Murray Moo-Young

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Murray Moo-YoungDegrees

  • BSc, London
  • MASc, Toronto
  • PhD, London

Research interests

Biochemical engineering, industrial biotechnology, environmental management.

With the ongoing rapid advances in the life sciences, there is an increasing need for bioprocessing strategies in industrial biomanufacturing and environmental bioremediation. This research program is directed at the development and application of biotechnology innovations for the design, operation, control, optimization and scale-up of bioreactor systems required in these sectors. To date, our multidisciplinary group has produced 12 books, 10 patents and over 350 papers. There are three generic areas of activity outlined below.

Bioprocessing fundamentals and principles

Quantitative evaluations of mass, heat and momentum transfer in multiphase contacting devices used in bioprocessing. Concerns include oxygen transfer, circulation rates, gas hold-up, solids suspension, and rheological impact.

Bioprocessing applications in biomanufacturing

Biological agents are used to produce various products including pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, diagnostics, food ingredients, enzymes, and biofuels. The systems serve as models for a range of bio-kinetic behavior (genetic instability, protease problems, etc.) and physical constraints (shear sensitivity, insoluble substrates, etc.).

Bioprocessing applications in bioremediation

Natural bioremediation processes are enhanced by pretreatment strategies with chemical oxidation and photocatalysis. The intent is to initially reduce toxic pollutants in soil, water, air to chemical intermediates which can be completely mineralized by biodegradation.

Selected references

  • Bustami, Y., Moo-Young, M., & Anderson, W. A. Manipulation of Fe/Au Peroxidase-Like Activity for Development of a Nanocatalytic-Based Assay. Journal of Engineering Science, 13, 29-52 (2017).
  • Bustami, Y., Moo-Young, M., & Anderson, W. A. Analysis of the heterogeneous structure of iron oxide/gold nanoparticles and their application in a nanosensor. Sensors and Actuators B, 245, 753-764 (2017). 
  • K. Srirangan, M. Bruder, L. Akawi, D. Miscevic, S. Kilpatrick, M. Moo-Young, and C. P. Chou, "Recent advances in engineering propionyl-CoA metabolism for microbial production of value-added chemicals and biofuels", Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 37:6, 701-722 (2017)
  • K. Srirangan, X. Liu, T. T. Tran, T. C. Charles, M. Moo-Young, and C. P. Chou, "Engineering of Escherichia coli for direct and modulated biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer using unrelated carbon sources",   Scientific Reports, 6, 36470 (2016)
  • Westbrook, M. Moo-Young, and C. P. Chou, "Development of a CRISPR-Cas9 toolkit for comprehensive engineering of Bacillus subtilis", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82:4876–4895 (2016)
  • M. E. Pyne, X. Liu, M. Moo-Young, D. A. Chung, and C. P. Chou, "Genome-directed analysis of prophage excision, host defence systems, and central fermentative metabolism in Clostridium pasteurianum", Scientific Reports, 6, 26228 (2016)
  • K. Srirangan, X. Liu, L. Akawi, M. Bruder, M. Moo-Young, and C. P. Chou, "Engineering Escherichia coli for microbial production of butanone", Applied and Environmental Microbiol., 82, 2574-2584 (2016)
  • M. E. Pyne, M. Moo-Young, D. A. Chung, and C. P. Chou, "Coupling the CRISPR/Cas9 system to lambda Red recombineering enables simplified chromosomal gene replacement in Escherichia coli", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 81, 5103-5114 (2015)
  • M. Bruder, M. Moo-Young, D. A. Chung, and C. P. Chou, "Elimination of Carbon Catabolite Repression in Clostridium acetobutylicum - a journey towards simultaneous use of xylose and glucose", Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 99, 7579-7588 (2015)
  • L. Akawi, K. Srirangan, X. Liu, M. Moo-Young, and C. P. Chou, "Engineering Escherichia coli for high-level production of propionate", Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnol., 42, 1057-1072 (2015)
  • H Aghamohseni, K Ohadi, M Spearman, U Mokunn, M Moo-Young, M Butler, H Budman.  Effects of Nutrient Levels and Average Culture pH on the Glycosylation Pattern of Camelid-humanized Monoclonal Antibody,  J Biotechnology, 186: 98-109 (2014).
  • A Westbrook, J Scharer, M Moo-Young, N Oosterhuis, C. P Chou. Application of a two-dimensional disposable rocking bioreactor to bacterial cultivation for recombinant protein production. Biochem Eng J, 88, 154-161 (2014)
  • M Pyne, Chung, CP Chou, M Moo-Young. Technical guide for genetic advancement of underdeveloped and intractable Clostridium. Biotechnol Advances, 32: 623-641 (2014)  
  • K. Srirangan, L. Akawi, X. Liu, A. Westbrook, E. J.M. Blondeel, M. G. Aucoin M. Moo-Young, and C. P. Chou, "Manipulating the sleeping beauty mutase operon for the production of 1-propanol in engineered Escherichia coli", Biotechnology for Biofuels, 6, 139 (2013)
  • V. Orr, L. Zhong, M. Moo-Young, and C. P. Chou, "Recent Advances in Bioprocessing Application of Membrane Chromatography", Biotechnology Advances, 31, 450-465 (2013)
  • Pyne, Moo-Young, Chung, Chou. Development of an electrotransformation protocol for genetic manipulation of Clostridium pasteurianum. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 6:50 (2013).
Affiliation: 
University of Waterloo