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Alexander Foster

PhD Student

Email: abf2@hw.ac.uk

Office: NG19, John Coulson Building (Tel.: +44 (0) 131 451 4710)

Lab: NG 6, John Coulson Building

Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh EH14 4AS

Scotland

Biography:

2008 to date PhD in Chemical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University (UK)
2006-2007 MRes Bioengineering, Strathclyde University (UK)
2004-2005 MSc Bioinformatics, Heriot-Watt University (UK)
2002-2004 Medical Scientist, Sullivan & Nicolaides Pathology (AU)
1999-2002 BSc (Hons) Biomedical science, De Montfort University (UK)

Research:

The aim of my PhD is to discover new oxidase enzymes with industrially relevant substrate specificities. Initial research entailed screening large libraries of microorganisms, under diverse growth conditions.  Identifying Rhodococcus as a particularly oxidase rich strain, selective induction techniques have enabled the isolation, chacterisation and identification of multiple enzymes with diverse specificities. Genomic analysis provides further insight, with the identification of novel degradation pathways and regulatory mechanisms.

Publications:

[1] Alexander Foster, Nicole Barnes, Robert Speight and Mark A. Keane. Functional Expression, Identification and Kinetic Analysis of Two Primary Amines Oxidases in Rhodococcus Opacus. Ready for submission
[2] Alexander Foster, Nicole Barnes, Robert Speight and Mark A. Keane. Identification of a Novel Microbial Putrescine Degradation Pathway utilising Diamine Oxidases. In preparation

[3] Alexander Foster, Nicole Barnes, Robert Speight and Mark A. Keane. Maintenance of Putrescence Homeostasis in Rhodococcus Opacus through Amine Oxidase Expression. In preparation

Conferences:

[1] GE Healthcare Protein Purification Meetings. Edinburgh University. Scotland, October 2010
[2] Trends in Enzymology: Bridging the Biology and Chemistry Interface. Monte Veria, Ascona-Switzerland June 2010
[3] KTN Bioscience for Business. Heroit-Watt University, Scotland, March 2009
[4] GE Healthcare Protein Purification Meetings. Glenturret distillery, Scotland, October 2008

Prizes:

[1] 2nd year postgraduate research prize 2009 School of Engineering and Physical Sciences from Heriot-Watt University
[2] Postgraduate poster prize 2007 Department of Bioengineering, Strathclyde University
[3] Postgraduate poster prize 2005 of the School of Mathematics and Computer sciences Heriot-Watt University
[4] Undergraduate poster prize 2002 School of Life Sciences, De Montfort University

  © 2011 Mark A. Keane