Publications by Professor Don Cowan (last 7 years)

Wong FK, Lau MC, Lacap DC, Aitchison JC, Cowan DA, Pointing SB (2010) Endolithic microbial colonization of limestone in a high-altitude arid environment. Microb. Ecol. 59:689-699

Cary, SC, McDonald, I, Barrett, JE and Cowan, DA. (2010) On the rocks: Microbial ecology of Antarctic cold desert soils.  Nature Rev. Microbiol.  8:129-138.

Wong, FKY, Lacap, DC, Lau, MCY, Aitchison, JC, Cowan, DA, Pointing, SB. (2010) Hypolithic microbial community of quartz pavement in the high-altitude tundra of central Tibet. Microb. Ecol. 60:730-739

Musingarimi, W., Tuffin, M., Cowan, D. (2010) Characterisation of the arsenic resistance genes in Bacillus sp. UWC isolated from maturing fly ash-acid mine drainage neutralized solids. S.A. J. Sci. 106:59-63.

Staniland, S., Coppock, M., Tuffin, M., van Zyl, L., Roychoudhury, A. N., Cowan, D. (2010) Cobalt uptake and resistance to trace metals in Comamonas testosteroni isolated from a heavy-metal contaminated site in the Zambian Copperbelt. Geomicrobiol. J. 27:656-662

Bauer, R, Cowan, DA, Crouch, A. (2010) Acrolein in wine: Importance of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde and derivatives in production and detection. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58:3243-3250.

Barnard, D, Casanueva, A, Tuffin, IM, Cowan DA. (2010) Extremophiles in biofuels production.  Environ. Technol. 31:871-888.

Cowan, DA, Khan, N, Pointing, S, Cary, SC. (2010) Diverse hypolithic refuge communities in Antarctic Dry Valleys, Antarct. Sci. 22:714-720

Casanueva, A., Tuffin, IM, Cary, SC and Cowan, DA. (2010) Molecular adaptations to psychrophily: The impact of 'omic' technologies. Trends Microbiol. 18:374-381.

Williamson, DS, Dent, KC, Weber, BW, Varsani, A, Frederick, J, Thuku, RN, Cameron, RA, van Heerden, JH, Cowan, DA, Sewell, BT. (2010) Structural and biochemical characterization of a nitrilase from the thermophilic bacterium, Geobacillus pallidus RAPc8. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 88:143-153.

Velankar H, Clarke KG, du Preez R, Cowan DA, Burton SG. (2010) Developments in nitrile and amide biotransformation processes. Trends Biotechnol. 28:561-569

Meiring, T, Mulako, I, Tuffin, MI, Meyer, Q, Cowan, DA. (2010) Retrieval of full-length functional genes using subtractive hybridization magnetic bead capture. Methods Mol. Biol. 668:287-297.

Olaofe, OA, Burton, SG, Cowan, DA, Harrison, STL (2010) Improving the production of a thermostable amidase through optimising IPTG induction in a highly dense culture of recombinant Escherichia coli. Biochem. Engineer. J.  52:19-24

Chiyanzu, I, Cowan, DA, Burton, SG (2010) Immobilization of a nitrile hydratase (NHase) from Geobacillus pallidus RAPc8 overcomes substrate inhibition and enhances stability. J. Mol. Catal. B, Enzymatic. 63:109-115.

Cowan DA, Pointing SB, Stevens MI, Cary SC, Stomeo F, Tuffin IM. (2011)  Distribution and abiotic influences on hypolithic microbial communities in an Antarctic Dry Valley. Polar Biol.  34:307–311.

Taylor, MP, van Zyl, L, Tuffin, IM, Leak, DJ, Cowan, DA. (2011) Genetic tool development underpins recent advances in thermophilic whole-cell biocatalysts. Microb. Biotechnol. 4:438-448.

Welz, PJ, Ramond, J-B, Cowan, DA, Prins, A, Burton SG. (2011) Ethanol degradation and the benefits of incremental priming in pilot-scale constructed wetlands.  Ecol. Engineer. 37:1453-1459.

Nel, AJM, Tuffin, IM, Sewell, BT, Cowan, DA. (2011) Unique aliphatic amidase from a psychrotrophic and haloalkaliphilic Nesterenkonia isolate. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 77:3696-3702.

Rohr, LM, Mashaphu, N, Sheridan, C, Burton, SG, and Cowan, DA. (2011) Seasonal shifts of the microbial community structure in a winery waste-impacted wetland soil.  Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. 66:41-53.

Cowan, DA, Sohm, JA, Makhalanyane, T, Capone, DG, Green, TGA and Cary, SC. (2011) Hypolithic communities: important nitrogen sources in Antarctic desert soils, Envir. Microbiol. Rep. 3:581-586

Khan, N, Tuffin, IM, Stafford, W, Cary, SC, Lacap, DC, Pointing, SB, Cowan, DA (2011) Hypolithic microbial community colonization of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Polar Biol.  34:1657-1668

Cowan, DA, Fernendez-Lafuente, R (2011) Enhancing the functional properties of thermophilic enzymes by chemical modification and immobilization. Enz. Microb. Technol. 49: 326-346

Cowan, DA, Chown, SL, Convey, P, Tuffin, IM, Hughes, K, Pointing, SB, Vincent, WF (2011) Non-indigenous microorganisms in the Antarctic – assessing the risks. Trends Microbiol. 19:540-548

Ramond, J-B, Welz, PJ, Cowan, DA, Burton, SG (2012) Microbial community structure stability, a key parameter in monitoring the development of constructed wetland mesocosms during start-up. Res. Microbiol.  163:28-35.

Hu, XP, Heath, C, Taylor, MP, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) A novel, extremely alkaliphilic and cold active esterase from Antarctic desert soil. Extremophiles. 16:79-86

Tiao, G, Lee, CK, McDonald, IR, Cowan, DA, Cary, SC (2012) Rapid microbial response to removal of the presence of an ancient relic in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Nature Comms.  3: 360

Rodriguez-Caballero, A, Ramond, J-B, Welz, PJ, Cowan, DA, Odlare, M, Burton, SG (2012) Treatment of high ethanol concentration wastewater by biological sand filters: Enhanced COD removal and bacterial community dynamics. J. Environ. Manag. 109: 54-60.

Taylor, MP, Mulako, I, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) Understanding physiological responses to pre-treatment inhibitors in ethanologenic fermentations. Biotechnol. J. 7: 27-34

Sanyika, WT, Stafford, W, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) The soil and plant determinants of community structures of the dominant actinobacteria in Marion Island terrestrial habitats, Sub-Antarctica. Polar Biol. 35: 1129-1141

Szeker, K, Zhou, X, Schwab, T, Casanueva, A, Cowan, D, Mikhailopulo, IA, Neubauer, P (2012) Comparative investigations on thermostable pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylases from Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius and Thermus thermophilus. J. Mol. Cataly. B: Enzymatic. 84: 27-34

Stomeo, F, Makhalanyane, T, Valverde, A, Pointing, S, Stevens, M, Cary, SC, Tuffin, Cowan, DA (2012) Abiotic factors influence microbial diversity in permanently cold soil horizons of a maritime-associated Antarctic Dry Valley. FEMS Microb. Ecol. 82: 326-334

Pagaling E, Grant WD, Cowan DA, Jones BE, Ma Y, Ventosa A, Heaphy, S (2012) Bacterial and Archaeal diversity in two hot spring microbial mats from the geothermal region of Tengchong, China. Extremophiles, 16: 607-618

Chown,SL, Lee, JE, Hughes, KA, Barnes, J, Barrett, PJ, Bergstrom, DM, Convey, P, Cowan, DA, Crosbie, K, Dyer, G, Frenot,Y, Grant, SM, Herr, D, Kennicutt, MC, Lamers, M, Murray, A, Possingham, HP, Reid, K, Riddle, MJ, Ryan, PG, Sanson, L, Shaw, JD, Sparrow, MD, Summerhayes, C, Terauds, A, Wall, DH (2012) Challenges to the Future Conservation of the Antarctic. Science. 337: 158-159.

Valverde, A, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) Biogeography of bacterial communities in hot springs: a focus on the actinobacteria. Extremophiles. 16: 669-679

Welz, PJ, Ramond, J-B, Cowan, DA, Burton, SG (2012) Phenolic removal processes in biological sand filters, sand columns and microcosms. Biores. Technol. 119: 262-269.

Verde, C, di Prisco, G, Giordano, D, Russo, R, Anderson, D, Cowan, DA (2012) Antarctic psychrophiles: models for understanding the molecular basis of survival at low temperature and responses to climate change. Biodiversity 13: 349-356.

Meiring, T, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) Genome sequence of temperate
bacteriophage Psymv2 from Antarctic Dry Valley soil isolate
Psychrobacter sp. MV2. Extremophiles 16: 715-726.

Chan, Y, Lacap, DC, Lau, MCY, Warren-Rhodes, KA, Cockell, CC, Cowan, DA, McKay, CP, Pointing, SB (2012) Hypolithic microbial communities: Between a rock and a hard place. Environ. Microbiol. 14: 2272-2282.

di Prisco, G, Convey, P, Gutt, J, Cowan, DA, Conlan, K, Verde, C (2012) Understanding and Protecting the World's Biodiversity:  the Role and Legacy of  the SCAR Programme "Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic”. Marine Genom. 8: 3-8.

Loftie-Eaton, W, Taylor, M, Horne, K, Tuffin, IM, Burton, SG, Cowan, DA (2013) Balancing redox cofactor generation and ATP synthesis: Key microaerobic responses in thermophilic fermentations. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 110: 1057 – 1065.

Stomeo, F, Valverde, A, Pointing, SB, McKay, CP, Warren-Rhodes, KA, Tuffin, IM, Seely, M, Cowan, DA  (2013) Hypolithic and soil microbial community assembly along an aridity gradient in the Namib Desert. Extremophiles, 17: 329-337.

Makhalanyane, TP, Valverde, A, Lacap, D, Pointing, SB, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) Evidence of species recruitment and development of hot desert hypolithic communities. Environ. Microb. Rep. 5: 219 - 224.

Gokul, JK, Valverde, A, Tuffin, M, Cary, SC, Cowan, DA (2013) Micro-eukaryotic diversity in hypolithons from Miers Valley, Antarctica. Biology 5: 331-340.

Hughes, KA, Cary, SC, Cowan, DA, Lovejoy, C, Vincent, WF, Wilmotte, A (2013) Pristine Antarctica: threats and protection.  Antarct. Sci. 25: 1

Roychoudhury, A, Cowan, DA, Porter, D, Valverde, A (2013) Dissimilatory sulphate reduction in hypersaline coastal pans: An integrated microbiological and geochemical study.  Geobiology 11: 224-233.

Ramond, J-B,  Welz, P,  Tuffin, IM, Burton, SG, Cowan, DA (2013) Assessment of temporal and spatial evolution of bacterial communities in a biological sand filter mesocosm treating winery wastewater.  J. Appl. Microbiol.  115: 91-101

Engel, K, Ashby, D, Brady, SF, Cowan, DA, Doemer, J, Edwards, EA, Fiebig, K, Martens, EC, McCormac, D, Mead, DA, Miyazaki, K, Moreno-Hagelsieb, G, O'Gara, F, Reid, A, Rose, DR, Simonet, P, Sjöling, S, Smalla, K, Streit, WR, Tedman-Jones, J, Valla, S, Wellington, EMH, Wu, C-C, Liles, MR, Neufeld, JD, Sessitsch, A, Charles, TC (2013) Meeting report: 1st international functional metagenomics workshop May 7-8, 2012, St. Jacobs, Ontario, Canada. Standards Genom. Sci. 8:106-111

Treasure, AM, Moloney, CL, Bester, MN, McQuaid, CD, Findlay, KP, Best, PB, Cowan, DA, de Bruyn, PJN, Dorrington, RA, Fagereng, A, Froneman, PW, Grantham, GH, Hunt, BPV, Meiklejohn, KI, Pakhomov, EA, Roychoudhury, AN, Ryan, PG, Smith, VR, Chown, SL, Ansorge, IJ (2013) South African research in the Southern Ocean: new opportunities but serious challenges.  S. Afr. J. Sci. 109: no. a009

Ramond, J-B,  Welz, PJ, Tuffin, IM,  Burton, SG, Cowan, DA (2013) Selection of diazotrophic communities in biological sand filter mesocosms used for the treatment of phenolic-laden wastewater. Microb. Ecol.  66: 563-570

Ramond, J-B, Tshabuse, F, Bopda, CW, Cowan, DA, Tuffin, IM (2013) Evidence of variability in the structure and recruitment of rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria communities associated with arable sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench). Plant Soil,  372: 265 - 278

Makhalanyane, TP, Valverde, A, Birkeland, N-K, Cary, SC, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2013) Evidence for successional development in Antarctic hypolithic bacterial communities. ISME J. 7: 2080-2090

Weber, BW, Kimani, SW, Varsani, A, Cowan, DA, Hunter, R, Venter, GA, Gumbart, JC, Sewell, BT (2013) The mechanism of the amidases: Mutating the glutamate adjacent to the catalytic triad inactivates the enzyme due to substrate mispositioning. J. Mol. Biol. 288:  28514-28523

Khazir, J, Mir, BA, Mir, SA, Cowan, D. (2014) Natural products as lead compounds in drug discovery. J. Asian Nat. Prod. Res. 15: 764-788

Warren-Rhodes, KA, McKay, CP, Boyle, LN, Wing, MR, Cowan, DA, Stomeo, F,  Pointing, SB, Kaseke, KF, Eckardt, F, Henschel, JR, Anisfeld, H, Seely, M, Rhodes, KL (2013) Physical ecology of hypolithic communities in the central Namib desert: the role of fog, rain, rock habitat and light. J. Geophys. Res. 118: 1451-1460.

Cowan, DA, Rybicki, E, Tuffin, IM, Valverde, A, Wingfield, MJ. (2013) Biodiversity:  So much more than legs and leaves. S.A. J. Sci. 109: 8-15

van Zyl L, Taylor MP, Eley K, Tuffin M, Cowan DA. (2013) Engineering pyruvate decarboxylase–mediated ethanol production in the thermophilic host Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius.  Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.  98: 1247-1259

Ramond J-B, Welz P, Le Roes-Hill M, Tuffin IM, Burton SG, Cowan, DA. (2014)  Selection of Clostridium spp. in biological sand filters neutralizing synthetic acid mine drainage. FEMS Microb. Ecol.   87: 678-690

Welz PJ, Ramond J-B, le Roes-Hill M, Cowan DA, Burton SG (2014) Minor differences in sand physicochemistry lead to major differences in bacterial community structure and function after exposure to synthetic acid mine drainage. Biotechnol Bioproc Engineer. 19:211-220

Mir, BA, Mewalal, R, Mizrachi, E, Myburg, AA, Cowan, DA. (2014) Recombinant hyperthermophilic enzyme expression in plant tissues: a novel approach for lignocellulose digestion.  Trends Biotechnol.  32: 281-289

Guerrero LD, Makhalanyane TP, Aislabie JM, Cowan DA. (2014) Draft genome sequence of Williamsia sp. strain D3, isolated from the Darwin Mountains, Antarctica. Genome Announc. 2: e01230-13

De Maayer, P, Anderson, DE, Cary, SC, Cowan, DA, (2014) Some like it cold: understanding the strategies of psychrophiles: EMBO Rep. 15: 508-517

Aliyu H, De Maayer P, Rees DJG, Tuffin IM, Cowan DA. (2014) The draft genome sequence of Antarctic poly-extremophile Nesterenkonia sp. AN1. Genome Announc. 2:e00197-14

Mir BA, Khazir J, Hakeem KR, Koul S, Cowan DA (2014) Enhanced production of withaferin-A in shoot cultures of Withania somnifera (L) Dunal.  J. Plant Biochem. Biotechnol.  23: 430-434

Biely P, Westereng B, Puchart V, de Maayer P, Cowan DA (2014) Recent progress in understanding the mode of action of acetylxylan esterases. J. Appl. Glycosci. 61: 35-44.

Adriaenssens EM, Guerrero LD, Makhalanyane TP, Aislabie JM, Cowan DA. (2014) Draft genome sequence of the aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium Sphingobium sp. strain Ant17 isolated from Antarctic soil. Genome Announc. 2:e00212-14

Adriaenssens EM, Cowan DA (2014) Using signature genes as tools to assess environmental viral diversity and ecology.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol.  80:4470-4480

Cowan DA, Makhalanyane TP, Dennis PG, Hopkins DW. (2014) Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of continental Antarctic soil. Frontiers Syst. Microbiol. 5:154

De Maayer, P, Williamson, C, Vennard, C, Danson, M, Cowan, D. (2014) The draft genomes of Geobacillus spp. CAMR5420 and CAMR12739. Genom. Announc.  2:e00567-14

Gunnigle, E,  Ramond, J-B, Frossard, A, Seeley, M, Cowan, DA. (2014) Sequential co-extraction method for DNA, RNA and protein recovery from soil for future system-based approaches.  J. Microbiol. Method. 103:118-123.

Kennicutt, MC, Chown SL, Cassano, J, Liggett, D, Massom, R, Peck, L, Rintoul, S, Storey, J, Vaughn, D, Wilson, T, Sutherland WJ, Allison, I, Ayton, J, Badhe, R, Baeseman, J, Barrett, P, Bell, R, Berthler, N, Bo, S, Brandt, A, Bromwich, D, Cary C, Cassano, J, Clark, M, Convey, P, Costa, E, Cowan, DA, DeConto, R, Dunbar, R, Elfring, C, Escutia, C, Francis, J, Fricker, H, Fukuchi, M, Gilbert, N, Gutt, J, Havermans, C, Hik, D, Hosie, G, Jones, C, Kim, Y, Le Maho, Y, Lee, S-H, Leppe, M, Leychenko, G, Li, X, Liggett, D, Lipenkov, V, Lochte, K, Lopez-Martinez, J, Ludecke, C, Lyons, B, Maranessi, S, Miller, H, Morozova, P, Naish, T, Nayak, S, Ravindra, R, Retamales, J, Ricci, C, Rogon-Finnimore, N, Ropert-Coudert, Y, Samah, A, Sanson, L, Scambos, T, Schloss, I, Shiraisha, K, Siegert, M, Simoes, J, Sparrow, M, Storey, B, Wall, D, Walsh, J, Wilson, G, Winther, J-G, Xavier, J, Yang, H. (2014) Six priorities for Antarctic science. Nature,  512, 23–25.

De Maayer, P, Brumm, PJ, Mead DA, Cowan, DA. (2014) Comparative analysis of the Geobacillus hemicellulose utilization locus reveals a highly variable target for improved hemicellulolysis. BMC Genomics. 15:836

Ferreras, E, De Maayer, P, Makhalanyane, TP, Guerrero, L, Aislabie, J, Cowan, DA. (2014) The draft genome sequence of Microbacterium sp. CH12i, isolated from shallow groundwater in Cape Hallet, Antarctica. Genom. Announc. 2:e00789-14

van Zyl, L, Schubert, W-D, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA. (2014) Functional and structural characterization of a pyruvate decarboxylase from Gluconoacetobacter diazotrophicus. BMC Struct. Biol. 14:21

Kennicutt, MC, SL Chown, J Cassano, D Liggett, LS Peck, R Massom, SR Rintoul, J Storey, DG Vaughan, TJ Wilson, I Allison, J Ayton, R Badhe, J Baeseman, PJ Barrett, RE Bell, N Bertler, S Bo, A Brandt, D Bromwich, C Cary, M S Clark, P Convey, ES Costa, D Cowan, R Deconto, R Dunbar, C Elfring, C Escutia, J Francis, H A Fricker, M Fukuchi, N Gilbert, J Gutt, C Havermans, D Hik, G Hosie, C Jones, YD Kim, Y Le Maho, Sh Lee, M Leppe, G Leitchenkov, X Li, V Lipenkov, K Lochte, J López-Martínez, C Lüdecke, W Lyons, S Marenssi, H Miller, P Morozova, T Naish, S Nayak, R Ravindra, J Retamales, CA Ricci, M  Rogan-Finnemore, Y Ropert-Coudert, AA Samah, L Sanson, T Scambos, IR Schloss, K Shiraishi, MJ Siegert, J Simões, MD Sparrow, B Storey, DH Wall, JC Walsh, G Wilson, JG Winther, J C Xavier, H Yang, WJ Sutherland (2014) A roadmap for Antarctic and Southern Ocean science for the next two decades and beyond. Antarct. Sci. 27: 3-18.

Zablocki O, van Zyl L, Adriaenssens EM, Tuffin IM, Cary SC, Cowan DA. (2014) High-level diversity of tailed phages, eukaryotic-associated viruses and virophage-like elements in the metaviromes of Antarctic soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 80: 6888-6897.

Zablocki, O, Rybicki, E, Cowan, DA. (2014) First report of a potyvirus infecting Albuca rautanenii in the Namib Desert. Plant Disease. 98: 1749

Ramond J-B, Pienaar A, Armstrong A, Seely M, Cowan DA (2014) Niche-partitioning of edaphic microbial communities in the Namib Desert gravel plain Fairy Circles. PLoSOne, 9: 1-6.

Weller-Stuart, A, Chan, WY, Coutinho, TA, Venter, SN, Smits, THM, Duffy, B, Cowan, DA, de Maayer, P (2014) Draft genome sequences of the onion centre rot pathogen P. ananatis PA4 and maize brown stalk rot pathogen P. ananatis BD442. Genome Announcement. 2: 1-2.

de los Ríos, A., Cary, C., Cowan, DA. (2014) The spatial structures of hypolithic communities in the Dry Valleys of East Antarctica. Polar Biol. 37: 1823-1833.

Zablocki O, van Zyl L, Adriaenssens EM, Rubagotti E, Tuffin IM, Cary SC, Cowan DA. (2014) Niche-dependent genetic diversity in Antarctic metaviromes. Bacteriophage 4, e980125

Valverde A, Makhalanyane TP, Cowan DA (2014) Contrasting assembly processes in a bacterial metacommunity along a desiccation gradient. Front. Microbiol. 5: 668.

Adriaenssens, E, van Zyl, L, De Maayer, P, Rubagotti, E, Rybicki, E, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2015) Metagenomic analysis of the viral community in Namib Desert hypoliths.  Environ. Microbiol. 17:480-495.

Ramond, J-B, Makhalanyane, TP, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA. (2015) Normalization of environmental metagenomic DNA enhances the discovery of novel microbial community members. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 60: 359-366

Valverde, A, Makhalanyane, TP, Seely, M, Cowan, DA.  (2015) Cyanobacteria drive food-webs and functionality in niche soil communities. Molec. Ecol.  24: 812-821

Makhalanyane T, Valverde A, Gunnigle E, Frossard A, Ramond J-B, Cowan DA   (2015) Microbial ecology of hot desert edaphic systems.  FEMS Microbiol. Rev.  39: 203-221

Ramond JB, Lako JDW, Stafford WHL, Tuffin IM, Cowan DA  (2015) Evidence of novel plant-species specific ammonia oxidizing bacterial clades in acidic South African fynbos soils.  J. Basic Microbiol.  54: 1-8

Wei STS, Higgins CM, Adriaenssens EM,  Cowan DA, Pointing SB (2015) Genetic signatures indicate widespread antibiotic resistance and phage infection in microbial communities of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, East Antarctica. Polar Biol. 38: 919-925

97. Gombeer S, Ramond J-B, Eckardt F, Seely M, Cowan DA   (2015) The influence of soil physicochemistry on the edaphic bacterial communities in contrasting terrain types of the Central Namib Desert. Geobiology  13:494-505

Gunnigle E, Ramond J-B, Guerrero LD, Makhalanyane TP, Cowan DA (2015) Draft genomic DNA sequence of the multi-resistant Sphingomonas sp. strain AntH11 isolated from an Antarctic hypolith. FEMS Microbiology Letters 362 (8): fnv 037

Hughes KA, Cowan DA, Wilmotte A (2015) Protection of Antarctic microbial communities – ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Frontiers Microbiol.  6: 151

Quiroga MV, Valverde A, Mataloni G, Cowan D. (2015) Understanding diversity patterns in bacterioplankton communities from a Sub-Antarctic peatland. Environ. Microbiol. Rep. 7: 547-553

Makhalanyane TP, Valverde A, Velazquez D, Gunnigle E, Van Goethem M, Quesada A, Cowan D. (2015) Ecology and biogeochemistry of cyanobacteria in soils, permafrost, aquatic and cryptic polar habitats. Biodiv. Conservat.  24: 819-840

Brumm P, De Maayer P, Cowan DA, Mead DA (2015) Genomic analysis of six new Geobacillus strains reveals highly conserved carbohydrate degradation architectures and strategies. Frontiers Microbiol.  6: 430

De Maayer P, Chan WY, Martin DAJ,   Blom J, Venter SN,   Duffy B,   Cowan DA, Smits THM, Coutinho TA (2015) The Pantoea ananatis integrative conjugative element ICEPan plays a potential role in its ecological diversification and antibiosis. Frontiers Microbiol. 6:576

Van Zyl L, Cowan DA, Trindade IM (2015) Identification and characterization of a novel Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius bacteriophage, GVE3. Arch. Virol. 160: 2269-2282

Cowan DA, Ramond J-B, Makhalanyane TP, De Maayer P. (2015) Metagenomics of extreme environments. Current Opin. Microbiol. 25: 97–102

Ohlhoff, CW, Kirby, BM, Casanueva, A, Huddy, RJ, Bauer, R, Mutepfa, DLR, Cowan, DA, Tuffin, IM. (2015) An unusual feruloyl esterase belonging to family VIII esterases and displaying a broad substrate range.  J. Mol. Cataly. B.  118: 79-88

Frossard A, Ramond J-B, Seely M, Cowan DA. (2015) Water regime history drives responses of soil Namib Desert microbial communities to wetting events. Scientific Reports  5: 571-578

Anderson DE, Ferreras E, Tuffin IM, Cowan  DA  (2015)  A novel bacterial Water Hypersensitivity response protein shows in vivo protection against cold and freeze damage. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 362: fnv110

Vikram S, Guerrero L, Makhalanyane TP, Le P-T, Seely M, Cowan DA. (2015) Metagenomic analysis provides insights into functional capacity in a hyperarid desert soil niche community.  Environ. Microbiol.  In Press

Mir BA, Mir SA, Khazir J, Tonfack LB, Cowan DA, Vyas D, Koul S (2015) Cold stress affects antioxidative response and accumulation of medicinally important withanolides in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. Indust. Crops Products 74: 1008-1016

Bezuidt O, Makhalanyane, TP, Gomri MA, Kharroub K, Cowan DA (2015) Draft genome sequence of thermophilic Geobacillus sp. strain Sah69, isolated from Saharan soil, southeast Algeria. Genome Announc. 3: e01447-15

Vikram S, Guerrero L, Makhalanyane TP, Le P-T, Seely M, Cowan DA. (2016) Metagenomic analysis provides insights into functional capacity in a hyperarid desert soil niche community.  Environ. Microbiol.  18: 1875 - 1888

Zablocki O, Adriaenssens E, Cowan DA. (2016) Diversity and ecology of viruses in hyperarid desert soils.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 82: 770-777

Adriaenssens, EM, Van_Zyl, LJ, Cowan, DA, Trindade M. (2016) Namib Desert salt pans: a novel lineage of haloarchaeal salterproviruses are a rich source of ssDNA viruses. Viruses.  8 (1): DOI: 10.3390/v8010014

Makhalanyane TP, Van Goethem M, Cowan DA. (2016) Microbial diversity and functional capacity in polar soils. Curr Opin Biotechnol.  38: 159 -166

Aliyu H, De Maayer P, Cowan DA  (2016) The genome of the Antarctic polyextremophile Nesterenkonia AN1 reveals adaptive strategies for survival under multiple stress conditions. FEMS Microb Ecol. 92: fiw032

Van Goethem M, Makhalanyane T, Valverde A, Cary S, Cowan D.  (2016) Characterization of bacterial communities in lithobionts and soil niches from Victoria Valley, Antarctica.  FEMS Microb Ecol. 94: 1-22

Wilcox D, Cowan DA (2016) Diversity of Frankia in root nodules of six Morella from the Cape flora of South Africa. Plant Soil. 406: 375-388

Valverde A, De Maayer P, Oberholster T, Henschel J, Louw MK,  Cowan DA. (2016) Specific microbial communities associate with the roots of Welwitschia mirabilis, a living fossil. PLoS One, 11: e0153353.

Beet C, Hogg I, Collins G, Cowan D, Wall D, Adams B. (2016) Genetic diversity among populations of Antarctic springtails (Collembola) within the Mackay Glacier ecotone. Genome. 10.1139/gen-2015-0194

De Maayer P, Cowan DA (2016) Flashy flagella: flagellin modification is relatively common and high versatile among the Enterobacteriaceae.  BMC Genomics.  17: 377

Oloo F, Valverde A, Quiroga MV, Vikram S, Cowan DA, Mataloni G. (2016) Habitat heterogeneity and connectivity shape aquatic microbial communities in South American peatlands. Sci Rep. 6: 25712

van der Walt A, Johnson R, Cowan D, Seely M, Ramond J-B (2016) Unique microbial phylotypes in Namib Desert Fairy Circle soils. Appl Environ Microbiol. 85: 4592 - 4601

Bezuidt OKI, Pierneef R, Gomri AM, Adesioye F, Makhalanyane TP, Kharroub K, Cowan DA. (2016) The Geobacillus pan-genome: Implications for evolution of the genus. Frontiers Microbiol.  7: 723

Miyambo, T, Makhalanyane, T, Cowan, D, Valverde, A.  (2016) Plants of the Fynbos biome harbour host species-specific bacterial communities.  FEMS Micro. Lett.  85: 4592 - 4601

Adesioye FA, Makhalanyane TP, Beily P, Cowan DA (2016) Phylogeny, classification and metagenomic bioprospecting of microbial acetyl xylan esterases.  Enzyme Microb. Technol. 93: 79-91.

Phuong Thi Le, Makhalanyane TP, Guerrero L, Vikram S, Van de Peer Y, Cowan DA. (2016) Comparative metagenomic analysis reveals mechanisms for stress response in hypoliths from extreme hyperarid deserts. Genome Biol. Evol. 8: 2737-2747

De Scally S, Frossard A, Hogg I, Cowan DA, Makhalanyane T. (2016) Antarctic microbial communities are functionally redundant, adapted and resistant to short term temperature perturbations. Soil Biol. Biochem. 103: 160-170

Bezuidt OKI, Gomri MA, Pierneef R, Van Goethem MW, Kharroub K, Cowan DA, Makhalanyane TP. (2016) Draft genome sequence of Thermoactinomyces sp. Strain AS95 isolated from a Sebkha in Thamelaht, Algeria. Standards Genom. Sci.  11: 68

Armstrong A, Valverde A, Ramond J-B, Makhalanyane TP,  Janssen J, Hopkins DW, Aspray TJ, Seely M, Trindade MI, Cowan DA (2016) Temporal dynamics of hot desert microbial communities reveal structural and functional responses to water input. Sci. Rep. 6, 34434; doi: 10.1038/srep34434

Cowan, DA, Editor (2014) Microbiology of Antarctic soils. Springer publ. 328pp. ISBM  978-3-642-45212-3.

Berjak, P, Cowan, DA, Cowling, R, Pammenter N, Scholes, R. (2009) Biological Sciences. Ch. 5 in The State of Science in South Africa. Diab, R, Gevers, W., Eds, ASSAf Publ., pp. 133-163.

Kirby, BM, Vengadajellum, CJ, Burton, SG, Cowan, DA. (2010) Anthropogenically-created habitats - coal, coal mines and spoil heaps. In: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, Timmis, Kenneth N. (Ed.), Springer Heidelberg, Vol 3, pp. 2277-2292.

Cowan, DA, Tuffin, IM, Robb, F. (2010) ‘‘Sequence First, Ask Questions Later’’: The Impact of Next Generation Omics on the Discovery of Novel Microbial and Lipid Hydrocarbon Metabolism. In: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, Timmis, Kenneth N. (Ed.), Springer Heidelberg, Vol 4, pp. 3367-3374.

Cowan, DA, Khan, N, Heath, C, Mutondo, M. (2010) Microbiology of Antarctic terrestrial soils and rocks. Ch. 1 in Polar Microbiology: The Ecology, Biodiversity and Bioremediation Potential of Microorganisms in Extremely Cold Environments. Atlas, R, Aislabie, J, Bej, A, Eds. CRC Press, pp. 1-30

Cowan, DA, Kirby, BM, Meiring, TL, Ferrer, M, Guazzaroni, M-E, Golyshina,, OV, Golyshin, PN (2010) Enzymes from Extreme Environments Ch. 4. In Manual of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, 3rd Edition, Baltz, RH, Davies, JE, Demain, AL, Eds. ASM Press, ISBN: 978-1-55581-512-7

Meiring, T.L, Mulako, I, Tuffin, M, Meyer, Q, Cowan, DA. (2010) Retrieval of full length functional genes using subtractive hybridization magnetic bead capture. Ch. 20 in:  Metagenomics: Methods and Protocols, Vol. 668 of Methods in Molecular Biology, WR. Streit and R. Daniel (Eds.): Humana Press Inc., Totowa NJ, USA. pp 287-298. ISBN: 978-1-60761-822-5

Meiring, TL, Bauer, R, Scheepers, I, Ohloff, C, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2011) Metagenomics and beyond: current approaches and integration with complementary technologies. Ch. 1 in Metagenomics: Current Innovations and Future Trends. Marco, D., Ed., Horizon Press, Publ. pp. 1 – 19.

Bauer, R, Mutondo, M, Huddy, RJ, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2011) Metagenomic gene discovery.  Ch. 15 in Metagenomics and its Applications in Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environmental Studies. RW Li, Ed. Nova Science Publ. pp. 287-320.

Grant, WD, Pagaling, E, Marquez, C, Gutierrez, C, Cowan, DA, Ma, Y, Jones, BE, Ventosa, A, Heaphy, S (2011) The Hypersaline Lakes of Inner Mongolia. Ch. 4 in  Halophiles and Hypersaline Environments, A. Ventosa et al. (eds.), Springer-Verlag Berlin, pp. 65-107.

Taylor, MP, Van Zyl, L, Tuffin, M, Cowan, DA (2011) Extremophiles and biotechnology: How far have we come?  Ch. 1. In Extremophiles: Microbiology and Biotechnology. Anitori, RP, ed.  Caister Academic Press, Norwich, pp. 1-23

Kirby, BM, Le Roes-Hill, M, Cary, SC, Burton, SG, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2011) Actinobacterial diversity associated with Antarctic Dry Valley mineral soils. Ch. 13 in Handbook of Molecular Microbial Ecology II: Metagenomics in Different Habitats, Frans J. de Bruijn, Ed.,  John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey. ISBN 978-0-470-64719-6

Taylor, MT, Ramond, J-B, Tuffin, IM, Burton, SG, Eley, K, Cowan, DA (2011) Mechanisms and Applications of Microbial Solvent Tolerance. Ch. 6 in Microbial stress tolerance for biofuels: systems biology. Microbiology Monographs, vol. 22, L. Liu, Ed., Springer, London. pp. 177-208

Kirby, BM, Barnard, D, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2011) Ecological distribution of microorganisms in terrestrial, psychrophilic habitats. In: Extremophiles Handbook., Horikoshi, K.; Antranikian, G.; Bull, A.T.; Robb, F.T.; Stetter, K.O. (Eds.) pp. 839-859.

Casanueva, A., Tuffin, M., Cowan, D.A (2011) The nanoarchaeota: Physiology, genomics and phylogeny. Ch. in Archaea: Structure, Habitats and Ecological Significance, Nova Science Publ., pp. 163-174

Kirby, BM, Easton, S, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) Bacterial Diversity in Polar Habitats. Ch. in Polar Microbiology: Life in a deep freeze. Miller, RV, Whyte, LG., Eds. ASM Press.  ISBN 978-1-55581-604-9. 312pp.

Cowan, D, Tuffin, M, Mulako, I, Cass, J (2012) Life in Terrestrial Hydrothermal Environments. Ch. in Life in Extremes: Environments, Organisms and Strategies for Survival. Bell, E., Ed., CABI Press. 576 pp. ISBN 978-1-84593-814-7

Taylor, MP, Bauer, R, Mackay, S, Tuffin, IM, Cowan, DA (2012) Extremophiles and their application to biofuel research. In: Extremophiles: Sustainable Resources and Biotechnological Implications. OV Singh, Ed, Wiley-Blackwell, New Jersey, pp. 205 – 232. ISBN 978-1-118-10300-5

Cowan, DA, Ronca, S, Ramond, J-B. (2013) Subtractive hybridization magnetic bead capture: Molecular technique for recovery of full-length ORFs from metagenomes.  Ch. 257 In Encyclopaedia of Metagenomics: Genes, Genomes and Metagenomes, and Databases and Tools. Nelson, KE, Ed., Springer, Publ. (published online, August 2013:  http://www.springerreference.com/docs/html/chapterdbid/304494.html).

De Maayer, P, Valverde, A, Cowan DA. (2014) The current state of metagenomic analysis. Ch. 10, in Genomic Analysis: Current Protocols and Applications, Poptsova MS, Ed. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK, pp. 183 – 220.

Valverde, A, De Maayer, P, Cowan DA. (2014) Microbial community profiling: current approaches and future trends. Ch. 6, In Bioinformatics and Data Analysis in Microbiology, O. Tastan-Bishop, eds. Caister Academic Press, pp. 143-162. ISBN: 978-1-908230-39-3

Cowan, DA. (2014) Introduction. Ch. 1. In Antarctic terrestrial microbiology. Cowan, DA, Ed. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 1-8.

Makhalanyane, T, Pointing, S, Cowan, DA. (2014) Lithic soil communities. Ch. 9 in Antarctic Terrestrial Microbiology. Cowan, DA, Ed. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 163-180.

Berger E, Ferreras E, Taylor MP, Cowan DA (2015) Extremophiles and their use in biofuel synthesis. Ch. In Industrial Biocatalysis. Vol. 1. Grunwald P, Ed., Pan Stanford Publ. Singapore. pp 239 - 281  ISBN 978-981-4463-89-8.

Smart M, Huddy RJ, Cowan DA, Trindade IM (2016) Liquid-phase multiplex high-throughput screening of metagenomic libraries using p-nitrophenyl-linked substrates for accessory lignocellulosic enzymes. Ch. In Metagenomics: Methods and Protocols. 2^nd Edn., Streit W, Daniel R, Eds. Springer. In Press