
PhD (Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa)
I have a background in chemistry, microbiology and biotechnology and am interested in applied research that provides solutions to problems and improves or integrates processes. I have conducted academic and industrial research. The fermentation processes I have worked on range from enzyme synthesis, fungal and bacterial biomass production, methane generation, volatile fatty acid production, ethanol production, secondary metabolite production to antibody purification, biosolids destruction, denitrification, ammonia removal and wastewater remediation. I am currently focused on bioconversion of agro-industrial residues and using various carbon and nitrogen sources to produce bacterial probiotic spores, yeast and fungal nutritional supplements for feed or food.
I have a strong interest in biomass and mycoprotein synthesis in solid-state and submerged fermentation / precision fermentation. I am particularly interested in fungi with regard to residue transformation, protein and lipids, mycoremediation and enzyme catalysis.
Projects (Chief investigator)
- Agrobacterium 2.0: optimizing Agrobacterium tumefaciens to enhance biopharming yields
- Fungal Fibre Composites
Projects
Additional information
Some of the papers I have authored include:
- Strong PJ, Laycock B, Mahamud SN, Jensen PD, Lant PA, Tyson G, Pratt S. (2016) The opportunity for high-performance biomaterials from methane. Microorganisms. 3;4(1): E11. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms4010011.
- Strong PJ, Kalyuzhnaya M, Silverman J and Clarke WP (2016) A methanotroph-based biorefinery: potential scenarios for generating multiple products from a single fermentation. Bioresource Technology, 215: 314-323.
- Strong PJ, Gapes DJ (2012) Thermal and thermo-chemical pre-treatment of four waste residues and the effect on acetic acid production and methane synthesis. Waste Management. 32(9): 1669-77.
- Strong PJ (2011) Improved laccase production by Trametes pubescens MB 89 in distillery wastewaters. Enzyme Research. Published online. DOI:10.4061/2011/379176.
- Strong PJ, Claus H (2011) Laccase: a review of the past and future in bioremediation. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. 41(4): 373-434.
- Strong PJ, McDonald B, Gapes DJ. (2011) Enhancing denitrification using a carbon supplement generated from the wet oxidation of waste activated sludge. Bioresource Technology. 102: 5533-5540.
- Strong PJ, Burgess JE. (2008) Fungal and enzymatic remediation of a wine lees and five wine-related distillery wastewaters. Bioresource Technology. 99(14): 6134-6142.
- Strong PJ, Burgess JE (2007) Treatment methods for wine-related and distillery wastewaters: a review. Bioremediation Journal. 12(2): 70-87.