Lara Dillon

Young scientist with curly dark hair inside an algal culture collection walk-in fridge

CCAP Support Scientist

I graduated from the University of the Highlands and Islands with my Bachelor of Science with Honours in Marine Science. I have focused on algae microbiology and molecular biology, completing my honours project on the inducement of Omega-3 fatty acids in an Antarctic algal strain.

I am now a support scientist at CCAP, helping to maintain strains of amoebas as well as macro- and microalgae. I am interested in algal metabolomics as well as the use of macroalgae to combat toxic algal blooms.

Contact details:

My job

As a part of the CCAP team I maintain parts of the collection, spanning micro- and macroalgae as well as amoebas. I also manage the ARIES facilities (Biolab 1), overseeing the use of the scale up facilities for research and industrial use. I am also part of the toxic algae monitoring program, assisting in the settling and analysis of samples from shellfish farms across Scotland.

 

Current research projects

Toxic algae monitoring programme

GutBrain

 

Publications

Ruiz Gonzalez C, Grigg V, Thomas N, Thomson AI, MacPherson E, Dillon L, Gober E, Smith AG, Cockell C, Convey P, Davey MP (2026) Antarctic snow algal responses to temperature - potential implications of climate change. Sustainable Microbiology, Volume 3, Issue 2, qvag023: https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag023

 

Fieldwork experience

Plankton sampling, benthic trawls, water sampling

 

Teaching experience

BSc Marine Science / MSc ACES: Aquaculture module - demonstrating algal subculturing techniques and photobioreactor scale up facilities

CCAP CPD courses: Providing information on scale up of algal cultures and the use of the ARIES facilities.

 

Qualifications

2026 BSc (Hons) Marine Science with Marine Biology. UHI

 

Employment history

2026 Summer Research Intern. SAMS

Since Aug 2026 CCAP Support Scientist. SAMS