biomedical sciences research institute - Research - University of Ulster

Publications:Graham RJL, Graham C, McMullan G; Microbial proteomics: a mass spectrometry primer for biologists; Microbial CellFactories, 6:26, 2007Graham RLJ, Pollock CE, O’Loughlin SN, Ternan NG, Weatherly DB, Jackson PJ, Tarleton RL and McMullan G; (2007)Multidimensional analysis of the insoluble sub-proteome of Oceanobacillus iheyensis HTE831, an Alkaliphilic andhalotolerant deep-sea bacterium isolated from the Iheya ridge; Proteomics, 7: 82-91, 2007Graham RLJ, Sharma MK, Ternan NG, Weatherly DB, Tarleton RL, McMullan G; A Differential Semi-Quantitative GeLC-MS Analysis of Temporal Proteome Expression in the Emerging Nosocomial Pathogen Ochrobactrum anthropi. BMCGenome Biology; 8(6): R110, 2007Graham JE, Graham RLJ, Beirne R, McGilligan VE, Downes CS, Moore JE, Moore CBT, McMullan G; The use ofconjunctival swab for the proteomic characterisation of Dry Eye Syndrome; Journal of Proteomics and Bioinformatics;1: 20-33, 2008Professor Ibrahim BanatProfessor of MicrobiologyContact details:+44 (0)28 70323062im.banat@ulster.ac.ukMain research Interests:• Biosurfactants production and utilization in microbial cell adhesion, biofilm formation, pathogenicity, cellsignaling, enhanced oil recovery and bioremediation.• Exploring anticancer properties of selected fungi extract with the aim of developing novel anticancer drugs.• Molecular and cell biology and use of thermophilic geobacilli extremophilic bacteria and potential application.• Ethanol fermentation, isolation, characterization and optimization of fermentative alcohol producing yeasts andethanol production for use as biofuel.Professor Banat also aims to further develop exploring anticancer properties of fungi and identification of the activemolecules suitable for drug development.At present I also hold a lead a major industrial collaboration with Unilever, the University of Oxford and NewcastleUniversity, funded by the DTI, to examine routes for the production of sustainable consumer products based onthe microbial processing of agricultural feedstock and wastes. Specifically we aim to target the production ofbacterial biosurfactants as replacements for petrochemical surfactants. Such expertise is applicable to cosmetics andpharmaceutical Industries.Other key considerations relates to the use of appropriate agricultural feedstock which I hope to concentrate onis related to the use of microbial processes to develop sustainable systems, e.g. the production of biofuel ethanolfrom cellulosic wastes using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation at elevated temperatures and the areainvolving the exploitation of soil associated thermophilic extremophiles and their gene expression and potentialexploitation to effectively harness their unique properties.Esteem:• Invited keynote presentation in the StocExpo Turkey, the Black & Caspian Seas, Nov. 2008.• Was invited to act as an expert referee for research review for the University Professor of Microbiology ofKuwait 2008.58