Applied Biotechnology
Members
| Staff |
Research Students |
Postdoctoral Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Ipsita Roy (Group Co-ordinator) | Everest Akaraonye | Dr Anatoliy Markiv |
| Dr Mark Clements | Bernard Anani | |
| Dr Sebastien Farnaud |
Armaghan Azizi | |
| Dr Ian Harmer | Daniela De Vizio | |
| Professor John Hedger | Shameem Fawdar | |
| Dr Peter Hollands | Lydia Francis | |
| Professor Tajalli Keshavarz | Deepa Karunakaran | |
| Dr Linda Percy | Ranjana Rai | |
| Dr Stuart Thompson | Patricia Reffatti | |
| Jie Tang | ||
| Charles Thomas | ||
| Myrsini Tsimon |
Summary
The research group core disciplines encompass, biopolymer production, bioprocesses optimisation, environmentally friendly dye remediation and green chemistry. The Biopolymers group specialises in the production of biodegradable, biocompatible, lipopolysaccharide free polyhydroxyalkanoates. These polymers can be utilised in a wide range of applications including green adhesives, hard (bone, cartilage) and soft (heart, skin, craniofacial) tissue engineering, drug delivery, dental applications and wound healing. The molecular enzymology of the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase from Bacillus cereus SPV is also being pursued. The scaling up of bioprocesses and the enhancement of product concentration has been approached in a novel manner using quorum sensing molecules. In the area of green chemistry extensive process development has been used for the large scale production of oxidative enzymes such as laccases which have been utilised for bioremediation of waste water from the dye industry. Other areas of interest include biorefineries and biofuel production using algae, stem cell technology including mesenchymal stem cells and cord blood stem cells. Applications of stem cells to areas such as tissue engineering are being pursued within the group.
Images
Poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) produced from Bacillus cereus SPV
Bioglass scaffold coated with poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) microspheres encapsulating gentamycin, to be used for bone tissue engineering
A threading model of the Bacillus cereus SPV polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase active site
Recent Publications
Complete lists of publications are available on each staff members site.Hollands, P. (2009) The Basic Biology of Cord Blood Stem Cells In: Stubblefield P, Bhattacharya N (eds.) Frontiers of Cord Blood Science. Springer, London.
Hollands, P. & McCauley, C. (2009). Private cord blood banking: Current Use and Clinical Future. Stem Cell Reviews & Reportsin press
Philip S.E., Sengupta S., Keshavarz T., Roy, I.2009. Effect of impeller speed and pH on the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Biomacromolecules epub ahead of print
Nair R., Roy, I., Bucke C., Keshavarz T.2009 Quantitative PCR study on the mode of action of oligosaccharide elicitors on penicillin G production by Penicillium chrysogenumJournal of Applied Microbiology epub ahead of print.
Misra S.K., Philip S., Chrzanowski W., Roy I., Knowles J., Salih V., Boccaccini A.R. 2009 Incorporation of Vitamin E in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/Bioglass composite films: Effect on surface properties and cell attachment- Journal of the Royal Society- Interface6(33): 401-409.
Bretcanu O., Misra S., Roy I., Renghini C., Fiori F., Beccaccini A.R. 2009 In vitro biocompatibility of 45S5 Bioglass-derived glass ceramic scaffolds coated with Poly(3-hydroxubutyrate). Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 3(2):139-148.
Farnaud S, Amini M, Rapisarda C, Cammack R, Bui T, Drake A, Evans RW, Rahmanto YS, Richardson DR. Biochemical and spectroscopic studies of human melanotransferrin (MTf): Electron-paramagnetic resonance evidence for a difference between the iron-binding site of MTf and other transferrins. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. (2008) 40:2739-45.
Farnaud S, Rapisarda C, Bui T, Drake A, Cammack R, Evans RW. Identification of an iron-hepcidin complex. Biochem J. (2008) 413: 553-7.
Misra SK, Mohn D, Brunner TJ, Stark WJ, Philip SE, Roy I., Salih V, Knowles JC, Boccaccini AR 2008.Comparison of nanoscale and microscale bioactive glass on the properties of P(3HB)/Bioglass composites. Biomaterials Apr; 29(12):175
Peiris D, Dunn WB, Brown M, Kell, D. B.), Roy, I., Hedger, J. N.2008 Metabolite profiles of interacting mycelial fronts differ for pairings of the wood decay basidiomycete fungus, Stereum hirsutum with its competitors Coprinus micaceus and Coprinus disseminatus. Metabolomics4(1): 52-62
Current Grants
Linda Percy and Ipsita Roy, Summer studentship from British Phycological Society: 2000, Biofuel and Biopolymer production from Dinoflagellates
Ipsita Roy, A PARK fund for patent application from WESTFOCUS, London, UK, 15,000
Tajalli Keshavarz, QUORUM, Discovering Quorum Sensing in industrially useful Fungi, a novel approach at molecular level for scaling up in white biotech. A EU FP6 project, 350,000.
