Dr Muhammad Abdullahi PhD

Dr Muhammad Abdullahi

School of Biosciences
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Centre for Environmental Research and Justice
Environmental Genomics Group

Contact details

Email
m.abdullahi.1@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr. Muhammad Abdullahi is a pioneering postdoctoral researcher in the Environmental Genomics Group at the University of Birmingham. His groundbreaking research on using Daphnia to bioremediate wastewater pollutants has garnered international attention.

Qualifications

Ph.D. in Biosciences, University of Birmingham , UK,  2023.

M.Sc. Biotechnology, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria, 2017.

B.Sc. Microbiology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, 2011.

Biography

Dr Abdullahi completed his PhD at the University of Birmingham, where his thesis focused on using Daphnia as a sentinel species and bioremediating agent for environmental protection. Prior to his doctoral studies, he worked as a lecturer and researcher at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Nigeria. With expertise spanning microbiology, toxicology, molecular biology, and ecotoxicology, Dr Abdullahi is committed to developing innovative solutions for water contamination to help deliver clean water for all and a toxic-free environment.

Dr Abdullahi has conducted hundreds of toxicological exposure experiments and employed cutting-edge omics techniques to predict the impact of chemical pollutants on ecosystems and human health. His proof-of-concept work has demonstrated Daphnia's remarkable capacity to eliminate pharmaceutical compounds and PFASs from wastewater under real-world conditions.

Dr Abdullahi’s research has been featured in The Guardian and La Recherche, highlighting the immense potential of his innovative bioremediation approach. He is excited to continue collaborating with the Environmental Genomics Group to advance sustainable water treatment solutions and make key contributions as a research scientist for UPSTREAM.

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Abdullahi welcomes inquiries from potential PhD students interested in researching the use of Daphnia and other aquatic organisms for environmental monitoring and bioremediation. Please contact him via email to discuss opportunities.

Research

Research Interests: 

  • Ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment
  • Microbiome and transcriptome analysis of sentinel species
  • Bioremediation of chemical pollutants using Daphnia
  • Molecular microbiology and molecular genetics
  • Analytical chemistry techniques for environmental monitoring.

Other activities

Member of the Nigerian Society for Microbiology, Biotechnology Society of Nigeria, American Society for Microbiology, British Ecological Society, and Royal Society of Biology.

Recipient of a Ph.D. scholarship from the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (Nigeria) and a Turing Mobility Travel Grant.

Research featured in The Guardian and La Recherche

Publications

Gigl, F.*, Abdullahi, M., Barnard, M., Hollert, H., & Orsini, L. (2024). Interactions between phenanthrene exposure and historical chemical stress: Implications for fitness and ecological resilience of the sentinel species Daphnia magna. Science of The Total Environment, 174963.

Abdullahi, M., Stead, I., Bennett, S., Orozco, R., Abdallah, M. A. E., Jabbari, S., ... & Orsini, L*. (2023). Harnessing water fleas for water reclamation: A nature-based tertiary wastewater treatment technology. Science of the Total Environment, 905, 167224.

Abdullahi, M., Li, X.*, Abdallah, M. A. E., Stubbings, W., Yan, N., Barnard, M., ... & Orsini, L. (2022). Daphnia as a sentinel species for environmental health protection: a perspective on biomonitoring and bioremediation of chemical pollution. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(20), 14237-14248.

Abdullahi, M., Zhou, J., Dandhapani, V., Chaturvedi, A., & Orsini, L.* (2022). Historical exposure to chemicals reduces tolerance to novel chemical stress in Daphnia (waterflea). Molecular Ecology, 31(11), 3098-3111.

Abdullahi, M.*, & Machido, D. A. (2017). Heavy metals resistance potential of some Aspergillus spp. isolated from Tannery wastewater. Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 25(1), 120-129.

Abdullahi, M., Zainab, F. A., Pedavoah, M. M., Bashir, U., Sumayya, U. B., & Ibrahim, A. D.* (2014). Evaluating the suitability of Adansonia digitata fruit pulp for the production of yoghurt. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 8(2), 508-516.

Abdullahi, M., Gambo, R., Aliyu, M B., Manga, S.S., Tahir, H., & Ibrahim, A.D.* (2014). Antibacterial peptides production potentials of some common insects. Journal of Antimicrobials, Photon 129: 361-367  

View all publications in research portal