The research activity in: environmental microbiology, genomics, and biotechnology of extremophilic prokaryotes. Study of microbial diversity, metabolic potential, and isolation of new archaeal taxa from unique environments characterised by extreme physical-chemical parameters. Study of prokaryotic life at its limits and mechanisms of adaption to environmental extremes. Study of Acid mine drainage communities and particularly of hyperacidophilic archaea. Study of nanoforms. Functional genomics and metagenomics from extreme environments and identification of biotechnologically relevant molecules.

Room: 313.3, 2nd floor Thoday Bld

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 8607

Teaching:

Current modules:

ENS 1000 Year 1 Tutorial

ENS 1401 Principles of Life 1

ENS 1401-1 Organismal Diversity

BSX 2046 Introduction into Microbiology and Virology (Module Organiser)

BSX 3142 Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology

BSC 3070 Dissertation

Past modules:

for the Master Programme Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, until 2021-2022

BSM 4125 Master Research Project

BSM 4105 Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology

BSM 4121 Bioinformatic Analysis Tools

BSM 4124 Recombinant Protein Expression (Module Organiser)

Current and past Projects (PI or Co-I):

• EU Horizon 2020 Grant 101000327 Enzymes for more environment-friendly consumer products (FuturEnzyme) (01.06.2021-31.05.2025), Co-I, total €5.000.000, to Bangor University €640.000.
• 21ENGBIO: Polyphosphate-based synthetic pathway (PSP) for bioconversion of isopentenols to isoprenoid precursors using recombinant cell lysates, BBSRC BB/W012154/1 (01.02.2022-31.10.2023), Co-I, £125.320.
• Leverhulme Trust RPG-2020-190 Uncovering archaeal dark matter (01.10.2020-30.11.2023) PI, £200.059.
• Centre for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB) ERDF/Welsh European Funding Organisaion-Bangor University co-funded, project ID:81280, Co-I, total grant £8.600.000. http://environmental-biotechnology.bangor.ac.uk/index.php.en
• EU Horizon 2020 Grant Nr 634486 Industrial applications of marine enzymes: Innovative Screening and expression platforms to discover and use the functional protein diversity from the sea (INMARE) (Co-Coordinator) (01.04.2015-31.03.2019), total €6.000.000, to Bangor € 730.000 http://inmare.bangor.ac.uk/index.php.en.
• Royal Society UK-Russia Exchange Grant #IE 160224 Novel microorganisms and new enzymes from the Baikal Rift Zone (01.08.2016-31.07.2018), PI, £12.000.
• EU FP7. KBBE-226977 Marine Metagenomics for new Biotechnological Applications (MAMBA) 2009-2013. Project Manager and Co-I, total €2.900.000, to Bangor €630.000 http://mamba.bangor.ac.uk. Research Excellence Award, Bangor University, 2016 (Nomination - the best International Research Project).

Membership in professional association: Society for General Microbiology (SGM), UK

Organiser, "22nd Annual UK Archaea" Workshop, Bangor, January 9-10, 2025

Organiser (Chair), 16^th International Congress “Thermophiles-2023” Bangor, August 29 - September 2, 2023. “Thermophiles” is a traditional (since 1990) series of biennial conferences on diversity, genomics, biochemistry and applications of thermophilic microorganisms.  https://www.thermophiles2023.org/.

At the Centre for Environmental Biotechnology we offer a range of postgraduate projects on topics exemplified below

• Isolation and genomic analysis of extremely acidophilic archaea;
• Study of microbial “dark matter organisms” in extreme environments;
• Culture-independent (metagenomic) analysis of taxonomic composition and functional potential of microbial communities;
• Discovery of novel enzymes of industrial relevance from extremophilic microorganisms and their communities;
• Application of proteomics and metabolomics technologies to extremophilic organisms and data analysis.

To apply, please follow the guidance:

 http://environmental-biotechnology.bangor.ac.uk/postgrad-projects.php.en