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Professor Al-Rubeai Publishes New Book

UCD Biochemical Engineering Professor Mohamed Al-Rubeai has published a new book: Animal Cell Culture.

The book, published by Springer, is available now at Springer.com and amazon.co.uk
​Animal cells are the preferred “cell factories” for the production of complex molecules and antibodies for use as prophylactics, therapeutics or diagnostics. Animal cells are required for the correct post-translational processing (including glycosylation) of biopharmaceutical protein products. They are used for the production of viral vectors for gene therapy. Major targets for this therapy include cancer, HIV, arthritis, cardiovascular and CNS diseases and cystic fibrosis. Animal cells are used as in vitro substrates in pharmacological and toxicological studies. This book is designed to serve as a comprehensive review of animal cell culture, covering the current status of both research and applications. For the student or R&D scientist or new researcher the protocols are central to the performance of cell culture work, yet a broad understanding is essential for translation of laboratory findings into the industrial production. Within the broad scope of the book, each topic is reviewed authoritatively by experts in the field to produce state-of-the-art collection of current research. A major reference volume on cell culture research and how it impacts on production of biopharmaceutical proteins worldwide, the book is essential reading for everyone working in cell culture and is a recommended volume for all biotechnology libraries.

Professor Mohamed Al-Rubeai presents a keynote talk to the 2nd International Conference of the Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Baghdad

Professor Al-Rubeai presented a keynote plenary talk entitled “Optimisation Strategies for Large scale production of therapeutic products from mammalian cells” at the 2nd International Conference of the Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Baghdad, 15-16 October, 2014. Production of therapeutic biopharmaceuticals has an exciting prospect for Iraq but it will need great infrastructure and availability of high skilled personnel along with a strong scientific community. Professor Al-Rubeai’s research is on optimisation of large scale processes for the production of biopharmaceuticals from mammalian cells.

Professor Al-Dahhan’s research and accomplishments in leading national and international Media

Flow Dynamics of pebble bed reactors for next generation Nuclear Energy:

Led by Dr. Muthanna Al-Dahhan, chair and professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and professor of nuclear engineering, Missouri S&T is developing new approaches to understanding how nuclear fuel pebbles would behave in what are called “fourth generation” pebble-bed nuclear reactors and how gas dynamics can effectively take the generated heat. These reactors would house uranium fuel in spheres the size of tennis balls (the “pebbles”) rather than rods, and the cores would cooled by helium gas instead of water. These reactors also are considered to be more efficient than water-cooled reactors and would operate at much higher temperatures.
Al-Dahhan is combining a broad array of approaches to measurement, but they fall into two categories:

  • Techniques that are based on radioisotopes for imaging and visualization of opage multiphase flow systems which have been used to measure and track nuclear fuel pebbles and imaging the reactor structure of pebble bed reactors in addition to other types of multiphase reactors and flow systems. A radioisotope is the atom of a chemical that has an unstable nucleus and emits radiation as it decays.
  • Sophisticated techniques to measure various hydrodynamics, heat, mass and kinetics parameters of multiphase reactors and flow systems. Some of these have been used to measure gas dynamics and heat transfer in pebble bed reactors.

“These techniques can show us what is going on inside the reactor and can be used to advance their knowledge and understanding,” says Al-Dahhan. “All of this is related to the design, operation, risk assessment and analysis of future pebble-bed reactors and other types of multiphase reactors and flow systems in general.”

Augmenting these techniques with sophisticated mathematical algorithms, Al-Dahhan creates computer-simulated visualizations that could help engineers plan future nuclear reactors. Using what he calls “gamma ray tomography and radioactive particle tracking,” Al-Dahhan is able to view what is going on inside a reactor core, in much the same way that a physician uses ultrasound equipment to view movement within the human body.
“We can visualize the reactor core and the dynamics of how the nuclear fuel particles behave,” Al-Dahhan says. From that data – and via computational fluid dynamics – Al-Dahhan can create models that predict how nuclear fuel pebbles would behave in a pebble-bed nuclear reactor, and how the helium would disperse heat through the process.

Using these measurement techniques could help the nuclear industry set benchmarks for determining how to build fourth-generation reactors, Al-Dahhan says. He adds that the techniques can also be used to set benchmarks for other energy-related projects, such as the design of conventional energy and chemical processes, coal/biomass gasification plants, bioenergy processes, waste treatment processes or conventional nuclear plants including small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs).

In September 2012, Al-Dahhan presented his research at a conference in Cargese, Corsica, France, sponsored by Polytechnique Montreal, French nuclear research institutes, and several European universities and agencies. His presentation was titled “Benchmarking Multiphase CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) Results via Sophisticated Experimental Measurement Techniques and Methodologies.”

While China and South Africa have started building small versions of pebble-bed reactors, the United States has yet to move forward with constructing such plants. In Missouri, Westinghouse Electric Co. announced last October that it would work with Missouri S&T, the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Missouri System to explore the feasibility of developing small modular nuclear reactors in the state. The effort also involves Ameren Missouri, which operates Missouri’s only nuclear power plant, the Callaway Energy Center.

In addition to leading the chemical and biochemical engineering department, Al-Dahhan is a member of Missouri S&T’s nuclear engineering faculty. The nuclear engineering department also manages S&T’s teaching reactor, which was the first built in Missouri, constructed in 1961. The University of Missouri-Columbia also has a nuclear reactor.

Professor Al-Rubeai visits Babylon University

كلية الطب جامعة بابل تناقش اساليب البحث العلمي في ورشة عملضمن برنامج الاستاذ الزائر عقدت كلية الطب جامعة بابل ورشة عمل حول مهارات البحث العلمي والاتصال والنشر واتخاذ القرارات وفق نظام ادارة الجودة الشاملة فقد تم استضافة العالم العراقي المغترب رئيس قسم المعالجات الحيوية في كلية الهندسة في جامعة دبلن الدكتور محمد الربيعي خلال زيارته لجامعة بابل بحضور عميد الكلية الدكتور علي خيرالله الشاعلي والمعاون العلمي والاداري للعمادة ورؤساء الفروع والتدريسيين في الكلية فقد تظمنت الورشة مواضيع عدة اهمها أساليب البحث العلمي وطرقه ونظرياته وأهمية البحث العلمي في تطور البلدان ورقيها وضرورته في التقدم الاقتصادي والتنمية .

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فقد بين الدكتور الربيعي عملية تنظيم البحث من خلال صياغة وتحرير المشكلة والذي يساعد على تركيز عملية البحث بحيث يمكن استخلاص استنتاجات تعكس العالم الحقيقي بصورة أفضل كما بين الفرق بين البحث الأصيل والبحث التطبيقي والمنطقة الضبابية الفاصلة بينهما وطرح أسئلة عديدة منها هل ينبغي التركيز في الجامعات على البحوث التطبيقية أو ينبغي أن يسمح لها البحث في مواضيع أساسية ؟ ومن يقرر نوعيه البحوث ؟ وأيهما أهم أن تبحث في موضوع ينشر في مجلة عالمية رصينة أم في موضوع تطبيقي قد لا يعود حاليا على الاقتصاد الوطني بفائدة ؟ وطرح أمثلة عديدة على أنواع البحوث وأساليب عملها وقارن بين العمق في البحث والتسطيح بمعنى الانتقال من موضوع لأخر من دون التركيز على موضوع واحد وعدم الابتعاد عنه من قبل اختصاصي البحث وبين إن الفكرة أو المشكلة تنبع من تفكير نقدي من قبل الباحث الذي لابد أن يكون على اطلاع وانفتاح على رؤية المشاكل ألبحثية .

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كما تظمنت الورشة عرض تفصيلي لأهمية طرق الإلقاء السليمة للبحث و التي تستحوذ على اهتمام وانتباه الجمهور واستخدام الجداول والصور والرسومات وعلى ضرورة الصدق والنزاهة في البحث وأهمية عملية استعراض الإقران في مراقبة جودة البحوث والمعايير الاخلاقية للبحوث والسرقات العلمية وطرق ذكر مصادر الاقتباسات والفهرسة وطرق كتابة البحوث وعملية نشرها في المجالات العلمية واتجاهات وتطورات النشر العلمي واختيار المجلة الملائمة .ثم قدم الربيعي اقتراحات حول كتابة السيرة الذاتية وعملية التأكيد على التدريب والخبرة العملية وشرح قواعد وآداب البريد الالكتروني وعملية استعراض الإقران في النشر والتي تستخدم لتحديد مدى ملائمة الورقة الاكاديمية البحثية للنشر .

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ويذكر ان الدكتور محمد الربيعي حاليا أستاذ( بروفسور ) الهندسة البيوكيميائية في جامعة دبلن ورئيس قسم المعالجات الحيوية في كلية الهندسة وهو عضو اللجنة الحكومية لوضع سياسة ألدولة الايرلندية للقوى العالمية ويعمل مستشار لعدد من الشركات والجامعات العالمية ورئيسا لتحرير مجلات علمية وهو زميل معهد البيولوجي البريطاني وزميل معهد كرنوي حاصل على تقدير مؤسسة البحوث الايرلندية وعلى جائزة الإبداع ووسام دولاند العالمي وله العديد من الكتب وما يقارب 450 بحثا وفصلا وكتابا وبراعة اختراع واشرف على ما يزيد من 90 أطروحة ماجستير ودكتوراه

بقلم / مهدي السلامي

Professor Jamil accomplishes a milestone to establish a College of Public Health in Iraq

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Wayne State University, Michigan, USA and Iraqi Ministry of Health on Friday June 28, 2013. The aim is to train Iraqi physicians at Wayne State University to establish College of Public Health in Iraq for the first time in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Standing left: Boltri, J (Chair DFMPH); Ezzeddine, A (Associate Vice President, Educational Outreach and International Programs WSU); Arnetz, B (Vice Chair DFMPH); Jamil, H; Alsafi, A (Iraqi Consulate General in Detroit ); Malik, I( Executive Secretary of Iraqi Consul);

Sitting left: Al-Kazzaz,H (Representative of Iraqi Minister of Health; Gilmour, A (President of WSU); Parisi,V (Dean School of Medicine)