Peter Apps Email & Phone Number

Maun, Botswana

I run the BioBoundary Laboratory for Wildlife Chemistry, which is searching for the identities of the chemical signals that African predators use to signal their occupation of an area. The aim is to synthesize scent marks that will keep African wild dogs out of areas where they suffer persecution by livestock farmers, and keep other predators away from livestock. Lethal control over attacks on livestock is a major threat to predator populations all over the world, and loss of livestock to predators traps poor pastoralists into an economically and ecologically destructive povery cycle. Using BioBoundaries and olfactory deterrents to protect wildlife is a win-win.BioBoundaries and deterrents based on chemical signals have never been done before - they challenge the limits of what is believed to be possible, and it is beyond the limits of accepted possibility that I am most at home.

Pretoria, South Africa

National Metrology Laboratories maintain national measurement standards and reference methods. Their analytical capabilities surpass those of other laboratories. I ran trace analyses to international metrology standards of residues and contaminants in food and beverages, using gas chromatography, gas chromatography - mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography, and wet chemistry. I developed and validated methods for analysis of drug and pesticide residues in foods, and ethanol in certified reference materials to metrological standards, and was involved in the management of quality control, laboratory design, analytical instrument acquisitions, personnel development, budgeting and cost control, and project management.

Pretoria, South Africa

I carried out contract work for the South African food and beverage industries, and I was involved most intensively in trace analysis of food, beverage, and industrial and environmental samples. My troubleshooting speciality was off-flavours, which affected hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product, and the integrity of international brands. I also provided high level analytical support and method development and validation for bio-prospecting novel flavour compounds in plants and traditional foods, and analysis of microbial fermentations and other biotechnology products. Both contract work and research required hardware development for thermal desorption, GC-olfactometry, and two-dimensional gas chromatography, and method development and validation for analysis of drug and pesticide residues in foods, and the active constituents of natural and biotechnology products. Residue and contaminants monitoring ran under South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) accreditation and GLP, and natural products quality control under SANAS with FDA oversight. Balancing the conflicting requirements of tactical contract troubleshooting and strategic fundamental research required intensive contact with external clients and internal collaborators to determine needs and deliverables, and the formulation and agreement of study protocols, proposals and quotations. I was also involved in the management of quality control, laboratory design, analytical instrument acquisitions, personnel recruitment and promotion, and budgeting and cost control.I was a member of the "Beyond 60" design team mandated to re-energize the CSIR's research activities.

Onderstepoort, South Africa

I ran gas chromatography, gas chromatography - mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography and “wet” chemistry analyses of metabolic indicators in milk and blood, and drug kinetics and residues in meat, milk and eggs. I used immunochemical meat species identification to detect fraudulent mislabelling of meat and meat products.I was responsible for project planning, budgeting and management, and safety inspections, and I conducted a feasibility study on a quality assurance system.

I carried out my doctoral research at the Mammal Research Institute and the Institute for Chromatography. It was at the Institute for Chromatography that I began my involvement with the use of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to unravel the complexities of mammalian chemical communication. I designed, built and tested completely novel sampling systems and large volume inlets for capillary gas chromatography and applied them to a range of mammal and insect scent secretions. Even nearly three decades later the final product of this development; the dynamic solvent effect (DSE), is still the most repeatable method for gas chromatography sample preparation at nanogram per gram levels. In addition to the analyses of animal scents I used the DSE for the analysis of fragrances and flavours including fruit and wine flavour volatiles, cosmetics, and taints in paper and margarineI began developing my troubleshooting, maintenance and repair skills on the Institute’s gas chromatographs, and learned or developed methods for setting up experimental equipment, producing ultra-pure solvents, and drawing and coating glass capillary columns. As an M.Sc. student at the Mammal Research Institute I carried out independent field work on feral cats on Dassen Island, South Africa; collecting and analysing data on the cats’ social behaviour, ecology and impact on sea-bird populations. I also conducted field work on cats on sub-Antarctic Marion Island, and on Ross seals off the Antarctic ice shelf