Biology Interests

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العربية

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العربية

Biology Research Interest

Dr. Bahja Al Riyami

Molecular Microbiology

Research interest:

Investigation of microorganisms in hot springs, Structural and functional studies on cortex lytic enzymes of Bacillus and Clostridium spores, Identification of novel enzymes involved in bacterial spore germination.

Publications:

Fatma Khuseib Hamed Al-Rashdi, Abdullah Mohammed Al-Sadi, Bahja Z. Al-Riyamy, Sajeewa S.N. Maharachchikumbura, Jamal Nasser Al-Sabahi, Rethinasamy Velazhahan. 2020. Endophytic fungi from the medicinal plant Aloe dhufarensis Lavranos exhibit antagonistic potential against phytopathogenic fungi. South African Journal of Botany. 000: 1-8

Bahja Al Riyami, Abhinaba Ghosh, Eric J Reese, and Graham Christie. 2019. Novel cortex lytic enzymes in Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spores. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 366 (12): 1-8

Dr. Erika Cuellar Soto

Biodiversity and Conservation

Research interest:

Biodiversity and Conservation: the development of an interdisciplinary research and monitoring program (including systematic inventories across taxonomic groups; speciation, diversification processes; DNA barcoding techniques for complementing effective assessment and categorization of species; diseases affecting wildlife) in order to understand patterns of change in biodiversity due to effects on land use and climatic events.

Publications:

Victor, R and E. Cuéllar Soto. 2020. A preliminary study on the status of invasive palm squirrels in Oman. International Journal of Environmental Studies 77(5).

Zimmermann, P. Johnson, A. E. de Barros, C. Inskip, R. Amit, E. Cuéllar Soto, C. A. Lopez-Gonzalez, C. Sillero-Zubiri, R. de Paula, S. Marchini, J. Soto-Schoender, P. G. Perovic, S. Earle, C. J. Quiroga-Pacheco, and D. W. Macdonald. 2021. Every case is different: cautionary insights about generalisations in human-wildlife conflict from a range-wide study of people and jaguars. Biological Conservation 260 (2021) 109185.

Dr. Hameed Sulaiman

Environmental Science

Research interest:

Environmental impact assessment. Waste quantification and characterization. Trace metal assessment in water, soil and biota. Particulate matter assessment in air. Land use & land cover change-induced microclimate. Carbon sequestration in green spaces for climate change mitigation.

Publications:

Patrick Amoatey and Hameed Sulaiman (2019). Carbon storage potential of arid urban plantations and turf grass landscapes. Environment, Development and sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-019-00556-5.

Al-Shidi, H. K., Hameed Sulaiman and Alrubkhi, S. M. (2020). Mass concentration and morphological analysis of PM10 and PM2.5 particles in congested roads during day hours in three major cities of Oman. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2020.1795087

Dr. Antoine OHC Leduc

Behavioral Ecology, Marine Ecology, Ethnobiology and Conservation

Research interest:

My interests involve the response of marine organisms to natural and anthropogenic stimuli. From a perspective of increasing human footprint in coastal regions, I seek to understand how human disturbances affect marine animals’ behavior and life-histories. I am also interested in understanding trends in costal natural resources, based on the ecological knowledge of primary users.

Publications:

Leduc et al. 2021 – Biological Conservation

Leduc et al. 2021 – Biodiversity and Conservation

Prof. Raeid Abed

Molecular Microbial Ecology

Research interest:

Environmental microbiology/microbial ecology with focus on diversity, function, and biotechnology of microbial communities in extreme environments. My major research is directed towards studying microbial mats and desert soils. Diversity of microorganisms is studied using molecular tools and their adaptation and activity using microsensors and rate measurement techniques. Extremophiles are isolated from these ecosystems and explored their use in biotechnology including production of secondary metabolites, and in biofuel production.

Publications:

Meier DV, Greve AJ, Chennu A, van Erk MR, Muthukrishnan T, Abed RMM, Woebken D, de Beer D (2021) Limitation of microbial processes at saturation-level salinities in a microbial mat covering a coastal saltflat. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 87:17 e00698-21

Al-Mahrouqi N, Muthukrishnan T, Sivakumar N, Gomaa MA, Antunes A, Abed RMM (2021) Isolation of extremophilic bacteria from microbial mats and the applicability of their amylases for bioethanol production from food waste. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization and Environmental Effects. s, DOI: 10.1080/15567036.2021.1910384

Dr. Sedky Hassan

Environmental Microbiology

Research interest:

Bioelectricity and microbial fuel cells. Biosorption and bio-remediation of different toxic chemicals by different biomass. Lignocellulosic conversion to enzymes and bioenergy. Nano-biotechnology. Biosensors and toxicity assessment. Phytopathology and plant pathogenic fungi.

Publications:

MF Al-Hakkani, GA Gouda, SHA Hassan (2021) A review of green methods for phyto-fabrication of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles and their characterization, properties, and applications. Heliyon 7 (1), e05806

Sami G. A. Flimban, Sedky H.A. Hassan, Md. Mukhlesur Rahman, Sang-Eun Oh (2020) The effect of Nafion membrane fouling on the power generation of microbial fuel cell. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45 (25), 13643-13651

Dr. Sirin A Adham

Cancer Research

Research interest:

Molecular mechanisms behind resistance to chemotherapy drugs in breast cancer cells. Identify new diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers and drug targets for breast cancer precision using the state of art OMICS technology. Molecular effects of chronic kidney disease and water pipe smoking using rodents’ models.

Publications:

Al‐Zeheimi N, Adham SA*. Modeling Neoadjuvant chemotherapy resistance in vitro increased NRP‐1 and HER2 expression and converted MCF7 breast cancer subtype. British Journal of Pharmacology 2020, 177(9):2024-2041. (IF=8.73)

Al-Zeheimi N, Naik A, Bakheit CS, Al Riyami M, Al Ajarrah A, Al Badi S, Al Baimani K, Malik K, Al Habsi Z, Al Moundhri MS, Adham SA*. Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Alters Neuropilin-1, PlGF, and SNAI1 Expression Levels and Predicts Breast Cancer Patients Response. Frontiers in oncology 2019, 9:323. (IF= 4.848)

Dr. Sivakumar Nallusamy

Microbial Biotechnology

Research interest:

Converting waste biomass into biofuels using biorefinery approach, Bioplastic production from waste biomass, Bioconversion of lignocellulosic wastes, Production and characterization of microbial enzymes, Optimization of fermentation conditions, Biomass conversion and waste valorization, Bioenergy, Anti-microbial activity, Bioremediation.

Publications:

Nair AS, Sivakumar N. 2022. Biodiesel production by oleaginous bacteria Rhodococcus opacus PD630 using waste paper hydrolysate. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 1-10

Al-Battashi H, Annamalai N, Al-Kindi S, Nair AS, Al-Bahry S, Verma JP, Sivakumar N. 2019. Production of bioplastic (poly-3-hydroxybutyrate) using waste paper as a feedstock: Optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation employing Burkholderia sacchari. Journal of Cleaner Production, 214, 236-247

Dr. Mahmoud Yaish

Plant Molecular Biology

Research interest:

My research work is focused on understanding the salinity tolerance mechanisms of the plants. In this regard, I am using classical and molecular tools such as OMICS, and functional genomics technologies. In addition, in research work, I am trying to produce biofertilizers from endophytic bacteria that can enhance plant growth under abiotic stresses. The major aim of our research lines is to improve the salinity adaptation capacity of the plants.

Publications:

Jana, Gerry Aplang ; Krishnamurthy, Pannaga ; Kumar, Prakash; Yaish, M.W*. (2021). Functional characterization and expression profiling of glyoxalase III genes in date palm grown under abiotic stresses. Physiologia Plantarum https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.13239.

Ibtisam Al-Harrasi, Gerry Aplang Jana, Himanshu V. Patankar, Rashid Al-Yahyai, Sivamathini Rajappa, Prakash P. Kumar, and Yaish, M.W.* (2020). A novel tonoplast Na+/H+ antiporter gene from date palm (PdNHX6) confers enhanced salt tolerance response in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell Reports. Page 1-15. doi.org/10.1007/s00299-020-02549-5.

Dr. Hassan Ali Al-Reasi

Environmental Biology & Toxicology

Research interest:

Quantifying and conducting toxicity of aquatic pollutants (e.g., heavy metals in different biological and environmental samples) to understand how the presence of pollutants influences living organisms and the whole environment. Also, characterizing and investigating environmental and toxicological aspects of allelochemicals from invasive plant species (Prosopis juliflora) to come up with better ways for eradication and/or utilization of its chemicals for development of potential herbicide.

Publications:

Al-Shidi HK, Al-Reasi HA, Sulaiman H. (2020). Heavy metals levels in road dust from Muscat, Oman: relationship with traffic volumes, and ecological and health risk assessments. International Journal of Environmental Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2020.1751806

Al-Abdali SS, Al-Dhuhli AS, Al-Reasi HA. (2019). Preliminary investigations of allelopathic effects and herbicide-based eradication of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora). SQU Journal for Science 24:11–17.