| Vg Asst Prof Scott Rice
Visiting Assistant Professor
School of Biological Sciences
College of Science
Email: RSCOTT@ntu.edu.sg
Phone: (+65)65927944
Office: SBS-B1n-27 |
| Education |
- PhD University of Tennessee 1996
- MSc University of North Carolina, Charlotte 1991
- BSc Virginia Tech 1989
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| Biography |
Professional Experience
1996 Research Associate, Sydney University
1997-current Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
2009-2010 Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2011-current Visiting Assistant Professor, The School of Biological Sciences and The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering
(SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore |
| Research Interests |
Main Research Interest
Biofilm development by bacteria
Bacteria predominantly exist in the environment as surface associated communities, called biofilms, which protect them from stresses including oxidative stress, UV exposure, antibiotics, the host immune response and predation. There is an emerging genetic program that underpins biofilm development, and bacteria within biofilms express unique genes that are not normally expressed in planktonic cells. Biofilm development is driven by a complex regulatory program involving intra- and extra-cellular signalling molecules, physiological responses to nutritional cues as well as environmental cues (e.g. temperature, salinity), and responses to predators. Biofilms are responsible for > 65% of all infections, including chronic infections as well as infection associated with indwelling biomedical devices and fouling of industrial surfaces such as water purification membranes.
The study of biofilm development offers unique opportunities to investigate a fundamental adaptive strategy of bacteria as well as to develop novel methods for the control of biofilm formation in medical, industrial and environmental contexts. For example, we have identified antagonists of cell-cell signalling molecules that block biofilm development and have also shown that nitric oxide acts as an intracellular signal, via cyclic-di-GMP, to control biofilm development in bacteria. Biofilm control for medical and industrial applications are being developed based on these signalling systems. Therefore, my research platform is multidisciplinary in nature in order to develop a complete understanding of the genetics, physiology, biochemistry, inter-kingdom interactions and signalling, medical and evolutionary aspects of biofilm development. |
| Research Grant |
- Environment & Water Industry Development Council (2010-) [by Environment & Water Industry Development Council (EWI)]
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| Current Projects |
- Bio-mimicry Based Control Membrane Biofouling
| Selected Publications | - Chen X., Suwarno S. R., Chong T. H., Fane A. G., McDougald D., Kejelleberg S., Cohen Y., Rice S. A. (2013). Dynamics of biofilm formation under different nutrient levels and the effect of TMP rise in a reverse osmosis membrane system. Biofouling, 29, 319 - 330.
- S. R. Suwarno, X. Chen, T. H. Chong, V. L. Puspitasari, D. McDougald, Y. Cohen, S. A. Rice, and A. G. Fane. (2012). The impact of flux and spacers on biofilm development on reverse osmosis membranes. Journal of Membrane Science, 405 - 406, 219 - 232.
- Suwarno S.R., Chen Xi, Puspitasari V.L., Chong T.H., Fane A.G., Rice S., McDougald D., Cohen Y. (2011). Biofilm development in spacer filled channels in reverse osmosis membrane processes. International Congress on Membranes and Membrane Processes 2011.
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