Mostafa Elshahed Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of MIcrobiology and Molecular Genetics
Oklahoma State University
1110 S. Innovation Way
Stillwater, Ok 74074
Phone: 405-744-3005
Fax: 405-744-1112
Email: mostafa@okstate.edu



Education

1988-1993 B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science; Cairo University, Cairo, EG
1996-2001 Ph.D in Microbiology; University of Oklahoma, Norman, Ok

Professional Experience
1994-1996 Teaching Assistant, Cairo University, School of Pharmacy
1996-2001 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Ok
2001-2006 Post Doctoral Research Associate, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Ok
2007- Present Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Ok



Publications
Elshahed MS, NH Youssef, AM Spain, C. Sheik, FZ Najar, LO Sukharnikov, BA Roe, JP Davis, PD Schloss, VL Bailey, and LR Krumholz 2008. Bacterial diversity within the soil rare biosphere. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. (Submitted).

Youssef NH, and MS Elshahed 2008. Species richness in soil bacterial communities: a proposed approach to overcome sample size bias. J. Microbiol. Methods (Submitted).

Savage KN, LR Krumholz, A Oren and MS Elshahed 2008. Halosarcina pallida gen. nov., sp. nov., a halophilic Archaeon Isolated from Zodletone spring in southwestern Oklahoma. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. (In Press).

Elshahed MS, NH Youssef, Q Luo, FZ Najar, BA Roe, TM Sisk, SI Buhring, K-U Hinrichs, and LR Krumholz 2007. Phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of Planctomycetes from anaerobic sulfide- and sulfur-rich Zodletone spring, OK. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73:4707-4716.

Spain AM, AD Peacock, J Istook, MS Elshahed, FZ Najar, BA Roe, DC White, and LR Krumholz. Identification and isolation of a Castellaniella species important during biostimulation of an acidic nitrate- and uranium-contaminated aquifer. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73:4892-4904.

Savage KN, LR Krumholz, A Oren and MS. Elshahed 2007. Haladaptatus paucihalophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a halophilic archaeon isolated from a low-salt, high-sulfide spring. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57:19-24.

Luo Q, LR Krumholz, F Z Najar, BA Roe, AD Peacock, DC White, and MS Elshahed 2005. Diversity of the microeukaryotic community in sulfide-rich Zodletone spring. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6175-6184.

Elshahed MS, FZ Najar, M Aycock, C. Qu, BA Roe, and LR Krumholz 2005. Metagenomic analysis of the microbial community at Zodletone spring: Insights into the genome of novel Candidate division OD1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 7958-7962.

Structemeyer CG, MS Elshahed, KE Duncan, and MJ McInerney 2005. Evidence for ccetoclastic methanogenesis in the presence of sulfate in a gas condensate-contaminated aquifer. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71:5348-5355.

Senko JM, BS Campbell, JR Henricksen, MS Elshahed, TA Dewers, and LR Krumholz 2004. Barite deposition mediated by phototrophic sulfide oxidizing bacteria. Geochem. Cosmochem. Acta. 68:773-780.

Elshahed MS, KN Savage, A Ventosa, M Carmen-Gutierrez, A Oren, and LR Krumholz 2004. Haloferax sulfurifontis sp. nov., a halophilic archaeon isolated from a sulfide and sulfur-rich spring. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54:2275-2279.

Elshahed MS, FZ Najar, BA Roe, A Oren, TA Dewers, and LR Krumholz 2004. Survey of archaeal diversity reveals abundance of halophilic Archaea in a low-salt, anaerobic sulfur spring. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:2230-2239.

Elshahed MS, JM Senko, FZ Najar, SM Kenton, BA Roe, TA Dewers, JR Spear, and LR Krumholz 2003. Bacterial diversity and sulfur cycling in a mesophilic sulfide-rich spring. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69:5609-5621.

Elshahed MS, and MJ McInerney 2001. Benzoate fermentation by the anaerobic bacterium Syntrophus aciditrophicus in absence of hydrogen-utilizing microorganisms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:5520-5525.

Elshahed MS, VK Bhupathiraju, NQ Wofford, MA Nanny, and MJ McInerney 2001. Metabolism of benzoate, cyclohex-1-ene carboxylate and cyclohexane carboxylate by Syntrophus aciditrophicus strain SB in syntrophic association with H2-using microorganisms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:1728-1738.

Elshahed MS, and MJ McInerney 2001. Is interspecies hydrogen transfer needed for toluene degradation under sulfate-reducing conditions? FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 35:163-169.

Elshahed MS, LM Gieg, MJ McInerney, and JM Suflita 2001. Signature metabolites attesting to the in situ attenuation of alkylbenzenes in anaerobic environments. Environ. Sci. and Technol. 35:682-689.

Invited Presentations

“Phylogenetic diversity and proposed ecological roles of rare members of the soil biosphere” University of Oklahoma Department of Botany and Microbiology Seminar Series. January 18th 2008.

“The hidden soil microbiome: the discovery of novel microbial species in soil” Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. February 24th 2008.



Synergistic activities

Member of the Ediatorial Board of “Journal of Microbiological Methods”

Ad hoc reviewer for several NSF grants, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, and BMC genomics, and Electronic Journal of Biotechnology.

Mentor for Graduate and Undergraduate students from the University of Oklahoma, and Blaise Pascal University in France.

Online Contributor to Microbiology Courses for Pharmacy Students, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.



Current graduate students and Post docs

James P. Davis, Graduate Student

Noha H. Youssef, Post doc.



Member of the Graduate Committee of

Sei Azetsu (Oklahoma State University)

Laura Christian (Oklahoma State University)

Ratnakar Deole (Oklahoma State University)

Kristen N. Savage (University of Oklahoma)

Cody L. Sheik (University of Oklahoma)



Graduate and Post-graduate Advisors

Ph. D Advisor. Dr. Michael J. McInerney

Post doctoral advisor. Dr. Lee R. Krumholz



Teaching Courses

MICR-6120-351. Recent Advances in Microbiology (Fall 2007, Spring 2008).