Keywords:

• Environmental Microbiology

• Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria

• Biopesticides

• Biomineralization

• Microbially-Induced precipitation

• Bioremediation

• Biofouling

Research Interests

Isolation and use of microorganisms or their metabolites as biological activities in industrial and environmental applications.

Study of the relationship between cell metabolism and biological activities (cell factory) at aerobic, anaerobic and micro aerobic conditions. Overproduction of low-cost biological activities in media and appropriate fermentation technologies. Development of bioprocesses based on enzymes or microorganisms in conversion of industrial interest. Development of industrial bioprocesses for bioremediation of wastewaters and polluted soil.

Role of biosurfactants in enhancement of bioremendiation and oil recovery

Role for Aerobic Bacteria in High Magnesium Carbonate Formation in the Evaporitic Envi-ronment of Dohat Faishakh Sabkha in Qatar.

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) for stabilization of soil in Qatari soil and biocementation.

Investigation and prevention of biofouling in membrane technology

Current Research:

Investigations in Environmental and Applied Microbiology This theme is focused on:

– Isolation and screening of wild microorganisms for specific biological activities

– Overproduction of the biological activities through considering the microbial cell as a factory:

1. Media Formulation

2. Orientation of the Cell Metabolism

3. Appropriate bioremediation Technologies

4. Investigation of the role of bacteria in formation of minerals and incorporation of magnesium for the protodolomite formation

5. Combination of hydrocarbons degradation and heavy metals removal by specific bacteria

Bioremediation of polluted area with petroleum-hydrocarbons using local bacteria This research is being carried-out in order to understand the major concerns and reasons of failure of bioaugmentation in Qatar and the Arab Gulf region for oil hydrocarbons re-moval at harsh conditions which characterize the region. The originality of our research is that local isolates are able to adapt to each harsh situation by implementing an adapted metabolism and by having the ability of shifting the biological activity towards specific pol-lutants in the soil. The main conclusion is that the main reason of failure is that the capacity of bacteria to degrade pollutants is not a result of just adding any species to polluted sites, but, the capacity of individual microorganism to adapt its metabolism to the environment, leading to high diversity in hydro-carbon-degrading bacteria.

This research intends to isolate, screen and select bacterial strains from harsh Qatari soils, weather and weathering processes to understand how the extreme weather in Qatar, as good site for the study, leads to prolonged periods of adaptation of the metabolism in se-lected bacteria, as candidates for implementation of appropriate bioremediation strategies at similar conditions worldwide. This represents a key parameter in selecting appropriate isolates for bioremediation of a specific oily-polluted site, preventing frequent failure of bioaugmentation strategies at harsh conditions.

Role for Aerobic Bacteria in High Magnesium Carbonate Formation in the Evapo-ritic Environment of Dohat Faishakh Sabkha in Qatar

Dolomite (MgCa(CO3)2) is an important petroleum reservoir rock mineral common in an-cient sedimentary rocks which is infrequently found in modern environments. The mech-anism of dolomite formation remains poorly understood, although recent research has focused on the contribution of microbial processes. Sabkha is the Arabic term for saline mudflats occurring in regions characterized by extreme environmental conditions (high temperature, salinity, light intensity, and aridity), where diverse halophilic and extremophilic microorganisms are found. The dynamic evaporitic systems characteristic of sabkhas are crucial for the precipitation of minerals and a role for microorganisms in sabkhas in the process of mineralization has been proposed. In this study the Dohat Faishakh Sabkha in Qatar was investigated for evidence of the role of aerobic bacteria in mediating the forma-tion of high magnesium carbonates and dolomite, two minerals that commonly occur in the sabkha sediments. 29 strains of aerobic microbes were obtained through inoculation on agar plates from two different cores sampled from the sabkha and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as belonging to the genera Bacillus, Salinivibrio, Staphylococcus and, primarily, Virgibacillus.