Mohab Ali Al-Hinai, Ph.D.
Sultan Qaboos University
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology – College of Science
PB 36, PC 123, Muscat, Oman
T: +(968) 2414 6874 - F: +(968) 2414 6873 - M: +(968) 9599 9992
mohab@squ.edu.om
Education
University of Delaware (Newark, DE, USA)
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (2013)
Specialization: Biotechnology, Molecular Biology and Genetics
Advisor: Prof. Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis
Northwestern University (Evanston, IL, USA)
M.S. in Biotechnology (2006)
Advisor: Prof. Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis
Sultan Qaboos University (Muscat, Oman)
B.S. in Biotechnology (2003)
Current Research Interests and Expertise
Overall, the target of our research work is the isolation and identification of novel microorganisms from
various Omani ecosystems to investigate and assess their potential for industrial and biotechnological
applications. Our lab is experienced in isolating and culturing a wide range of microorganisms which
include photosynthetic, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, as well as endospore formers. Additionally, we are
experienced in utilizing various advanced molecular and genetic tools that can be employed to metabolically
modify these microorganisms. This will enable the improvement of their productivity and tolerance to our
target products. Specifically, our currently funded, multi-disciplinary research projects aim to utilize both,
biological and thermochemical methods, to produce biofuels and other commodity chemicals and asses their
feasibility for large scale commercial production. Thus, the overarching aim of our research is to exploit the
metabolic repertoire of novel, or established, aquatic and/or terrestrial microorganisms to produce value
added products and commodity chemicals for industrial and biotechnological applications.
Teaching, Research and Work Experience
Sultan Qaboos University (Muscat, Oman)
Position: Assistant Professor
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July 2013 – present
Designed and taught a new course dealing with Biofuels.
Mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
Teaching of beginners and advanced level biology courses.
Actively involved in research projects (details of research grants are given below).
Involved in administrative duties at various levels in the college (details are given below).
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University of Delaware (Newark, DE)
Position: PhD candidate
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August 2008 – July 2013
Developed a novel genetic system for efficient isolation of double-crossover allelic exchange
mutants in Clostridium enabling markerless chromosomal integrations and deletions.
Investigated the roles of three putative sporulation specific sigma factors in C. acetobutylicum and
characterized their respective mutant strains.
Proposed an updated sporulation cascade model for C. acetobutylicum.
Developed tools and strategies to genetically engineer C. acetobutylicum for chemoautotrophic
production of biofuels via the introduction of heterologous genes and pathways.
Investigated the effects of overexpressing a number of heat shock proteins and membrane pumps on
conferring solvent tolerance in C. acetobutylicum.
Mentored undergraduate researchers.
Sultan Qaboos University (Muscat, Oman)
Position: Lecturer
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January 2006 – August 2008
Taught undergraduate level biology courses.
Taught sections of graduate level courses dealing with bacterial fermentation and transformation.
Served as a member on a number of committees at both the departmental and college level.
Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
Position: Masters Student
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June 2004 – December 2005
Genetically engineered C. acetobutylicum strains for increased butanol flux and production.
Utilized antisense RNA technology to downregulate two genes believed to play a role in the
initiation of sporulation.
Sultan Qaboos University (Muscat, Oman)
Position: Demonstrator
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September 2003 – May 2004
Taught undergraduate level practical and laboratory session in general biology and microbiology.
Member of the student-staff liaison committee.
The Research Council (TRC) research grants
Biofuels production from renewable resources in Oman based on a bio-refinery concept.
September 2014 – present
SQU internal research grants
Isolation, identification and characterization of biofuel producing bacteria from Omani desert soil crusts.
January 2015 – present
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Supervised/Co-supervised graduate students
Asma Al-Kindi* (PhD)
Mohammed Gomaa* (PhD)
Moza Al Makhmari* (MSc)
* In progress
Administrative duties
College of Science – College Board – Biology Representative
College of Science – IT Zone – Biology Representative
College of Science – Curriculum committee – Biology Representative
College of Science – Choice of major committee – Biology Representative
College of Science – Computer User Committee – Biology Representative
Department of Biology – Curriculum Committee
Department of Biology – Student Staff Liaison Committee
Department of Biology – Computer User Committee
Department of Biology – Accreditation Committee
Department of Biology – Appointment Committee
Department of Biology – Student Project Evaluation
2014 – present
2013 – present
2015 – present
2015 – present
2013 – present
2014 – present
2013 – present
2013 – present
2014 – present
2015 – present
2015 – present
Selected Publications
Al-Hinai, Mohab A., Shawn W. Jones, and Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis. "The Clostridium Sporulation
Programs: Diversity and Preservation of Endospore Differentiation." Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Reviews 79.1 (2015): 19-37.
Al-Hinai, Mohab A., Shawn W. Jones, and Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis. "σK of Clostridium acetobutylicum is
the first known sporulation-specific sigma factor with two developmentally separated roles, one early and
one late in sporulation." Journal of bacteriology 196.2 (2014): 287-299.
Al-Hinai, Mohab A., Alan G. Fast, and Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis. "Novel system for efficient isolation of
Clostridium double-crossover allelic exchange mutants enabling markerless chromosomal gene deletions
and DNA integration." Applied and environmental microbiology 78.22 (2012): 8112-8121.
Gaida, Stefan M., Mohab A. Al-Hinai, Dinesh C. Indurthi, Sergios A. Nicolaou, and Eleftherios T.
Papoutsakis. "Synthetic tolerance: three noncoding small RNAs, DsrA, ArcZ and RprA, acting supraadditively against acid stress."Nucleic acids research (2013): gkt651.
Sillers, Ryan, Mohab Ali Al‐Hinai, and Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis. "Aldehyde–alcohol dehydrogenase
and/or thiolase overexpression coupled with CoA transferase downregulation lead to higher alcohol titers
and selectivity in Clostridium acetobutylicum fermentations." Biotechnology and bioengineering102.1
(2009): 38-49.
Patents
Papoutsakis, Eleftherios T., Mohab Ali Al-Hinai, Shawn William Jones, Dinesh Chanukya Indurthi, Daniel
Knox Mitchell, and Alan Fast. "Recombinant clostridia that fix CO2 and CO and uses thereof." U.S. Patent
8,759,070, issued June 24, 2014.
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Provisional Patent Applications
M. A. Al-Hinai, Papoutsakis, E.T, Fast, A.G. (2012). Recombinant Clostridium organism and method for
isolation of double-crossover allelic exchange mutants. PCT/US2012/069672, WO2013133882A3.
Conferences
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“The Bimodal Expression Pattern Of sigK Corresponds To Its Dual Role As An Early As Well As
Late Sporulation-Specific Sigma Factor In Clostridium acetobutylicum” Al-Hinai MA and
Papoutsakis ET. ASM general meeting 2013, Denver, CO, May 2013.
“An inducible counter-selection marker for isolating rare genomic recombination events in
Clostridium acetobutylicum” Al-Hinai MA and Papoutsakis ET. Clostridium XII, Nottingham, UK,
Sep. 2012.
“The disruption of the transcriptional regulator asnC/CAC0977 leads to a non-sporulating and
solventogenic strain of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824” Al-Hinai MA and Papoutsakis ET.
Clostridium XI, San Diego, California, USA, Oct. 2010.
“Installing the Wood-Ljungdahl Pathway in Clostridium acetobutylicum” Alan G. Fast, Mohab A. Al-Hinai,
Ellinor D. Schmidt, Nicholas R. Sandoval, Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis. The 2013 AIChE Annual Meeting,
San Francisco, USA.
“Signaling Pathways Affecting Sporulation and Stationary Phase Phenomena in Clostridium
acetobutylicum”.R Sillers, MA Al-Hinai, CJ Paredes, ET Papoutsakis. The 2006 AIChE Annual
Meeting, San Francisco, USA.
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