Current Research Interests

Dr Fleming has carried out the more/most difficult investigatory and analytical work in a number of areas which require specialized knowledge.  These areas include:

• Occupational Health which includes exposure of workplace personnel (in industry, hospitals, schools and mine sites) to hazardous compounds.
• Chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) knowledge for emergency response situations.
• Air, water and soil pollution.
• Stack monitoring for inorganic and organic constituents.
• Ventilation and fume cupboards
• Indoor and environmental studies.
• Chemical spillages.
• Corrosion.
• Techniques for the identification of any unknown substance.
  

Research Expertise

Dr Fleming uses advanced techniques within and outside the Chemistry Centre.  Instrumentation includes

• Gas chromatography –
• Mass spectrometry,
• HPLC,
• Electron microscopy (SEM, FESEM, ESEM and TEM),
• Optical microscopy,
• FTIR,
• Raman spectroscopy,
• X-ray techniques (Fluorescence and Diffraction including Synchrotron XRD),
• Reitveld Analysis,
• Electron Diffraction and
• NMR. 

He also uses a number of portable and field equipment/ instruments including

•  Hapsite GC-MS, electrochemical detectors,
• Miran IR analyser,
• AP2C, Raman analyser, and
• Hazmat IR analyzer for emergency response situations, environmental investigations and occupational hygiene assessments.
• Dr Fleming also has expertise in the areas of
• Occupational Health, currently specializing in the effects of airborne particles and health.
• CBR response.
• Environmental sampling techniques
• Radiation
• Crystal structure deformity using synchrotron X-ray diffraction 
  
• Reitveld analysis.

Dr Fleming also makes recommendations to both private and Government organisations on

• Chemistry of a vast array of hazardous compounds.
• Toxicology and physiology.
• Wide variety of mining and industrial processes.
• Interdisciplinary knowledge combining engineering principles, corrosion, safety procedures, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, biology and medicine.

Recent Professional Experience

• 1976 Appointed as a Level 1 Chemist and Research Officer in the Food and Drugs Division.
• 1982 Appointed as a Level 5 Chemist and Research Officer after the formation of the Foods and Industrial Hygiene Laboratory.
• 1988 Appointed as a Senior Chemist and Research Officer (Level 6 Section Leader) of the Health Chemistry Laboratory following restructure. 
• 1992 – 2007 Senior Chemist and Research Officer (Level 6) of the Environmental Health Laboratory following further restructure. Currently as Level 6 in the Emergency Response section of Food and Biology Laboratory.
• 2007 Reclassified to a principal Research Chemist (Level 7)

Academic Qualifications

• 1975 Bachelor of Applied Science, Chemistry (with distinction), Curtin University.
• 1978 Post Graduate Diploma, (Chemical Engineering Thesis), Curtin University.
• 1989 Master of Applied Science, (Organic Chemistry Thesis) Curtin University.
• 1990 Graduate Studies in Occupational Health, Sydney University.
• 2004 PhD, Curtin University.
• Studies in Applied Science (biology/biochemistry), Curtin university.
  

Prizes: Swan Brewery Prize (1971) and Plaimar Prize(1973) in organic chemistry, Curtin University.

Professional Society Memberships

• Associate of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.
• Founding member of the Occupational Health Society of WA.
• Committee member of the RACI Analytical Group.
• Appointed a registered Public Analyst under the WA Health Act in 1986.

Publications Summary

1. Ryall, R.L., Fleming, D.E., Grover, P.K., Chauvet, M.C., Dean, C.J. and Marshall, V.R. (2000)  ‘The hole truth: Intracrystalline proteins and calcium oxalate kidney stones’, Molecular Urology, 4, 391-402.
2. Ryall, R.L., Fleming, D.E., Doyle, I.R., Evans, N.A., Dean, C.J. and Marshall, V.R. (2001)  ‘Intracrystalline proteins and the hidden ultrastructure of calcium oxalate urinary crystals: Implications for kidney stone formation’, Journal of Structural Biology, 134, 5-14.
3. Fleming, D.E., van Bronswijk, W. and Ryall, R.L. (2001)  ‘A comparative study of the adsorption of amino acids on to calcium minerals found in renal calculi’, Clinical Science, 101, 159-168.
4. Fleming, D.E., van Riessen, A., Chauvet, M.C., Grover, P.K., Hunter, B., van Bronswijk, W. and Ryall, R.L. (2003) ‘Intracrystalline proteins and urolithiasis: A synchrotron x-ray diffraction study of calcium oxalate monohydrate’, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 18 (7), 1282-1291.
5. Fleming D.E, Doyle I.R, Evans N, Marshall V.R, Parkinson G.M, Ryall R.L (1999) ‘Proteins associated with calcium oxalate crystals formed in human are intracrystalline’, In: Kidney Stones, pp 359-362. Eds. Borghi L, Meschi T, Briganti A, Schianchi T, Novarini A Editoriale Bios, Cosenza, Italy.
6. Fleming D.E, Grover P.K, Chauvet M.C, Marshall V.R, Ryall R.L. ‘An unexpected role for urinary proteins in the prevention of calcium oxalate urolithiasis?’, In Urolithiasis 2000, pp 169-171. Eds. Rodgers AL, Hibbert BE, Hess B, Khan SR, Preminger GM. University of Cape Town, South Africa.
7. Fleming D.E, Dean C.J, Chauvet M.C, Parkinson G.M, Marshall V.R, Ryall R.L. ‘A timed study of the relationship between mineral and protein during calcium oxalate crystal growth in human urine’, In Urolithiasis 2000, pp 174-177. Eds. Rodgers AL, Hibbert BE, Hess B, Khan SR, Preminger GM. University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Presentations

1. “Exposure to naphthylamine from car tires.” Australian Occupational Health Conference,Sydney (1979).
2. ”Simultaneous determination of cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead and manganese in biological fluids by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry.” Fifth Analytical Conference, UWA (1982).
3. “Determination of uranium in urine by X-ray Fluorescence.” Australian Occupational Health Conference, Sydney (1988).
4. “Safe laboratory practice for Assay laboratories.”  Mines Department, Kalgoorlie (1988).
5. “Toxicology of nitrogen dioxide.” University of Sydney (1989).
6. Chemical hazards on mine sites.” Argyle Diamonds (1989).
7. “Organic Vapour monitoring.” Department of Mines (1990).
8. “Hazards on mine sites.”  Department of Mines. Ventilation Officers Course (1990).
9. “Ventilation and fume cupboards in mine site laboratories.” Chamber of Mines. Karratha (1991).
10. “Occupational Health sampling and monitoring techniques.” Chamber of Mines. Karratha (1991).
11. “Chemical hazards in the workplace.” Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Perth (1991).
12. “Occupational exposure to glutaraldehyde.”  Health Department, Perth (1992).
13. “Findings of a suicide from chromium ingestion.”   Queen Elizabeth Medical II Centre (1992).
14. “Occupational exposure to cyanide.”  CALM (1993 & 4).
15. “Occupational Exposure of Dental Staff to mercury.” TAFE (1998).
16. “Calcium oxalate in biological systems in biological systems.” 1999, FASEB Research Conference, Copper Mountain, Colorado (presenter and chair person).
17. “Botanical Artistry: The internal ultrastructure of calcium oxalate crystals from higher plants”.  2000, Gordon Conference on Biomineralisation, New Hampshire, USA.