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Dr Florence Abram

Ph.D., MSc, MSc

Contact Details

Lecturer Below The Bar
Microbiology
School of Natural Science
NUI Galway

T: Ext. 2390
E: florence.abram@nuigalway.ie
 
researcher

Biography

I hold two MSc degrees in Food Biotechnology. The first one was awarded from France (ENSAIA) where I spent most of my undergraduate studies and the second from Wageningen University (The Netherlands), partially pursued through the EC Erasmus programme. My first position as a graduate was as a research scientist in Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen (The Netherlands), after which I took a break from Natural Sciences. I then became a computer programmer before undertaking a PhD in Microbiology at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI, Galway). There, I used proteomics to investigate the stress tolerance mechanisms of the human foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. I subsequently transferred my proteomic expertise to the growing field of Environmental Microbiology during my postdoctoral research at NUI, Galway. I then became a University Fellow in Microbiology (Teaching and Research; NUI, Galway) before obtaining a Lecturer position. I am the director of the Functional Environmental Microbiology laboratory and my research interests stand at the cross-roads between two themes: Microbial Ecology and Infectious Diseases. 

Research Interests

My research interests are as follows:
  • Microbial Ecology
  • Systems Biology
  • Application of proteomics and  metaproteomics to investigate microbial behaviour
  • Persistence of invasive species in the environment such as Escherichia coli in soils
  • Trade-off between stress resistance and nutrition in microorganisms

Research Projects

  Project Start Date End Date
SWB Gustavo Sambrano- Abram Florence (PI) 01-JAN-15 30-APR-16
Investigating microbial risks associated with water used in food production and preparation 01-OCT-15 30-SEP-19
GENERAL ACCOUNT FLORENCE ABRAM 01-SEP-14 31-AUG-19

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2016) 'Comparative proteomics implicates a role for multiple secretion systems in electrode-respiring Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms'
1. Kavanagh P, Botting CH, Jana P, Leech D and Abram, F (2016) 'Comparative proteomics implicates a role for multiple secretion systems in electrode-respiring Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms'. Journal Of Proteome Research, [DOI] [Details]
(2016) 'Agricultural anaerobic digestion power plants in Ireland and Germany: policy & practice'
Auer A, Vande Burgt NH, Abram F, Barry G, Fenton O, Markey BK, Nolan S, Richards K, Bolton D, De Waal T, Gordon SV, O’Flaherty V, Whyte P, and Zintl A (2016) 'Agricultural anaerobic digestion power plants in Ireland and Germany: policy & practice'. Journal Of The Science Of Food And Agriculture, [Details]
(2016) 'The General Stress Response Is Conserved in Long-Term Soil-Persistent Strains of Escherichia coli'
Somorin, Y,Abram, F,Brennan, F,O'Byrne, C (2016) 'The General Stress Response Is Conserved in Long-Term Soil-Persistent Strains of Escherichia coli'. Applied And Environmental Microbiology, 82 :4628-4640 [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'Functional responses and adaptation of mesophilic microbial communities to psychrophilic anaerobic digestion'
Gunnigle, E,Nielsen, JL,Fuszard, M,Botting, CH,Sheahan, J,O'Flaherty, V,Abram, F (2015) 'Functional responses and adaptation of mesophilic microbial communities to psychrophilic anaerobic digestion'. Fems Microbiology Ecology, 91 [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'Low-temperature anaerobic digestion is associated with differential methanogenic protein expression'
Gunnigle, E,Siggins, A,Botting, CH,Fuszard, M,O'Flaherty, V,Abram, F (2015) 'Low-temperature anaerobic digestion is associated with differential methanogenic protein expression'. Fems Microbiology Letters, 362 [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
(2015) 'Systems-based approaches to unravel multi-species microbial community functioning'
Florence Abram (2015) 'Systems-based approaches to unravel multi-species microbial community functioning'. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 13 :24-32 [ARAN Link] [Details]
(2014) 'Adhesive Proteins of Stalked and Acorn Barnacles Display Homology with Low Sequence Similarities'
Jonker, JL,Abram, F,Pires, E,Coelho, AV,Grunwald, I,Power, AM (2014) 'Adhesive Proteins of Stalked and Acorn Barnacles Display Homology with Low Sequence Similarities'. Plos One, 9 [DOI] [Details]
(2013) 'Insights into the low-temperature adaptation and nutritional flexibility of a soil-persistent Escherichia coli'
Brennan, FP,Grant, J,Botting, CH,O'Flaherty, V,Richards, KG,Abram, F (2013) 'Insights into the low-temperature adaptation and nutritional flexibility of a soil-persistent Escherichia coli'. Fems Microbiology Ecology, 84 :75-85 [DOI] [Details]
(2013) 'A Functional Approach To Uncover the Low-Temperature Adaptation Strategies of the Archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri'
Gunnigle, E,McCay, P,Fuszard, M,Botting, CH,Abram, F,O'Flaherty, V (2013) 'A Functional Approach To Uncover the Low-Temperature Adaptation Strategies of the Archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri'. Applied And Environmental Microbiology, 79 :4210-4219 [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 'Exploring mixed microbial community functioning: recent advances in metaproteomics'
Siggins, A., Gunnigle, E., and Abram, F (2012) 'Exploring mixed microbial community functioning: recent advances in metaproteomics'. Fems Microbiology Ecology, [Details]
(2012) 'Impact of trichloroethylene exposure on the microbial diversity and protein expression in anaerobic granular biomass at 37°C and 15°C'
Siggins, A., Enright, A.M., Abram, F., Botting, C., and O'Flaherty, V. (2012) 'Impact of trichloroethylene exposure on the microbial diversity and protein expression in anaerobic granular biomass at 37°C and 15°C'. Archaea-An International Microbiological Journal, [Details]
(2011) 'A metaproteomic approach gives functional insights into anaerobic digestion'
Abram, F,Enright, AM,O'Reilly, J,Botting, CH,Collins, G,O'Flaherty, V (2011) 'A metaproteomic approach gives functional insights into anaerobic digestion'. Journal Of Applied Microbiology, 110 :1550-1560 [DOI] [Details]
(2010) 'Characterization of Environmentally Persistent Escherichia coli Isolates Leached from an Irish Soil'
Brennan, FP,Abram, F,Chinalia, FA,Richards, KG,O'Flaherty, V (2010) 'Characterization of Environmentally Persistent Escherichia coli Isolates Leached from an Irish Soil'. Applied And Environmental Microbiology, 76 :2175-2180 [DOI] [Details]
(2009) 'Optimisation of protein extraction and 2-DE for metaproteomics of microbial communities from anaerobic wastewater treatment biofilms'
Abram, F,Gunnigle, E,O'Flaherty, V (2009) 'Optimisation of protein extraction and 2-DE for metaproteomics of microbial communities from anaerobic wastewater treatment biofilms'. Electrophoresis, 30 :4149-4151 [DOI] [Details]
(2008) 'Identification of Components of the Sigma B Regulon in Listeria monocytogenes That Contribute to Acid and Salt Tolerance'
Abram, F,Starr, E,Karatzas, KAG,Matlawska-Wasowska, K,Boyd, A,Wiedmann, M,Boor, KJ,Connally, D,O'Byrne, CP (2008) 'Identification of Components of the Sigma B Regulon in Listeria monocytogenes That Contribute to Acid and Salt Tolerance'. Applied And Environmental Microbiology, 74 :6848-6858 [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
(2008) 'Proteomic analyses of a Listeria monocytogenes mutant lacking sigma(B) identify new components of the sigma(B) regulon and highlight a role for sigma(B) in the utilization of glycerol'
Abram, F,Wan-Lin, S,Wiedmann, M,Boor, KJ,Coote, P,Botting, C,Karatzas, KAG,O'Byrne, CP (2008) 'Proteomic analyses of a Listeria monocytogenes mutant lacking sigma(B) identify new components of the sigma(B) regulon and highlight a role for sigma(B) in the utilization of glycerol'. Applied And Environmental Microbiology, 74 :594-604 [DOI] [Details]
(2003) 'Modelling and optimization of inactivation of Lactobacillus plantarum by pulsed electric field treatment'
Abram, F., Smelt, J.P.P.M., Bos, R., and Wouters P.C. (2003) 'Modelling and optimization of inactivation of Lactobacillus plantarum by pulsed electric field treatment'. Journal Of Applied Microbiology, [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2014) 'APPLICATION OF METAPROTEOMICS TO THE EXPLORATION OF MICROBIAL N-CYCLING COMMUNITIES'
Smith C and Abram F (2014) 'APPLICATION OF METAPROTEOMICS TO THE EXPLORATION OF MICROBIAL N-CYCLING COMMUNITIES' In: Metagenomics of the Nitrogen Cycle. uk: Horizon Scientific Press and Caister Academic Press. [Details]
(2013) 'Ecology of Environmental Biofilms'
Gavin Collins, Florence Abram, Therese Mahony, Vincent O’Flaherty, William T. Sloan and Christopher Quince (2013) 'Ecology of Environmental Biofilms' In: Biofilms in Bioengineering. us: nova science publishers. [Details]

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2013 NUIG Postgraduate Diploma Academic Practice
2007 NUIG PhD Microbiology
2000 Wageningen University Msc Biotechnology
1999 ENSAIA Msc Food Technology and Bioprocess Technology

External Collaborators

  Name Organisation / Institute Country Description of Collaboration
External Collaborators
Dr Catherine Botting (St Andrews University, UK)Dr Christopher Quince (University of Warwick, UK)Dr Umer Ijaz (University of Glasgow, UK)Dr John McGrath (Queen's University Belfast, UK)