Browsing University of Galway Theses (PhD Theses) by Subject "Microbiology"
Now showing items 1-20 of 70
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Adaptive responses of campylobacter jejuni to antibiotic and biocide selection pressures in chemostat culture
(2016-04-18)Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a zoonotic pathogen of major public health importance and is the leading cause of gastroenteritis woldwide. Poultry is regarded as one of the most important reservoirs for Campylobacter ... -
Anaerobic digestion of nut and coffee wastes: different pretreatment techniques to enhance methane production
(NUI Galway, 2022-07-25)Lignocellulosic materials (LMs) are the most abundant residues on the planet and have a great potential for methane production. Nevertheless, the energy potential of LMs for biofuel production is limited by their complex ... -
Anaerobic digestion of selenium-rich wastewater for simultaneous methane and volatile fatty acid production and selenium bioremediation
(NUI Galway, 2022-09-09)This research aimed at investigating the anaerobic digestion (AD) of selenium (Se)-rich and lipid-rich wastewaters via evaluating the operational parameters in sequential and continuous bioreactors. In the first part of ... -
Anaerobic microbial hydrolysis and fermentation of food waste for volatile fatty acid production
(2016-04-28)Landfill, incineration, compositing and anaerobic digestion (AD) are the principal food-waste (FW) treatment methods used in the European Union. Because of the EU landfill directive and waste-management policies on organic ... -
Assessing the impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the norovirus contamination of shellfisheries
(2014)Norovirus (NoV) is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in the developed world. The discharge of Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent to the marine environment has implications for the virus quality of ... -
Autotrophic denitrification using inorganic sulfur compounds as electron donor: process optimization and microbial characterization
(NUI Galway, 2022-07-25)This research aimed at enhancing and optimizing autotrophic denitrification exploiting inorganic sulfur compounds as electron donor and proposing and investigating pyrite as novel substrate. In addition, the simultaneous ... -
Beyond Lolium perenne: the impact of grassland biodiversity on butyric acid and biomethane production in a forage-based anaerobic biorefinery
(NUI Galway, 2024-02-22)Permanent grassland fields are complex ecosystems consisting of graminoids (e.g., grasses) and forbs (e.g., legumes and herbs), which are crucial for environmental health and food production. Forbs are important players ... -
Bioethanol and biobutanol production from CO and CO2 using solventogenic acetogens
(NUI Galway, 2022-01-27)This research aimed at enhancing ethanol and butanol production from H2/CO2 and CO by anaerobic sludge from wastewater treatment plants via investigating the environmental parameters in a semi-gas fed bioreactor and ... -
Biogas clean-up using a novel hollow fibre membrane bioreactor for end-use applications
(NUI Galway, 2022-04-06)The aim of this research was to develop a novel hollow fibre membrane bioreactor (HFMB) that can be used for H2S laden waste gas treatment and biogas desulfurization. In addition, the aim was to utilize the HFMB for ... -
Brewery spent grain cascade process: protein recovery and improved downstream fermentation for simultaneous volatile fatty acid production and recovery
(NUI Galway, 2022-03-23)Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are short chain carboxylic acids currently produced from fossil fuels. Renewable biomass, including organic wastes, could be used as an alternative source of VFAs. Brewery spent grain (BSG) was ... -
Characterization of a novel antimicrobial agent inspired by peroxidase-catalyzed systems
(2017-09-29)The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is expanding and the threat regarding our future ability to combat infection is increasing. Thus, key challenges for society and for researchers are to address microbial drug resistance ... -
Comparative genomics combined with phenotypical analyses reveal novel acid stress response mechanisms in Listeria monocytogenes
(NUI Galway, 2023-06-13)Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium of significant concern for food safety. Its remarkable ability to withstand food-related stress and survive gastrointestinal passage is important for establishing ... -
Design, development and validation of a series of multiplex real-time PCR diagnostics assays for the rapid and accurate detection and differentiation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex
(2012-03-01)Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health concern both in developed and developing countries due to the high rates of morbidity and mortality associated with disease. In humans, TB is caused by members of the Mycobacterium ... -
Development of novel culture independent nucleic acid based diagnostics technologies for the detection and identification of microbial contaminants in building water distribution and premise plumbing systems
(2015-02-22)Water is a vital component of the industrial, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. In industrial and pharmaceutical sectors water is a commonly used raw material, solvent and ingredient. While in healthcare facilities ... -
Development of novel nucleic acid diagnostics technologies for the detection of predominant microorganisms associated with bacterial meningitis
(2017-01-13)With an estimated 1.2 million cases annually worldwide, bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and primary prevention as well as accurate diagnosis and treatment of this often fatal disease is paramount. The ... -
The development of reporters to measure the general stress response in Listeria monocytogenes: population and single cell studies on the activation of SigmaB
(2012-09-28)The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes has a remarkable ability to persist and grow in harsh environments, including the human gastrointestinal tract. This attribute is regulated, at least partly, by the alternative ... -
The effect of disinfectant exposure on Campylobacter spp. adaptation; A study on Campylobacter survival and on proteome and virulence genes expression
(2014-01-21)Campylobacter spp. are a common source of food contamination, especially in poultry products. To reduce the level of campylobacteriosis occurrence, different intervention strategies at poultry farms and processing plants ... -
The effects of Vibrio parahaemolyticus on Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase signalling pathways and intestinal epithelial host cell responses
(2013-02-20)Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a gram negative bacterium that is found in marine and estuarine environments. Although found amongst the commensal flora of shellfish, V. parahaemolyticus is a potent human pathogen. Consumption ... -
Elucidation of the role of the glutamate decarboxylase system and the gamma-aminobutyric acid shunt pathway in the stress response of Listeria monocytogenes
(2014-07-22)The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis in humans and other animals. This disease can have a fatality rate of up to 30% in infected patients and leads to spontaneous abortion in ... -
The EU-protected slug geomalacus maculosus: an investigation into its phylogenetics, population densities in conifer plantations and its gut microbial community
(2016-04-04)Geomalacus maculosus is an EU protected Lusitanian slug species which is only found in Ireland and Northern Iberia. It inhabits largely undisturbed habitats such as blanket bogs and forests where it feeds on lower plants ...