Research Interests
Dr David Dowling is the Head of Faculty of Science at SETU Carlow and is research active in the area of Environmental microbiology/biotechnology.
I was employed as a research scientist at the Max Planck Institute in Cologne, Germany, the University of Geneva Switzerland and the Federal Institute of Biotechnology, Germany, before moving to University College Cork in 1990 as a senior research scientist. I joined SETU Carlow in 1996 as a lecturer in biotechnology. My research has been funded by EU, National and Industrial sources and in the last 10 years I have raised almost 2 million euro in research funding at SETU Carlow. I was a member of the EU Cost programme management committee (Cost FA849 and FA1103) on Phytotechnolgies and I have experience of co-coordinating EU projects. My research interests are in plant-microbe interactions and their applications for bioremediation of pollutants and sustainable agriculture. My current focus is on endophytic bacteria and their function as part of the plant and soil microbiota. In addition, I have an interest in the application of digital technologies relating to undergraduate science laboratory practical teaching/assessment. (see TEAM)
Engagement and Collaboration
I am a co-founder of MicroGen Biotech. Ltd, and an active member of EnviroCore a strategic research unit dedicated to the application of environmental biotechnology research at SETU Carlow. In addition I have been involved in supporting regional enterprises through the innovation voucher scheme. I have an extensive network of international collaborators both Academic and Industrial.
Current Research Students
Sandra Bohan
Developing biomarkers for detecting stress in farmed fish.
Mentor /Co-Supervisor
Mutian Wang
Investigating the function, persistence, and biosafety of novel functional constructed microbiomes for improved bioremediation of petroleum-impacted soil
co-supervisor
Robert Conlon
Assessment of combined phyto- and myco-remediation strategies for soil remediation
Co Supervisor
Past Research Students
Demi Ryan
Ridhdhi Rathore
John Byrne
Emma Smullen
Coordinated development of leading biomass pretreatment technologies for the generation of bioethanol from Irish crops
PhD -2017
Richard Lally
Investigating the application, plant growth promotion and genetic potential of three endophytic Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates for use in sustainable agriculture
PhD -2016
John Culhane
Investigation of plant growth promotion endophytic isolates as microbial inoculants for application in the bioremediation of oil contaminated soil
PhD -2016
Nicholas Otieno
Development of plant growth promotion endophytic isolates as microbial inoculants for practical application in
PhD -2015
Sagar Chhabra
bioenergy plant specie-Soil metagenome analysis and bacterial ecology of a low-input tillage agroecosystem
PhD-2012
Clare Menton
Microbiology of Bioenergy crops;pathogen fate and bioremediation enhancement
PhD-2011
Edwina Brennan
Purification and genetic analysis of a specific glutathione transferase (BphK LB400) involved in the detoxification of PCBs
PhD-2010
Elaine Keogh
The isolation and characterisation of bacterial endophytes and their potential applications for improving phytoremediation
PhD-2009
Xuemei Liu
Development and application of biosensor technologies for the biodegradation of environmental pollutants
PhD-2008
Kieran Germaine
Construction of endophytic xenobiotic degrader bacteria for improving the phytoremediation of organic pollutants
PhD-2007
Guio Garcia- Cabellos
Investigating the microbiology of constructed wetlands
PhD-2007
Jill Hogan
The monitoring of a prokaryotic bioremediation system in PCB contaminated soil and their in situ quantification
PhD-2006
Robert Ryan
The generation and molecular analysis of multiresistant microbial strains and associated operons for the bioremediation of toxic metals
PhD-2005
Niamh Gilmartin
Biodegradation of PCBs: Characterisation of aRhodococcus strain
PhD-2004
Orla Sherlock
A molecular based detection system for PCB degrading Pseudomonas and isolation of variants of the bphC gene
PhD-2003
Clare Whelan
Construction and analysis of GM bacteria with re-regulated expression of bph genes
PhD-2002
Finola Flannery
Characterisation of soil bacteria with biocontrol potential
MSc-2001
Publications
I have 35 years of experience in the area of biodegradation as well as plant-microbe interactions with over 70 publications in refereed international scientific publications and over 160 conference papers, three patents and I have edited a number of books in the area of environmental biotechnology.
Recent Publications are listed below. For a full list of publications see here
Recent Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Lally R. D., Galbally P., Moreira A. S., Spink J., Ryan D., Germaine K. J., Dowling D. N. (2017). Application of Endophytic Pseudomonas fluorescens and a Bacterial Consortium to Brassica napus Can Increase Plant Height and Biomass under Greenhouse and Field Conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science :8 , 2193 https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2017.02193 DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.02193.
Rathore,R., Dowling, DN., Forristal ,PD., Spink, J., Cotter,PD., Bulgarelli,D., Germaine, KJ. (2017) Crop Establishment Practices are a Driver of the Plant Microbiota in Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus). Frontiers in Microbiology doi:103389/fmicb.2017.01489.
Smullen, E., Finan, JM., Dowling,DN., Mulcahy,P. (2017) Bioconversion of Switchgrass: Identification of a Leading Pretreatment Option Based on Yield, Cost and Environmental Impact . Renewable Energy 111:638-645.
Moreira, AS. Germaine, KJ, Lloyd, A, Lally, RD, Galbally, PT, Ryan, D, Dowling, DN (2016) Draft Genome Sequence of Three Endophyte Strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens Isolated from Miscanthus giganteus Genome Announcements 4(5):965-981 · DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00965-16
Liu,X, Kiwanuka,S, Cleary, K, Ryan, D, Dowling,DN, Germaine KJ (2016) Use of Ecopiling to remediate PAH-Contaminated Storm-water Lagoon Sediment. . J Bioremed.Biodeg. 7:4 DOI: 10.4172/2155-6199.1000355
Otieno,N., Lally,RD, Kiwanuka,S., Lloyd,A., Ryan,D., Germaine,KJ., and Dowling, DN, (2015) Plant growth promotion induced by phosphate solubilizing endophytic Pseudomonas isolates. Frontiers in Microbiology doi; 10.33 89/fmicb.20 15.00745
Germaine, KJ, Byrne, J., Liu, X., Keohane, J., Culhane, J, Lally RD., Kiwanuka, S., Ryan, D., and Dowling, DN (2015) Ecopiling: a combined phytoremediation and passive biopiling system for remediating hydrocarbon impacted soils at field scale. Frontiers in Plant Science doi: 10.33 89/fpls.2014.00756.
Book Chapters
Chabbra, S. and Dowling, DN (2017) Endophyte-promoted Nutrient Acquisition : Phosphorous and Iron. In: Doty, SL, ed. Functional Importance of the Plant Microbiome; Implications for Agriculture, Forestry and Bioenergy pp21-42. Springer. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-65897-1