Season 15 Innovators

About

From a young age, Abdallah began to tinker with basic electrical devices. Being influenced by challenges in his life, as well as his appetite for research and knowledge, this interest evolved into a deep fascination with the building blocks and organisms of life, ultimately sparking his interest in microbiology.

In his quest for knowledge, Abdallah pursued a degree in Agriculture from the University of Aleppo, then obtained a Bachelor’s in Food Sciences from Mansoura University, then completed a Master’s degree in Food Technology from the American University of Beirut.

Currently, Abdallah is enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar. Despite his young age, Abdallah has a record of eight research publications in well-established journals.

Having grown up watching Stars of Science and dreaming of joining one day, Abdallah seized the chance when it came across as a call for HBKU students to apply. He promptly applied to Stars of Science Season 15, bringing along an approach for turning a yeast strain he had developed to optimize the production of Ethanol from waste milk whey.   

About the Project 

During his work as a consultant in the dairy industry, Abdallah noticed the alarming environmental harm of whey disposal in seas and landfills, causing peaks in the biological oxygen demand, leading to choking and eradicating the marine life.

Using the insights he gained from his background in research, Abdallah started exploring the potential of yeast cultivation as a solution, enabling him to further understand these microorganisms and their potential. 

Abdallah created a method to produce ethanol-tolerant yeast with the ability to ferment the lactose in whey and produce industrial ethanol. Abdallah now aims to detect a resistant strain of yeast that can produce more ethanol rapidly and with high conversion yields without nutritional supplements.

Impact

Abdallah’s ethanol-producing yeast offers a wealth of benefits, mitigating the environmental impact of disposed whey and offering dairy companies an opportunity to commercialize the production of Ethanol and utilize it as a source of energy. He is also determined to bring a model to the ethanol industry in the Arab world as an alternative, sustainable, and environmentally friendly source of energy.

Abdallah’s long-term vision is to establish microbiological security in the region, through domestic cultivation in the Arab region. His visionary project aims to drive research and knowledge in this area to produce bacterial and microbial strains for various food and industrial use in order to address local and regional demand.