, 19 (1), 3-21. doi: 10.1080/014904502317246138
Bell, A. F., He, X., Ridge, J. P., Hanson, G. R., McEwan, A. G. and Tonge, P. J. (2001). Active site heterogeneity in dimethyl sulfoxide reductase from Rhodobacter capsulatus revealed by raman spectroscopy. Biochemistry, 40 (2), 440-448. doi: 10.1021/bi002065k
McAuley, KE, Fyfe, PK, Ridge, JP, Cogdell, RJ, Isaacs, NW and Jones, MR (2000). Ubiquinone binding, ubiquinone exclusion, and detailed cofactor conformation in a mutant bacterial reaction center. Biochemistry, 39 (49), 15032-15043. doi: 10.1021/bi000557r
Ridge, JP, Fyfe, PK, McAuley, KE, Van Brederode, ME, Robert, B, Van Grondelle, R, Isaacs, NW, Cogdell, RJ and Jones, MR (2000). An examination of how structural changes can affect the rate of electron transfer in a mutated bacterial photoreaction centre. Biochemical Journal, 351 (3), 567-578. doi: 10.1042/0264-6021:3510567
Fyfe, PK, Ridge, JP, McAuley, KE, Cogdell, RJ, Isaacs, NW and Jones, MR (2000). Structural consequences of the replacement of glycine M203 with aspartic acid in the reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Biochemistry, 39 (20), 5953-5960. doi: 10.1021/bi9925017
McAuley, KE, Fyfe, PK, Ridge, JP, Isaacs, NW, Cogdell, RJ and Jones, MR (1999). Structural details of an interaction between cardiolipin and an integral membrane protein. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 96 (26), 14706-14711. doi: 10.1073/pnas.96.26.14706
Gall, A, Ridge, JP, Robert, B, Cogdell, RJ, Jones, MR and Fyfe, PK (1999). Effects of mutagenesis on the detailed structure of spheroidenone in the Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction centre examined by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Photosynthesis Research, 59 (2-3), 223-230. doi: 10.1023/A:1006168118363
Ridge, JP, van Brederode, ME, Goodwin, MG, van Grondelle, R and Jones, MR (1999). Mutations that modify or exclude binding of the QA ubiquinone and carotenoid in the reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Photosynthesis Research, 59 (1), 9-26. doi: 10.1023/A:1006111321083
Rischel, C, Spiedel, D, Ridge, JP, Jones, MR, Breton, J, Lambry, JC, Martin, JL and Vos, MH (1998). Low frequency vibrational modes in proteins: Changes induced by point-mutations in the protein-cofactor matrix of bacterial reaction centers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 95 (21), 12306-12311. doi: 10.1073/pnas.95.21.12306
McAuley-Hecht, KE, Fyfe, PK, Ridge, JP, Prince, SM, Hunter, CN, Isaacs, NW, Cogdell, RJ and Jones, MR (1998). Structural studies of wild-type and mutant reaction centers from an antenna-deficient strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides: Monitoring the optical properties of the complex from bacterial cell to crystal. Biochemistry, 37 (14), 4740-4750. doi: 10.1021/bi971717a

Conference Papers

Ridge, J. P., Ho, A. M. C. and Dodd, P. R. (2009). N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor expression in the cortex of human chronic alcoholics : The influence of the Taqia Polymorphism of Ankk1. 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, San Diego, CA, United States, 20-24 June 2009. Hoboken, NJ, United States: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.00957.x
Ridge, J.P., Ho, A. M.-C. and Dodd, P.R. (2009). N-methyl D-aspartate receptor expression in the cortex of human chronic alcoholics: The influence of the TAQIA polymorphism of ANKK1. 2nd Annual International Drug Abuse Research Society & International Society for Neurochemistry Satellite Meeting, Seoul, Korea, 17-21 Aug, 2009.
Dodd, P. R., Ridge, J. P., Innes, D. J. and Tannenberg, R. K. (2008). Effect of genotype on glutamate-NMDA receptor subunit expression in caucasian alcohol misusers. Joint Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism, Washington, DC, United States, 27 June-2 July 2008. Hoboken, NJ, United States: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00685.x-i1
Dodd, P. R., Ridge, J. P., Innes, D. J. and Tannenberg, R. K. (2008). Effect of genotype on glutamate-NMDA receptor subunit expression in caucasian alcohol misusers. 2008 Joint Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism, Washington, D.C., 27 June-2 July 2008. Maryland, USA: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00685.x-i1
Dodd, P. R., Ridge, J. P., Innes, D. J. and Tannenberg, R. K. (2008). Phenotype/genotype studies in alcohol misuse. Eighth Biennial Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry, Shanghai, PR China, 23–26 June 2008. Oxford, England: Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05372.x
Dodd, P. R., Ridge, J. P., Innes, D. J. and Tannenberg. R. K. (2007). Gene expression in the brains of human chronic alcoholics in relation to genotype. Japanese Society for Psychiatric Research on Alcoholism (JSPRA) Congress XIX/Asia Pacific Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (APSBRA) Meeting I, Ohtsu, Japan, 28-30 September 2007. Kyoto, Japan: Nihon Arukoru, Yakubutsu Igakkai.
Dodd, P. R., Innes, D. J., Ridge, J. P. and Tannenberg, R. K. (2007). Genetic modulation of amino acid transmitter receptor subunit expression in alcoholic human brain. 21st Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry and the 38th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Neurochemistry, Cancún, Mexico,, 19–24 August, 2007. Oxford: International Society for Neurochemistry. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-3042.2007.04727.x
Ridge, J. P., Lin, M., Larsen, E., Fegan, M., McEwan, A. G. and Sly, L. I. (2006). A multi-copper oxidase is essential for manganese oxidation and Laccase-like activity in Pedomicrobium sp. ACM 3067. ASM 2006, Gold Coast, 2-6 July, 2006.
McEwan, Alastair G., Ridge, Justin P., Aguey-Zinsou, Kondo-Francois, Bernhardt, Paul V. and Hanson, Graeme R. (2003). Site-directed mutagenesis of dimethylsulfoxide reductase from Rhodobacter capsulatus: The critical roles of tyrosine-114 and tryptophan-116. 11th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry, Cairns, Australia, 19 - 23 July, 2003. New York: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/S0162-0134(03)80496-8
McEwan, A. G., Ridge, J. P., Mc Devitt, C., Pfluger, C. M., Hanson, G. R., Bell, A. and Tonge, P. (2000). The DMSO reductase family of molybdenum enzymes in purple phototrophic bacteria. International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes (10th, 2000, ISPP), Barcelona, Spain, 26-31 August 2000.
Hanson, G. R., McDevitt, C. A., Ridge, J. P. and McEwan, A. G. (2000). Spectroscopic characterisation of two complimentary molybdoenzymes. Brisbane Inorganic Chemistry Symposium (BICS III), Dept of Chemistry, UQ, 30 November 2000. Upper Mt Gravatt, Qld.: Queensland Branch (Inorganic Chemistry Group) of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.
Lane, I., Shaw, A., Ridge, J. P., Hanson, G. R. and Mcewan, A. G. (1999). Characterisation of Dimethylsulfoxide reductase and DorC from Rhodobacter capsulatus: implications for electron transfer. The Fourth Brisbane Biological Chemistry Symposium, Brisbane, 9 July 1999. Brisbane: Univ. of Qld.
Ridge, J. P., Hanson, G. R. and Mcewan, A. G. (1999). Molybdenum-Containing Enzymes: Dimethyl Sulfoxide Reductase as a model. RACI 1999 Brisbane Inorganic Chemistry Symposium, Brisbane, 6 December 1999. Australia: Royal Australian Chemical Institute (Qld. Branch).
Ridge, JP, Goodwin, MG and Jones, MR (1998). Protein engineering of the photoreaction centre from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. 665th Meeting of the Royal-Irish-Academy-Lecture on Peptide Metabolism in Cytoplasm of Brain Cells, Hants England, Mar 31-Apr 02, 1998. LONDON: PORTLAND PRESS. doi: 10.1042/bst0260422
Ridge, JP, Goodwin, MG, van Brederode, M, van Grondelle, R and Jones, MR (1998). Modification of the binding pocket for the Q(A) ubiquinone in the reaction centre from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. 665th Meeting of the Royal-Irish-Academy-Lecture on Peptide Metabolism in Cytoplasm of Brain Cells, Hants England, Mar 31-Apr 02, 1998. LONDON: PORTLAND PRESS. doi: 10.1042/bst026s209
Vos, MH, Rischel, C, Breton, J, Martin, JL, Ridge, JP and Jones, MR (1998). Linear dichroism of membrane-bound reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides: Alterations of the B band induced by site-specific mutations. Workshop on Reaction Centers of Photosynthetic Purple Bacteria - Structure, Spectroscopy, Dynamics, Cadarache France, Jun 01-06, 1997. DORDRECHT: KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL. doi: 10.1023/A:1005951717594
Fyfe, PK, McAuley-Hecht, KE, Ridge, JP, Prince, SM, Fritzsch, G, Isaacs, NW, Cogdell, RJ and Jones, MR (1998). Crystallographic studies of mutant reaction centres from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Workshop on Reaction Centers of Photosynthetic Purple Bacteria - Structure, Spectroscopy, Dynamics, Cadarache France, Jun 01-06, 1997. DORDRECHT: KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL. doi: 10.1023/A:1006095520441
Van Brederode, ME, Ridge, JP, van Stokkum, IHM, van Mourik, F, Jones, MR and van Grondelle, R (1998). On the efficiency of energy transfer and the different pathways of electron transfer in mutant reaction centers of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Workshop on Reaction Centers of Photosynthetic Purple Bacteria - Structure, Spectroscopy, Dynamics, Cadarache France, Jun 01-06, 1997. DORDRECHT: KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL. doi: 10.1023/A:1005925917867
Rischel, C, Spiedel, D, Ridge, JP, Jones, MR, Breton, J, Lambry, JC, Martin, JL and Vos, MH (1998). Changes in low-frequency vibrational modes induced by point-mutations in the protein-cofactor matrix of bacterial reaction centers.. XIth International Congress on Photosynthesis - Mechanisms and Effects, Budapest Hungary, Aug 17-22, 1998. DORDRECHT: SPRINGER.

Areas of research

Biochemistry and molecular biology discipline
Science education theme