Dr Ciara Keating

  • Research Associate (Infrastructure & Environment)

Research interests

Biography 

I am a microbiologist (BSc from the National University of Ireland, Galway) specialising in the complex microbial communities in anaerobic waste treatment systems. My primary research focus is in sustainable biological wastewater treatment. More specifically in the anaerobic digestion process (PhD; NUIG). This is a multi-step process whereby organic material is broken down by groups microorganisms in the absence of oxygen. It has been harnessed in wastewater treatment due to the production of a renewable energy source (in the form of methane) as an end-product of the reaction. I believe that anaerobic digestion biotechnologies are key to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, generating renewable energy and recycling of nutrients. Through understanding and harnessing the microbes underpinning this process we can develop more robust and resilient treatment systems in the field.

Current Research 

My aim is to develop novel methodologies so that we may better understand key microorganisms in the AD process. This is difficult as oxygen is toxic to these microorganisms. In my role as PDRA at the Water and Environment Group I have developed a platform for real-time growth analysis of anaerobic microorganisms. Through a collaboration with biomedical engineers we have explored the use of microfluidic devices within this system for the analysis of single cells. We can use this platform to understand the complex cell-cell interactions of the species responsible for methane production in order to improve the process at the macro-scale. This represents a step change in lab-based methodologies for these difficult to grow microorganisms. I have been recently been awarded a small internal grant (£1367) to explore a salt-tolerant methanogenic species for saline remediation.

Asian Institute of Technology collaboration

At the University of Glasgow I am involved in a collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology. This work looks to understand the microbiome of decentralised waste treatment systems. 

 


Grants

Principle Investigator: John Roberston Bequest (£1,367)

"Characterisation of salt stress tolerance in Methanospirillum hungatei; an important microbe in sewage degradation."


Additional information

Websites

ResearchGate

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ciara_Keating

LinkedIn

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ciara-keating-39976424

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9199-3068

Publons

https://publons.com/researcher/2943154/ciara-keating


Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2013
Number of items: 7.

2018

Keating, C. , Hughes, D., Mahony, T., Cysneiros, D., Ijaz, U.Z. , Smith, C.J. and O‘Flaherty, V. (2018) Cold adaptation and replicable microbial community development during long-term low temperature anaerobic digestion treatment of synthetic sewage. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 94(7), fiy095. (doi:10.1093/femsec/fiy095) (PMID:29846574) (PMCID:PMC5995215)

2017

Tsagkari, E. , Keating, C. , Couto, J. M. and Sloan, W. T. (2017) A keystone Methylobacterium strain in biofilm formation in drinking water. Water, 9(10), 778. (doi:10.3390/w9100778)

Tsagkari, E. , Keating, C. , Couto, J. and Sloan, W.T. (2017) Impact of a Methylobacterium Species in Drinking Water Biofilms. Eurobiofilms 2017. 5th European Congress on Microbial Biofilms, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 19-22 September 2017.

2016

Boura, M., Keating, C. , Royet, K., Paudyal, R., O'Donoghue, B., O'Byrne, C. P. and Karatzas, K. A.G. (2016) Loss of SigB in listeria monocytogenes strains EGD-e and 10403S confers hyperresistance to hydrogen peroxide in stationary phase under aerobic conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82(15), pp. 4584-4591. (doi:10.1128/AEM.00709-16) (PMID:27208116) (PMCID:PMC4984283)

Keating, C. , Chin, J. P., Hughes, D., Manesiotis, P., Cysneiros, D., Mahony, T., Smith, C. J. , McGrath, J. W. and O’Flaherty, V. (2016) Biological phosphorus removal during high-rate, low-temperature, anaerobic digestion of wastewater. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, 226. (doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00226) (PMID:26973608) (PMCID:PMC4776080)

Tsagkari, E. , Keating, C. and Sloan, W.T. (2016) Turbulence Promotes Core-and-mantle Structure in Drinking Water Bacterial Aggregates. MEWE 2016, Copenhagen, Denmark, 4-7 Sept 2016.

2013

Keating, C. , Cysneiros, D., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2013) The hydrolysis and biogas production of complex cellulosic substrates using three anaerobic biomass sources. Water Science and Technology, 67(2), pp. 293-298. (doi:10.2166/wst.2012.543) (PMID:23168626)

This list was generated on Sat Aug 24 15:12:25 2019 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Conference or Workshop Item
Number of items: 7.

Articles

Keating, C. , Hughes, D., Mahony, T., Cysneiros, D., Ijaz, U.Z. , Smith, C.J. and O‘Flaherty, V. (2018) Cold adaptation and replicable microbial community development during long-term low temperature anaerobic digestion treatment of synthetic sewage. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 94(7), fiy095. (doi:10.1093/femsec/fiy095) (PMID:29846574) (PMCID:PMC5995215)

Tsagkari, E. , Keating, C. , Couto, J. M. and Sloan, W. T. (2017) A keystone Methylobacterium strain in biofilm formation in drinking water. Water, 9(10), 778. (doi:10.3390/w9100778)

Boura, M., Keating, C. , Royet, K., Paudyal, R., O'Donoghue, B., O'Byrne, C. P. and Karatzas, K. A.G. (2016) Loss of SigB in listeria monocytogenes strains EGD-e and 10403S confers hyperresistance to hydrogen peroxide in stationary phase under aerobic conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82(15), pp. 4584-4591. (doi:10.1128/AEM.00709-16) (PMID:27208116) (PMCID:PMC4984283)

Keating, C. , Chin, J. P., Hughes, D., Manesiotis, P., Cysneiros, D., Mahony, T., Smith, C. J. , McGrath, J. W. and O’Flaherty, V. (2016) Biological phosphorus removal during high-rate, low-temperature, anaerobic digestion of wastewater. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, 226. (doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00226) (PMID:26973608) (PMCID:PMC4776080)

Keating, C. , Cysneiros, D., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2013) The hydrolysis and biogas production of complex cellulosic substrates using three anaerobic biomass sources. Water Science and Technology, 67(2), pp. 293-298. (doi:10.2166/wst.2012.543) (PMID:23168626)

Conference or Workshop Item

Tsagkari, E. , Keating, C. , Couto, J. and Sloan, W.T. (2017) Impact of a Methylobacterium Species in Drinking Water Biofilms. Eurobiofilms 2017. 5th European Congress on Microbial Biofilms, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 19-22 September 2017.

Tsagkari, E. , Keating, C. and Sloan, W.T. (2016) Turbulence Promotes Core-and-mantle Structure in Drinking Water Bacterial Aggregates. MEWE 2016, Copenhagen, Denmark, 4-7 Sept 2016.

This list was generated on Sat Aug 24 15:12:25 2019 BST.


School of Engineering,