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Dr Stephen Bowden

Dr Stephen Bowden
Dr Stephen Bowden
Dr Stephen Bowden

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About
Email Address
s.a.bowden@abdn.ac.uk
Telephone Number
+44 (0)1224 273467
School/Department
School of Geosciences

Biography

Stephen is an Organic Geochemist who researches chemcial fossils and sedimentary organic matter and develops novel analytical technologies for chemical analysis. He has worked on international expeditions as a lead sedimentologist and geochemist. He manages a laboratory that conducts consultancy and research. His students start and run businesses and play leading roles in industry, education and their communities.

 

Memberships and Affiliations

Internal Memberships
  • Course Coorinator GL 4031 (Geochemistry and Geofluids), - a course that along with GL3018 teaches biomarkers, thermal maturiation, biodegredation, basin modelling
  • Geochemistry Laboratory Manager
  • Member of School Health and Safety Committee
  • Radiation Protection Supervisor & Laser Protection Supervisor
  • University Enterprise and Innovation Champion
External Memberships

Commercial

  • Scientific Advisor – RAB Microfluidics; 2017 - present
  • Technical Advisor – Glensol Enviroklean Solutions 2020 – present

Education

Visiting Researcher Kobe University 2021–2022: 

Scholastic

  • Associate Editor – Frontiers in Organic Geochemistry 2022- present
  • Associate Editor – Journal Marine and Petroleum Geology 2019- 2022
  • Reviewing Editor – Experimental Results 2019- 2023

Key Participation in International Science

  • International Ocean Discovery Program 368 - Lead Geochemist 2017
  • International Ocean Discovery Program 370 - Lead Sedimentologist 2016
  • Integrated Ocean Drilling Program 337 - Ship's Organic Geochemist 2013
  • Integrated Ocean Drilling Program 331 - Ship's Sedimentologist 2011
  • NASA Haughton Mars Project - Geologist 2006
Research

Research Overview

Important Projects and Publications

A range of my research is below. Something recent, something old, something commercial and something applied. Maybe something for anyone; if resources permit (normaly time is limiting factor) I am always willing to collaborate. You can also check out my LinkedIn page - I particularly like catching up with old students and hearing from like-minded strangers (the stranger the better)!

 

Most recent paper (2024): The perturbation of PAHs on mosses in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a consequence of social restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. doi.org/10.3389/fgeoc.2023.1320096

My most recent paper is about the measurement of PAH on mosses during the COVID-19 lockdown. Aberdeen does not have its own Environmental PAH monitoring station so instead mosses were used as sampling devices. The changes in pollutant PAH matched changes in traffic as Scotland went in and out of different levels of restriction.

Figure above shows the increases in MMW PAH on mosses in Aberdeen after the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

 

Most cited paper (2005): Biomarker evidence for green and purple sulphur bacteria in a stratified Palaeoproterozoic sea. doi.org/10.1038/nature04068

My most cited paper is about the earliest fossil occurrence (chemical fossil) of a green sulphur bacteria, publsihed at a time when chemical fossils in precambrian rocks were more uncertain than they are now. It involved careful chemical analysis by GC-MS.

m/z 134 ion chromatogram. The i is the peak you are looking for, evidence (at the time, for first fossil occurence of isorenieratane)

Figure above shows the 134 m/z ion chromatogram - the little i is the peak for isorenieratane, evidence for green sulpuhr bacteria.

 

 

Most impactful paper (2009): Determination of the asphaltene and carboxylic acid content of a heavy oil using a microfluidic device. doi.org/10.1039/b814495h

This is my most important paper from an economic perspective as its ideas were used to start a company (RAB microfluidics) that attracted > £2 million in start-up funds. The paper is about the design, testing and building of a microfluidic chip and a method to analyse heavy oil. Later the method was used to commercialise a sensor for lubricating oil analysis.

From blue sky idea to product - took a very hard working PhD student (Dr Alabi, 10+ years and input from many others)

 

 

Consultancy Work (2023): Detection of nano-particles in oils during waterflood experiments

A local SME asked me to develop a method and use it to detect nano-particles in oil at sub 1% concentrations. The method was applied to both core flood experiments and real time adsorption experiments.

Publications

Page 2 of 2 Results 51 to 95 of 95

  • Selenium Enrichment in Carboniferous Shales, Britain and Ireland: Problem or Opportunity for Shale Gas Extraction?

    Parnell, J., Brolly, C., Spinks, S., Bowden, S.
    Applied Geochemistry : Journal of the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry , vol. 66, pp. 82-87
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Raman spectroscopy: Caution when interpreting organic carbon from oxidising environments

    Brolly, C., Parnell, J., Bowden, S.
    Planetary and space science, vol. 121, pp. 53-59
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Geochemical investigation, Oil-Oil and Oil-Source Rock Correlation in the Dezful Embayment, Marun Oilfield, Zagros, Iran

    Asadi Mehmandosti, E., Adabi, M. H., Bowden, S. A., Alizadeh, B.
    Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 68, no. Part A, pp. 648-663
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Enhanced microbial activity in carbon-rich pillow lavas, Ordovician, Great Britain and Ireland

    Parnell, J., Boyce, A. J., Davidheiser-Kroll, B., Brolly, C., Bowden, S., Lindgren, P.
    Geology, vol. 43, no. 9, pp. 827-830
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Exploring deep microbial life in coal-bearing sediment down to ~2.5 km below the ocean floor

    Inagaki, F., Hinrichs, K., Kubo, Y., Bowles, M. W., Heuer, V. B., Hong, W., Hoshino, T., Ijiri, A., Imachi, H., Ito, M., Lever, M., Kaneko, M., Lin, Y., Methé, B. A., Morita, S., Morono, Y., Tanikawa, W., Bihan, M., Bowden, S. A., Elvert, M., Glombitza, C., Gross, D., Harrington, G., Hori, T., Li, K., Limmer, D. R., Liu, C., Murayama, M., Ohkouchi, N., Ono, S., Park, S., Phillips, S. C., Prieto-Mollar, X., Purkey, M., Riedinger, N., Sanada, Y., Sauvage, J., Snyder, G., Susilawati, R., Takano, Y., Tasumi, E., Terada, T., Tomaru, H., Trembath-Reichert, E., T Wang, D., Yamada, Y.
    Science, vol. 349, no. 6246, pp. 420-424
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • High molybdenum availability for evolution in a Mesoproterozoic lacustrine environment

    Parnell, J., Spinks, S., Andrews, S., Thayalan, W., Bowden, S.
    Nature Communications, vol. 6, 6996
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Asphaltene detection using Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)

    Alabi, O. O., Edilbi, A. N. F., Brolly, C., Muirhead, D., Parnell, J., Stacey, R., Bowden, S. A.
    Chemical Communications, vol. 51, pp. 7152-7155
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Constraining the genetic relationships of 25-norhopanes, hopanoic and 25-norhopanoic acids in onshore Niger Delta oils using a temperature-dependent material balance

    Lamorde, U. A., Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A.
    Organic Geochemistry, vol. 79, pp. 31-43
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Impact of displacement rate on waterflood oil recovery under mixed-wet conditions

    Tanino, Y., Akamairo, B., Christensen, M., Bowden, S. A.
    Contributions to Conferences: Papers

  • Enhanced organic carbon burial in large Proterozoic lakes: Implications for atmospheric oxygenation

    Spinks, S. C., Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A., Taylor, R. A. D., Maclean, M. E.
    Precambrian Research, vol. 255, no. Part 1, pp. 202-215
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Constraining causes of fish mass mortality using ultra-high-resolution biomarker measurement

    Othman Wilson, A., Parnell, J., Boyce, A. J., Bowden, S. A.
    Chemical Geology, vol. 385, pp. 156-162
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Survival of organic materials in hypervelocity impacts of ice on sand, ice, and water in the laboratory

    Burchell, M. J., Bowden, S. A., Cole, M., Price, M. C., Parnell, J.
    Astrobiology, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 473-485
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Simultaneous and rapid asphaltene and TAN determination for heavy petroleum using an H-cell

    Alabi, O., Bowden, S. A., Parnell, J.
    Analytical Methods, vol. 6, no. 11, pp. 3651-3660
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Cadmium sulfide in a Mesoproterozoic terrestrial environment

    Parnell, J., Still, J., Spinks, S., Thayalan, W., Bowden, S.
    Mineralogical Magazine, vol. 78, no. 1, pp. 47-54
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Heavy metal, sex and granites: Crustal differentiation and bioavailability in the mid-Proterozoic

    Parnell, J., Hole, M., Boyce, A. J., Spinks, S., Bowden, S.
    Geology, vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 751-754
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • A kinetic model for the thermal evolution of sedimentary and meteoritic organic carbon using Raman spectroscopy

    Muirhead, D. K., Parnell, J., Taylor, C., Bowden, S. A.
    Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis , vol. 96, pp. 153-161
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Preservation of organic matter in the STONE 6 artificial meteorite experiment

    Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A., Muirhead, D., Blamey, N., Westall, F., Brack, A., Demets, R., Verchovsky, S., Brandstätter, F.
    Icarus, vol. 212, no. 1, pp. 390-402
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Early oxygenation of the terrestrial environment during the Mesoproterozoic

    Parnell, J., Boyce, A. J., Mark, D., Bowden, S., Spinks, S.
    Nature, vol. 468, no. 7321, pp. 290-293
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Reduction spots in the Mesoproterozoic age: implications for life in the early terrestrial record

    Spinks, S. C., Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A.
    International Journal of Astrobiology, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 209-216
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The Use of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering for Detecting Molecular Evidence of Life in Rocks, Sediments, and Sedimentary Deposits

    Bowden, S. A., Wilson, R., Cooper, J. M., Parnell, J.
    Astrobiology, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 629-641
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The preservation of fossil biomarkers during meteorite impact events: experimental evidence from biomarker-rich projectiles and target rocks

    Parnell, J., Bowden, S., Lindgren, P., Burchell, M., Milner, D., Price, M., Baldwin, E., Crawford, I. A.
    Meteoritics & Planetary Sciences, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 1340-1358
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Elevated flux of cosmic spherules (micrometeorites) in Ordovician rocks of the Durness Group, NW Scotland

    Dredge, I., Parnell, J., Lindgren, P., Bowden, S. A.
    Scottish Journal of Geology, vol. 46, pp. 7-16
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Benchmarking methods of enhanced heavy oil recovery using a microscaled bead-pack

    Bowden, S. A., Cooper, J. M., Greub, F., Tambo, D., Hurst, A.
    Lab on a Chip, vol. 10, no. 7, pp. 819-823
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Signal Enhancement of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering and Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering Using in Situ Colloidal Synthesis in Microfluidics

    Wilson, R., Bowden, S. A., Parnell, J., Cooper, J. M.
    Analytical Chemistry, vol. 82, no. 5, pp. 2119-2123
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Sulfur isotope signatures for rapid colonization of an impact crater by thermophilic microbes

    Parnell, J., Boyce, A., Thackrey, S. N., Muirhead, D. K., Lindgren, P., Mason, C., Taylor, C. W., Still, J. W., Bowden, S., Osinski, G. R., Lee, P.
    Geology, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 271-274
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Shock chemistry of organic compounds frozen in ice undergoing impacts at 5 km s-1

    Burchell, M. J., Parnell, J. P., Bowden, S.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings

  • Molecular biomarker records from mid-Proterozoic sedimentary rocks and kerogens

    Love, G. D., Li, C., Bowden, S. A., Stalvies, C., Summons, R. E.
    Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 73, no. 13, pp. A793
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Preservation of biological markers in clasts within impact melt Breccias from the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island

    Lindgren, P., Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A., Taylor, C. W., Osinski, G. R., Lee, P.
    Astrobiology, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 391-400
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Determination of the asphaltene and carboxylic acid content of a heavy oil using a microfluidic device

    Bowden, S. A., Wilson, R., Parnell, J., Cooper, J. M.
    Lab on a Chip, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 828-832
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Survival of organic compounds in ejecta from hypervelocity impacts on ice

    Bowden, S. A., Parnell, J., Burchell, M. J.
    International Journal of Astrobiology, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 19-25
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Shock Chemistry of Organic Compounds Frozen in Ice Undegoing Impacts at 5 km s(-1)

    Burchell, M. J., Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A.
    Shock Compression of Condensed Matter, vol. 1195, pp. 871-874
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The thermal alteration by pyrolysis of the organic component of small projectiles of mudrock during capture at hypervelocity

    Bowden, S. A., Court, R. W., Milner, D., Baldwin, E. C., Lindgren, P., Crawford, I. A., Parnell, J., Burchell, M. J.
    Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis , vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 312-314
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Surface-enhanced Raman signatures of pigmentation of cyanobacteria from within geological samples in a spectroscopic-microfluidic flow cell

    Wilson, R., Monaghan, P., Bowden, S. A., Parnell, J., Cooper, J. M.
    Analytical Chemistry, vol. 79, no. 18, pp. 7036-7041
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Searching for life on Mars: selection of molecular targets for ESA's Aurora ExoMars mission

    Parnell, J., Cullen, D., Sims, M. R., Bowden, S. A., Cockell, C. S., Court, R., Ehrenfreund, P., Gaubert, F., Grant, W., Parro, V., Rohmer, M., Sephton, M., Stan-Lotter, H., Steele, A., Toporski, J., Vago, J.
    Astrobiology, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 578-604
    Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews

  • Exploration of Ellsworth Subglacial Lake: A concept paper on the development, organisation and execution of an experiment to explore, measure and sample the environment of a West Antarctic subglacial lake - The Lake Ellsworth consortium

    Siegert, M. J., Behar, A., Bentley, M., Blake, D., Bowden, S., Christoffersen, P., Cockell, C., Corr, H., Cullen, D. C., Edwards, H., Ellery, A., Ellis-Evans, C., Griffiths, G., Hindmarsh, R., Hodgson, D. A., King, E., Lamb, H., Lane, L., Makinson, K., Mowlem, M., Parnell, J., Pearce, D. A., Priscu, J., Rivera, A., Sephton, M. A., Sims, M. R., Smith, A. M., Tranter, M., Wadham, J. L., Wilson, G., Woodward, J.
    Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, vol. 6, no. 1-3, pp. 161-179
    Contributions to Journals: Review articles

  • Biomarker determination as a provenance tool for detrital carbonate events (Heinrich events?): Fingerprinting Quaternary glacial sources into Baffin Bay

    Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A., Andrews, J. T., Taylor, C. W.
    Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 257, no. 1-2, pp. 71-82
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Structural characterization of kerogen in 3.4 Ga Archaean cherts from the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia

    Marshall, C. P., Love, G. D., Snape, C. E., Hill, A. C., Allwood, A. C., Walter, M. R., Van Kranendonk, M. J., Bowden, S. A., Sylva, S. P., Summons, R. E.
    Precambrian Research, vol. 155, no. 1-2, pp. 1-23
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Organic geochemistry of impactites from the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada

    Parnell, J., Bowden, S. A., Osinski, G. R., Lee, P., Green, P., Taylor, C. W., Baron, M.
    Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 71, no. 7, pp. 1800-1819
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Intracrystalline lipids within sulfates from the Haughton Impact Structure—Implications for survival of lipids on Mars

    Bowden, S. A., Parnell, J.
    Icarus, vol. 187, no. 2, pp. 422-429
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • The extraction of intracrystalline biomarkers and other organic compounds from sulphate minerals using a microfluidic format - A feasibility study for remote fossil-life detection using a microfluidic H-cell

    Bowden, S. A., Wilson, R., Taylor, C., Cooper, J. M., Parnell, J.
    International Journal of Astrobiology, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 27-36
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Exploration of ellsworth subglacial lake: A concept paper on the development, organisation and execution of an experiment to explore, measure and sample the environment of a West Antarctic subglacial lake

    Siegert, M. J., Behar, A., Bentley, M., Blake, D., Bowden, S., Christoffersen, P., Cockell, C., Corr, H., Cullen, D. C., Edwards, H., Ellery, A., Ellis-Evans, C., Griffiths, G., Hindmarsh, R., Hodgson, D. A., King, E., Lamb, H., Lane, L., Makinson, K., Mowlem, M., Parnell, J., Pearce, D. A., Priscu, J., Rivera, A., Sephton, M. A., Sims, M. R., Smith, A. M., Tranter, M., Wadham, J. L., Wilson, G., Woodward, J.
    Life in Extreme Environments. Springer Netherlands, pp. 25-43, 19 pages
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters

  • The liquid-liquid diffusive extraction of hydrocarbons from a North Sea oil using a microfluidic format

    Bowden, S. A., Monaghan, P. B., Cooper, M. J., Parnell, J., Wilson, R.
    Lab on a Chip, vol. 6, pp. 740-743
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Compositional differences in biomarker constituents of the hydrocarbon, resin, asphaltene and kerogen fractions: An example from the Jet Rock (Yorkshire, UK)

    Bowden, S. A., Farrimond, P., Snape, C. E., Love, G. D.
    Organic Geochemistry, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 369-383
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Biomarker evidence for green and purple sulphur bacteria in a stratified Palaeoproterozoic sea

    Brocks, J. J., Love, G. D., Summons, R. E., Knoll, A. H., Logan, G. A., Bowden, S. A.
    Nature, vol. 437, no. 7060, pp. 866-870
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • A catalytic hydropyrolysis method for the rapid screening of microbial cultures for lipid biomarkers

    Love, G. D., Bowden, S. A., Jahnke, L. L., Snape, C. E., Campbell, C. N., Day, D., Summons, R. E.
    Organic Geochemistry, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 63-82
    Contributions to Journals: Articles
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