Sean Michael ScullyUniversity of Akureyri · Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences
Sean Michael Scully
Ph.D.
About
78
Publications
15,863
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Introduction
Sean Michael Scully currently works at the Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri. Sean does research in Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Green Chemistry. Their current project is 'Next Generation Biofuels from Protein-rich Biomass'.
Additional affiliations
August 2016 - present
February 2009 - August 2016
Position
- Research Assistant
Description
- I have taught laboratory sections of organic chemistry, applied chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, and microbial biotechnology.
September 2008 - September 2015
Education
September 2019 - June 2021
September 2016 - May 2019
University of Iceland
Field of study
- Biology
August 2014 - June 2015
Publications
Publications (78)
Fifty six thermophilic strains including members of Caldanaerobacter, Caldicellulosiruptor, Caloramator, Clostridium, Thermoanaerobacter, and Thermoanaerobacterium, were investigated for branched-amino acid degradation in the presence of thiosulfate in batch culture. All of the Thermoanaerobacter and Caldanaerobacter strains (24) degraded the branc...
There is an increased interest in using thermophilic bacteria for the production of bioethanol from complex lignocellulosic biomass due to their higher operating temperatures and broad substrate range. This review focuses upon the main genera of thermophilic anaerobes known to produce ethanol, their physiology, and the relevance of various environm...
The paper reports selective mono-etherification of the 2-, and 3-hydroxyl groups of methyl 4,6-O-isopropylidene-α-d-mannopyranoside using tin(II) chloride catalysed reactions of diaryldiazomethanes. By the use of different diazo compounds and the variation of the tin(II) chloride concentration the ether formation can be shifted from over 90% 3-sele...
The effect of culture parameters on hydrogen production using strain GHL15 in batch culture was investigated. The strain belongs to the genus Thermoanaerobacter with 98.9% similarity to T. yonseiensis and 98.5% to T. keratinophilus with a temperature optimum of 65- 70°C and a pH optimum of 6-7. The strain metabolizes various pentoses, hexoses, and...
Thermophilic bacteria have always fascinated scientists because of their tolerance and ability to thrive at extreme temperatures where no other living organisms survive. This has led to immense knowledge of the molecular mechanisms these bacteria possess mostly by comparing psychrophilic and mesophilic molecules with molecules of high-temperature o...
Microbial enzymes are of great importance for the degradation of organic material with relevance in the bioremediation of organic waste, bioenergy generation, large-scale industrial bioprocesses, and more. The current chapter deals with the most important enzymes thermophilic bacteria produce, starch-degrading enzymes, celluloses, hemicelluloses, p...
Thermophilic anaerobic bacteria possess many desirable metabolisms to produce various fine chemicals. The demand for more and more sustainable production of various chemicals has risen in the past decades, and some of these are produced by strict anaerobic, thermophilic bacteria. The present investigation covers the main chemical pathways used to p...
The cultivation and identification of strictly anaerobic thermophilic microorganisms present a number of challenges owing to the oxygen-sensitive nature of many of these species. This chapter reviews the nature of the anaerobic environment and the techniques currently employed to cultivate both aerotolerant and strictly anaerobic bacteria. Addition...
The industry is increasingly discovering the potential of strict anaerobic thermophilic bacteria, as there are many applications to consider, including the production of stable thermozymes and degradation of lignocellulosic materials, proteins, and alkanes. However, the metabolism of these thermoanaerobes is still poorly understood and so far, ther...
Microorganisms isolated from arctic environments represent a valuable reservoir of cold-active, catalytically promiscuous enzymes, including those which can be used for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Recently, cold-active Pseudomonas strains isolated from two glacial rivers in northern Iceland, Glerá and Jökulsá á Fjöllum, were scr...
Microbial biotechnology is a third year undergraduate course in the biotechnology line at the University of Akureyri. Its laboratory section is heavily centered around the research process with emphasis on students taking ownership of experimental design and subsequently working towards a manuscript for publishing in a peer-reviewed, undergraduate...
Chirality – the „handedness“ of life – and its influence on living organisms has fueled the field of asymmetric synthesis. The search for biological agents capable of resolving racemic compounds has led to the characterization of robust catalysts including alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs). Due to their high thermostability and solvent tolerance, ADHs...
Research into the biotechnological potential of genus
Thermoanaerobacter dates back to the late 1970s and has
largely focused on biocatalysis and the production of
useful chemicals from low-cost materials using a class of
oxidoreductases called alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs).
These allow for the reversible oxidation of a wide range of
alcohols...
Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) from arctic environments can be utilized to prepare valuable chiral building blocks with various industrial applications. Of particular interest are secondary ADHs (SADHs) that selectively oxidize secondary alcohols providing a green route towards the production of enantiomerically pure alcohols from racemic mixtures....
Several of the alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) of species within the genus Thermoanaerobacter are catalysts for secondary hydroxyl groups with the secondary ADH (SADH) produced by T. pseudoethanolicus being particularly well described in the literature. Unfortunately, this species SADH has a limited range of substrates which it can accept within its...
Microorganisms isolated from arctic environments represent a valuable reservoir of cold-active, catalytically promiscuous enzymes, including alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs), which can be utilized to prepare valuable chiral building blocks with various industrial applications. Of particular interest are secondary ADHs (SADHs) that selectively oxidize...
Several of the alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) of species within the genus Thermoanaerobacter are catalysts for secondary hydroxyl groups with the secondary ADH (SADH) produced by T. pseudoethanolicus being particularly well described in the literature. Unfortunately, this species SADH has a limited range of substrates which it can accept within its...
The present investigation is on bioethanol and biohydrogen production from oxalate-rich rhubarb leaves which are an underutilized residue of rhubarb cultivation. Rhubarb leaves can be the feedstock for bioethanol and biohydrogen production using thermophilic, anaerobic bacteria. The fermentation of second-generation biomass to biofuels by Thermoana...
Thermoanaerobacter species have recently been observed to reduce carboxylic acids to their corresponding alcohols. The present investigation shows that Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus converts C2–C6 short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to their corresponding alcohols in the presence of glucose. The conversion yields varied from 21% of 3-methyl-1-bu...
The use of fermentative microorganisms for efficient ethanol production from renewable feedstocks has been a subject of intense investigation over recent decades. The majority of ethanol from first generation biomass is obtained from sugar and starch-based biomass by microorganisms like Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis in well-known p...
Thermoanaerobacter strains have recently gained interest because of their ability to convert short chain fatty acids to alcohols using actively growing cells. Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus strain AK152 was physiologically investigated for its ethanol and other alcohol formation. The temperature and pH optimum of the strain was 70 °C and...
The thermo- and solvent-stable enzymes from extremophiles are an area of tremendous biotechnological potential, particularly in the context of “green” synthesis and achieving high stereoselectivity. The thermostable alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) from microorganisms within the genus of Thermoanaerobacter are noteworthy as they generate ethanol from...
The fermentation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) and branched-chain alcohols (BCOHs) is described using Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus. BCAAs were not degraded without an electron scavenging system but were degraded to a mixture of their BCFA (major) and BCOH (minor) when thiosulfate was added to th...
Alcohols are highly useful chemical building blocks with a diverse range of applications although the vast majority of alcohols are produced from non-renewable petroleum feedstocks. Thus, the ability of some Thermoanaerobacter species to produce bioalcohols (namely bioethanol) from a wide range of substrates is of general interest in the context of...
Alcohols are highly useful chemical building blocks with a diverse range of applications although the vast majority of alcohols are produced from non-renewable petroleum feedstocks. Thus, the ability of some Thermoanaerobacter species to produce bioalcohols (namely bioethanol) from a wide range of substrates is of general interest in the context of...
The protein and amino acid metabolism of thermophilic bacteria has been a neglected aspect of their physiology despite its biotechnological potential. Under anaerobic conditions, the metabolism of most amino acids requires an electron scavenger to effectively remove reducing equivalences and make the overall reaction thermodynamically favorable. Th...
The importance of chiral molecules in modern day chemistry
is particularly evident in the production of optically active
drugs. Typically, only one enantiomer of a given compound
possesses the desirable activity while the other may be
inactive or cause adverse health effects.
Non-biological methods of chiral resolution include
spontaneous crystall...
Mannitol is a potentially abundant and low-cost feedstock for the production of bioethanol and other commodity chemicals. Marine macro algae, such as the mannitol-rich brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum and Laminaria digitata, are ubiquitous along Iceland´s coastlines. Recent work undertaken by our group assessed the ability of selected thermophilic a...
Clostridium strain AK1 Clostridium strain AK1 is a moderate thermophile isolated from a hot spring in Grensdalur, Iceland 1. Its ability to ferment L-rhamnose to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) has been reported by the authors 2. As green macroalgae store a substantial amount of their carbohydrates in the form of ulvan, a L-rhamnose containing polysacchar...
Thermoanaerobacter and Caldanaerobacter species degrade branched-chain amino
acids (BCAAs) to a mixture of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) and branched-chain
alcohols (BCOHs). One of the critical aspects of manipulating the among of
the BCOH formed was prolonged incubation time as well as manipulation of culture
conditions. NMR studies reveal th...
The bioprocessing of amino acids to branched-chain fatty acids and alcohols is described using Thermoanaerobacter strain AK85. The amino acid utilization profile was evaluated without an electron scavenger, with thiosulfate, and in a co-culture with a methanogen. There was an emphasis on the production of branched-chain alcohols and fatty acids fro...
The protein and amino acid metabolism of thermophilic bacteria has been a neglected aspect of their physiology despite its biotechnological potential. Under anaerobic conditions, the metabolism of many proteogenic amino acids requires the presence of an electron scavenging system in order to effectively remove reducing equivalences and make the ove...
The protein and amino acid metabolism of thermophilic bacteria has been a neglected aspect of their physiology despite its biotechnological potential. Under anaerobic conditions, the metabolism of many proteogenic amino acids requires the presence of an electron scavenging system in order to effectively remove reducing equivalences and make the ove...
The bioprocessing of amino acids to branched-chain fatty acids and alcohols is described using Thermoanaerobacter strain AK85. The amino acid utilization profile was evaluated without an electron scavenger, with thiosulfate, and in a co-culture with a methanogen. There was an emphasis on the production of branched-chain alcohols and fatty acids fro...
Modern society is based upon easy access to complex molecules, such as various C2-C6 alcohols, which are derived from non-sustainable petroleum sources. Alcohols such as ethanol, butanol, and hexanol, are vital chemical building blocks with numerous applications. Recent work in our group has demonstrated that inexpensive carboxylic acids (acetic ac...
Ulva is a genus of green macro algae found along Iceland’s coasts. Its species are rich in fermentable sugars and do not require agricultural land for growth. This makes Ulva an ideal renewable non-food feedstock for various biotransformations, offering a more sustainable route towards chemical production. The macro algae is primarily composed of t...
Macro algae species are a promising feedstock for the production of biofuels such as biohydrogen. Thermophilic Clostridia are well-established candidates for the production of biofuels such as biohydrogen from complex biomass while investigations into their ability to deconstruct and ferment specific algal compounds has been limited. Recent work ha...
The dataset describes the catabolism of the 20 proteogenics amino acids and their end products by Thermoanaerobacter strain AK85 under different electron scavenging conditions with an emphasis on the branched-chain amino acids as reported in Scully and Orlygsson, 2019.
Hands-on experimentation is a critical tool for facilitating meaningful STEM education. Designing hands-on activities that expose students to basic scientific concepts let alone cutting edge topics when access to basic and specialized equipment is scarce can be a major challenge for educators. Several easily obtainable of do-it-yourself approaches...
The production of chemical building blocks has stemmed from inexpensive petroleum-based sources. Alcohols are particularly versatile building blocks that are produced in large quantities to meet demand numerous applications including as raw materials for polymers, pharmaceuticals, and solvents. By taking advantage of the principles of green chemist...
Science literacy represents the sum of a person´s or populations basic understanding of scientific concepts, attitudes, applied reasoning skills, and ability to critical evaluate information when making informed decisions. Unfortunately attempting to measure science literacy is a complex task as few metrics fully examine all that scientific literac...
Clostridium strain AK1 was investigated for its capacity of producing 1,2-propanediol from L-rhamnose but not L-fucose. The maximum yields of 1,2-propanediol from rhamnose was 0.81 mol 1,2-PD/mol L-rhamnose. The influence of different initial substrate concentrations as well as the effect of temperature and pH on 1,2-PD production was investigated.
Data set describe the fermentation of glucose and L-rhamnose by Clostridium strain AK1 (DSM 18778) under various culture conditions.
The dataset details the fermentation of D-glucose, L-rhamnose, and L-fucose and their end-product formation by the moderate thermophile Clostridium strain AK1 (DSM 18778) as related to the work described by [1]. The influence of culture conditions on end product formation from D-glucose and L-rhamnose by AK1 was investigated in batch culture. Strai...
Mannitol-containing macro algae biomass, such as Ascophyllum nodosum and Laminaria digitata, are a potential feedstock for the production of biofuels such as bioethanol. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the ability of thermophilic anaerobes within Class Clostridia to ferment mannitol and mannitol-containing algal extracts. Screening of the...
The ability of a mesophilic isolate, strain CC5C, isolated from a temperate geothermally-heated intertidal pool in northern Iceland is described herein. Strain CC5C belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae with greater than 99.1% similarity to Escherichia marmotae and Shigella dysenteriae based upon 16S rRNA gene analysis. Strain CC5C is a facultat...
Advantages of using thermophiles for bioethanol production
This review focuses upon hydrogen production by thermophilic, fermentative/anaerobic bacteria. In recent years, biofuel production has gained increased interest, mainly due to the substantial increase in the use of fossil fuels and the environmental issues related to elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is considered to...
Caldicellulosiruptor species degrade L-rhamnose and L-fucose to 1,2-propanediol. Six of the nine species within the genus produced 1,2-propanediol from L-rhamnose and three utilized L-fucose to produce the compound. Yields of 1,2-propanediol up to 40.5% of the theoretical yield were observed from methylpentoses catabolism.
Thermophilic bacteria have gained increased interest as bioprocessing platforms for bioethanol production from second generation biomass with a particular emphasis on thermophilic clostridia species. Although thermophilic bacteria possess many advantages such as broad substrate spectra, fast growth rates, and high tolerance for environmental factor...
Thermophilic anaerobes have been extensively investigated in the context of bioethanol from carbohydrate fermentation while the catabolism of proteins and amino acids have been largely ignored. Under anaerobic conditions, the catabolism of amino acids is generally not thermodynamically favorable without the addition of an electron scavenging system...
Macro algae species are promising feedstocks for biotechnological applications. Unlike terrestrial lignocellulosic biomass, macro algae lack lignin but contain a much broader range of polysaccharides. Enzymes for the degradation of polysaccharides found in macro algae such as agar, alginate, fucoidan, laminarin, and ulvan are not available. Solutio...
Clostridium strain AK1 was isolated from Grensdalur (South-West Iceland) and represents a novel species (92.3% similarity with Ruminococcus champanellensis within Class Clostridia) and falls within Cluster IV of the genus Clostridium although likely represents a novel genus. Unlike its most closely related phylogenetic neighbor, AK1 is moderately t...
Thermoanaerobacter strain AK68, isolated from a hot spring in Iceland, was investigated for hydrogen production from sugars. Strain AK68 is most closely related to Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus (99.9% similarity). The strain has a temperature optimum between 65 °C and 70 °C and a pH optimum between pH 7.0 and 8.0. The strain degraded the...
![The Ehrlich pathway (from [17]). Catabolism of branched-chain amino...](publication/280625191/figure/fig1/AS:1086797824176128@1636124201601/The-Ehrlich-pathway-from-17-Catabolism-of-branched-chain-amino-acids-leucine_Q320.jpg)
The catabolism of the 20 amino acids by
Thermoanaerobacter
strain AK90 (KR007667) was investigated under three different conditions: as single amino acids without an electron-scavenging system, in the presence of thiosulfate, and in coculture with a hydrogenotrophic methanogen. The strain degraded only serine without an alternative electron accepto...
Regioselective protecting group strategies are of great importance in carbohydrate chemistry. This investigation examined the use of tin(II) chloride and tin(II) bromide as catalysts for mono-alkylation of the vicinal diol systems of 4,6-acetal protected mannosides and glucosides using five diazo compounds, namely diazo[bis(4-methoxyphenyl)]methane...
Regioselective protecting group strategies are of great importance in carbohydrate chemistry. This investigation examined the use of tin(II) chloride and tin(II) bromide as catalysts for mono-alkylation of the vicinal diol systems of 4,6-acetal protected mannosides and glucosides using five diazo compounds, namely diazo[bis(4-methoxyphenyl)]methane...
Fifty-six thermophilic strains including members of Caldanaerobacter, Caldicellulosiruptor, Caloramator, Clostridium, Thermoanaerobacter, and Thermoanaerobacterium, were investigated for branched-chain amino acid degradation in the presence of thiosulfate in batch culture. All of the Thermoanaerobacter and Caldanaerobacter strains (24) degraded the...
Ethanol production using Paenibacillus strain J2 was studied on carbohydrates and lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates including grass (Phleum pratense) and barley straw (Hordeum vulgare). The strain has a broad substrate spectrum; fermentation of glucose yielded ethanol (major product), acetate, butyrate (minor), hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. At g...
The use of chemoenzymatic resolutions for the separation of racemic mixtures is a common route that affords enantiomerically pure compounds. Finding novel and selective protecting group strategies to facilitate the resolution of 1,2-diol systems remains challenging. The use of tin(II) halide-catalyzed reactions with diazo[bis(4-methylphenyl)]methan...
Questions
Questions (3)
One of the problems that I have frequently encountered in my academic writing, especially with large, techno-babble-laden works, is that Microsoft Word has a build-in limit for the number of "spelling errors" that can be displayed before it gives up on your document. Searching the internet does not afford a great many "solutions" to this problem.
One of the most commonly suggested "solutions" is to use the custom dictionary function, however, this can be cumbersome and a waste of time, especially for things like text strings of ascension numbers, latin names, and the like.
I have tried reaching out to third party software provides, but those that bothered to get back to me stated that they did not have a solution either, in addition to requiring subscription fees or dropping cash on a new piece of software.
To date, the best work around that I have found is to upload your "error" filled work to Google Docs, which does not seem to have a cap on errors, and do a side-by-side comparison, although this is of course a slow and tedious process.
If anyone out there has any other solutions, I look forward to hearing them.
I´m attempting to model the influence of various parameters on reactions involving n-propionate as a product. While some of the normal go-to references for Gibbs free energy list values for propionate, the enthalpy of formation for propionate is not given. I am aware that the Joback method can be used to estimate some of these values although I have not seen these used for species with a charge. Any ideas?
I'm looking for some reasonably inexpensive crude fullerene enriched soot. Based on information I found in an article in the Journal of Chemical Education from a few years back, I tried to contact the MER corporation but I didn't receive a response. I know that Sigma carries fullerene enriched soot but it's a bit pricey.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
