Dr Ciara Keating

Research Associate (Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative Medicine)

School of Engineering

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

Research interests

Biography

I am a trained microbiologist (BSc from the National University of Ireland, Galway). It was here at NUIG that sparked my interest in environmental microbiology and using the power of microbes for good. My primary research focus is on the application of microorganisms to biological waste remediation. I obtained a PhD from NUI Galway in 2015 on my work on the microbiology of low temperature anaerobic digestion waste treatment systems. In anaerobic digestion a wide variety of microbes (grouped according to 'job/function') degrade organic material in the absence of oxygen and produce methane gas. This methane gas can be used as a form of renewable energy. Turning our waste into energy and recycling nutrients is a win/win. Globally, as we try to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels these technologies can be a key player in helping us achieve a sustainable future. My research vision is to understand and harness the true potential of the microbes underpinning the process so that 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.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010

Number of items: 18.

2019

Connelly, S. , Pussayanavin, T., Randle-Boggis, R., Wicheansan, A., Jampathong, S., Keating, C. , Ijaz, U. Z. , Sloan, W. and Koottatep, T. (2019) Solar Septic Tank: next generation sequencing reveals effluent microbial community composition as a useful index of system performance. Water, 11(12), 2660. (doi: 10.3390/w11122660)

Keating, C. , Song, Y. , Ogundero, A., Mathur, N. , Gonzalez-Cabaleiro, R. , Quince, C., Collins, G., Yin, H. and Sloan, W. (2019) Development of a Novel Anaerobic Incubation and Monitoring Platform Embedded with Microfluidics for Real-Time Growth Analysis of Anaerobic Cells. The Gordon Research Seminar on Archaea: Ecology, Metabolism and Molecular Biology, Les Diablerets, Switzerland, 20-21 July 2019.

Keating, C. , Hinchcliff, J., Davies, R. , Wan, A., Davies, S., Fitzgerald, R., Ijaz, U. , Smith, C. and Bolton, M. (2019) Effects of Supplementing a Fishmeal Diet with Algae on the Hindgut Microbiome of Farmed Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) [Poster]. 8th Congress of European Microbiologists, Glasgow, UK, 9-11 Jul 2019.

Keating, C. , Song, Y. , Ogundero, A., Mathur, N. , Gonzalez-Cabaleiro, R. , Quince, C., Collins, G., Yin, H. and Sloan, W. (2019) Single-Cell Real Time Analysis of the Anaerobic Bacteria Desulfovibrio Vulgaris Demonstrates Population Heterogeneity That Decreases with Increasing pH Stress [Poster]. 8th Congress of European Microbiologists, Glasgow, UK, 9-11 Jul 2019.

Keating, C. , Song, Y. , Ogundero, A., Mathur, N. , Gonzalez-Cabaleiro, R. , Quince, C., Collins, G., Yin, H. and Sloan, W. (2019) Single-Cell Real Time Analysis of the Anaerobic Bacteria Desulfovibrio Vulgaris Demonstrates Population Heterogeneity That Decreases with Increasing pH Stress [Poster]. 16th World Congress on Anaerobic Digestion (AD16), Delft, The Netherlands, 23-27 Jun 2019.

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)

Keating, C. , Song, Y. , Quince, C., Collins, G., Yin, H. and Sloan, W. (2016) Understanding Syntrophy in Anaerobic Digestion. Brazil Newton Fund Researcher Links Workshop – Water, Sanitation, Energy Nexus, Goania, Brazil, 13-16 Sep 2016.

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.

2015

Keating, C. , Cysneiros, D., Hughes, D., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2015) Bioreactor Performance, Hydrolysis and Microbial Community Development During Anaerobic Treatment of Synthetic Sewage. Society of General Microbiology, Irish Division Meeting: Microbial Interfaces, Galway, Ireland, 17-19 Jun 2015.

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)

Keating, C. , Cysneiros, D., Hughes, D., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2013) Bioreactor Performance, Hydrolysis and Microbial Community Development During Anaerobic Treatment of Synthetic Sewage. 13th World Congress on Anaerobic Digestion (AD13), Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 25-28 Jun 2013.

2012

Keating, C. , Cysneiros, D., Hughes, D., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2012) Hydrolytic Community Development in Low Temperature Anaerobic Bioreactors Treating Synthetic Sewage [Poster]. ISME14, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19-21 Aug 2012.

2011

Keating, C. , Cysneiros, D., Hughes, D., Mahony, T. and O'Flaherty, V. (2011) Hydrolysis and Methanogenesis of Complex Substrates by Three Anaerobic Biomass Sources. IWA-Symposium on Anaerobic Digestion of Solid Waste and Energy Crops, Vienna, Austria, 28 Aug - 01 Sep 2011.