Hisham Faiadh Mohammad Abu-Ali

Hisham Faiadh Mohammad Abu-Ali
Assist Professor of Bionanotechnology
PhD and post doctorate in Nanobiotechnology
Sheffield Hallam University. UK
MSc. Genetic Engineering.
Basrah University, Basrah, Iraq
College of Science
Higher Diploma in Genetic Engineering

EDUCATION

PhD student in Sheffield Hallam University, 2015-2019
Basrah University, Science College, Biology Department, Iraq
MSc. (Master’s in Genetic Engineering) 2008-2010
(Thesis: Identification of Agrobacterium tumefacince and Ti plasmid by PCR and cloning
technique)
Baghdad University, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute for post
graduate studies.
HD (Higher Dploma in Genetic Engineering)
(Thesis: Genetic study of G6pD disease) 2004-2005
Baghdad University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iraq
BSc. (Bacheolar in Vm & S)1998-2003

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Bionanotechnology
Applied nanobiosensors
Genetic engineering
Molecular biology
Biotechnology
Chemosensors
Immunosensors

Scopus Publications

Biogenic synthesis and characterization of MgO nanoparticles from banana peel extract with evaluation of their antibacterial and antioxidant activities in cellular models
Eman Kadhem Jawada, Hisham Faiadh Mohammad, Khadeeja Sadiq Jaffer
Cellular and Molecular Biology Noisy Le Grand France, 2025
Metal sulfide sub-nanometer clusters formed within calix(8)arene Langmuir-Blodgett films
Cansu Ozkaya, Hisham Abu-Ali, Alexei Nabok, Frank Davis, Nik Walch, et al.
Thin Solid Films, 2023
New World Record of Keratella quadrata Rotifers Isolated from Shatt Al-Basrah, South of Iraq
Hala F. Hassan, Hisham F. Mohammad
Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 2023
Electrochemical detection of prostate cancer biomarker pca3 using specific rna-based aptamer labelled with ferrocene
Alexei Nabok, Hisham Abu-Ali, Sarra Takita, David P. Smith
Chemosensors, 2021
This paper reports on a feasibility study of electrochemical in-vitro detection of prostate cancer biomarker PCA3 (prostate cancer antigen 3) in direct assay with specific RNA aptamer labelled with a redox group (ferrocene) and immobilized on a screen-printed gold electrode surface. The cyclic voltammograms and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods yield encouraging results on the detection of PCA3 in a range of concentrations from 1 μg/mL down to 0.1 ng/mL in buffer solutions. Both anodic and cathodic current values in cyclic voltammograms measurements and charge transfer resistance values in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments correlate with the PCA3 concentration in the sample. Kinetics studies of the binding of the PCA3 to our aptamer demonstrated high specificity of the reaction with a characteristic affinity constant of approximately 4·10−10 molar. The results of this work provide a background for the future development of novel, highly sensitive and cost-effective diagnostic methodologies for prostate cancer detection.
Electrochemical aptasensor for detection of dopamine
Hisham Abu-Ali, Cansu Ozkaya, Frank Davis, Nik Walch, Alexei Nabok
Chemosensors, 2020
This work presents a proof of concept of a novel, simple, and sensitive method of detection of dopamine, a neurotransmitter within the human brain. We propose a simple electrochemical method for the detection of dopamine using a dopamine-specific aptamer labeled with an electrochemically active ferrocene tag. Aptamers immobilized on the surface of gold screen-printed gold electrodes via thiol groups can change their secondary structure by wrapping around the target molecule. As a result, the ferrocene labels move closer to the electrode surface and subsequently increase the electron transfer. The cyclic voltammograms and impedance spectra recorded on electrodes in buffer solutions containing different concentration of dopamine showed, respectively, the increase in both the anodic and cathodic currents and decrease in the double layer resistance upon increasing the concentration of dopamine from 0.1 to 10 nM L−1. The high affinity of aptamer-dopamine binding (KD ≈ 5 nM) was found by the analysis of the binding kinetics. The occurrence of aptamer-dopamine binding was directly confirmed with spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements.
Electrochemical inhibition bacterial sensor array for detection of water pollutants: artificial neural network (ANN) approach
Hisham Abu-Ali, Alexei Nabok, Thomas J. Smith
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2019
This work reports on further development of an inhibition electrochemical sensor array based on immobilized bacteria for the preliminary detection of a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants, such as heavy metal salts (HgCl2, PbCl2, CdCl2), pesticides (atrazine, simazine, DDVP), and petrochemicals (hexane, octane, pentane, toluene, pyrene, and ethanol) in water. A series of DC and AC electrochemical measurements, e.g., cyclic voltammograms and impedance spectroscopy, were carried out on screen-printed gold electrodes with three types of bacteria, namely Escherichia coli, Shewanella oneidensis, and Methylococcus capsulatus, immobilized via poly l-lysine. The results obtained showed a possibility of pattern recognition of the above pollutants by their inhibition effect on the three bacteria used. The analysis of a large amount of experimental data was carried out using an artificial neural network (ANN) programme for more accurate identification of pollutants as well as the estimation of their concentration. The results are encouraging for the development of a simple and cost-effective biosensing technology for preliminary in-field analysis (screening) of water samples for the presence of environmental pollutants. Graphical abstract
Highly sensitive label-free in vitro detection of aflatoxin B1 in an aptamer assay using optical planar waveguide operating as a polarization interferometer
Ali Al-Jawdah, Alexei Nabok, Hisham Abu-Ali, Gaelle Catanante, Jean-Louis Marty, et al.
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2019
This work reports on further development of an optical biosensor for the in vitro detection of mycotoxins (in particular, aflatoxin B1) using a highly sensitive planar waveguide transducer in combination with a highly specific aptamer bioreceptor. This sensor is built on a SiO2–Si3N4–SiO2 optical planar waveguide (OPW) operating as a polarization interferometer (PI), which detects a phase shift between p- and s-components of polarized light propagating through the waveguide caused by the molecular adsorption. The refractive index sensitivity (RIS) of the recently upgraded PI experimental setup has been improved and reached values of around 9600 rad per refractive index unity (RIU), the highest RIS values reported, which enables the detection of low molecular weight analytes such as mycotoxins in very low concentrations. The biosensing tests yielded remarkable results for the detection of aflatoxin B1 in a wide range of concentrations from 1 pg/mL to 1 μg/mL in direct assay with specific DNA-based aptamers. Graphical abstract Optical planar waveguide polarization interferometry biosensor for detection of aflatoxin B1 using specific aptamer. Optical planar waveguide polarization interferometry biosensor for detection of aflatoxin B1 using specific aptamer.
Development of a Novel Electrochemical Inhibition Sensor Array Based on Bacteria Immobilized on Modified Screen-Printed Gold Electrodes for Water Pollution Detection
H. Abu-Ali, A. Nabok, T. J. Smith, M. Al-Shanawa
Bionanoscience, 2019
The development of a novel and simple inhibition biosensor array for detection of water pollutants based on bacteria immobilized on the surface of the electrodes is the main goal of this work. A series of electrochemical measurements (i.e., cyclic voltammograms) were carried out on modified screen-printed gold electrodes with three types of bacteria, namely Escherichia coli, Shewanella oneidensis, and Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), immobilized via poly l-lysine. For comparison purposes, similar measurements were carried out on bacteria samples in solutions; also optical measurements (fluorescence microscopy, optical density, and flow cytometry) were performed on the same bacteria in both liquid and immobilized forms. The study of the effect of heavy metal ions (lead), pesticides (atrazine), and petrochemicals (hexane) on DC electrochemical characteristics of immobilized bacteria revealed a possibility of pattern recognition of the above inhibition agents in an aquatic environment.
Development of novel and highly specific ssDNA-aptamer-based electrochemical biosensor for rapid detection of mercury (II) and lead (II) ions in water
Hisham Abu-Ali, Alexei Nabok, Thomas Smith
Chemosensors, 2019
In this work, we report on the development of an electrochemical biosensor for high selectivity and rapid detection of Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions using DNA-based specific aptamer probes labeled with ferrocene (or methylene blue) and thiol groups at their 5′ and 3′ termini, respectively. Aptamers were immobilized onto the surface of screen-printed gold electrodes via the SH (thiol) groups, and then cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectra measurements were performed in buffer solutions with the addition of HgCl2 and PbCl2 salts at different concentrations. Changes in 3D conformation of aptamers, caused by binding their respective targets, e.g., Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions, were accompanied by an increase in the electron transfer between the redox label and the electrode. Accordingly, the presence of the above ions can be detected electrochemically. The detection of Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions in a wide range of concentrations as low as 0.1 ng/mL (or 0.1 ppb) was achieved. The study of the kinetics of aptamer/heavy metal ions binding gave the values of the affinity constants of approximately 9.10−7 mol, which proved the high specificity of the aptamers used.
Electrochemical inhibition biosensor array for rapid detection of water pollutions based on bacteria immobilized on screen-printed gold electrodes
H. Ali, A. Nabok, T. Smith, Maythem A. Shanawa
European Chemical Bulletin, 2018
This work reports on the development of a bacteria-based inhibition biosensor array for detection of different types of pollutions, i.e. heavy metal ions (Zn 2+ ), pesticides (DDVP) and petro-chemicals (pentane), in water. The biosensor chip for preliminary identification of the above water pollutants is based on three types of bacteria ( Escherichia coli , Shewanella oneidensis and Methylosinus trichosporium ) immobilized on screen-printed gold electrode surface via poly L-lysine which provides strong adhesion of bacterial monolayer to the electrode without losses of biological function. A series of optical measurements and DC electrochemical measurements were carried out on these three types of bacteria species immobilized on modified screen printed gold electrodes as well as on the bacteria in solution samples. The principle of electrochemical detection of pollutants is based on the facts that live bacteria adsorbed (or immobilized) on the electrode surface appeared to be insulating and thus reducing the electrochemical current, while the bacteria damaged by pollutants are less insulating. The results obtained demonstrated different effects of the three different types of analytes studied, e.g. Zn 2+ , DDVP, and pentane, on the three bacteria used. The findings are encouraging for application of a pattern recognition approach for identification pollutants which may lead to development of a novel, simple, and cost-effective bio-sensing array for preliminary detection of environmental pollutants in water.
LSPR/TIRE bio-sensing platform for detection of low molecular weight toxins
Ali Al-Rubaye, Alexei Nabok, Hisham Abu-Ali, Andras Szekacs, Ester Takacs
Proceedings of IEEE Sensors, 2017
Development of electrochemical inhibition biosensor based on bacteria for detection of environmental pollutants
H. Abu-Ali, A. Nabok, T. Smith, M. Al-Shanawa
Sensing and Bio Sensing Research, 2017

Publications

1- Development of novel and highly specific ssDNA-aptamer-based electrochemical biosensor for rapid detection of mercury (II) and lead (II) ions in water
H Abu-Ali, A Nabok, TJ Smith,Chemosensors 7 (2), 27
2- Electrochemical inhibition bacterial sensor array for detection of water pollutants: artificial neural network (ANN) approach
H Abu-Ali, A Nabok, TJ Smith, Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry 411 (29), 7659-7668
3- Development of electrochemical inhibition biosensor based on bacteria for detection of environmental pollutants
H Abu-Ali, A Nabok, T Smith, M Al-Shanawa, Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research 13, 109-114
4- Highly sensitive label-free in vitro detection of aflatoxin B1 in an aptamer assay using optical planar waveguide operating as a polarization interferometer
A Al-Jawdah, A Nabok, H Abu-Ali, G Catanante, JL Marty, A Szekacs, Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry 411 (29), 7717-7724
5- LSPR/TIRE bio-sensing platform for detection of low molecular weight toxins
A Al-Rubaye, A Nabok, H Abu-Ali, A Szekacs, E Takacs 2017 IEEE SENSORS, 1-3
6- Electrochemical aptasensor for detection of dopamine
H Abu-Ali, C Ozkaya, F Davis, N Walch, A Nabok., Chemosensors 8 (2), 28
7- Inhibition biosensor based on DC and AC electrical measurements of bacteria samples
H Abu-Ali, A Nabok, T Smith, M., Procedia technology 27, 129-130.

Industry, Institute, or Organisation Collaboration

MSc. Genetic Engineering.
Basrah University, Basrah, Iraq
College of Science
PhD and post doctorate in Nanobiotechnology
Sheffield Hallam University. UK

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

15 years , since 2006-2021