Prof. Dr.Samir Khalaf Abdullah

Prof. Dr. Samir Khalaf Abdullah received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Science, University of Basra, and his doctorate in the field of mycology from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. Since obtaining his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, then his doctorate, he worked at the University of Basra and rose through the scientific ranks by obtaining a professorship in 1989. He worked as head of the Department of Life Sciences in the College of Science, University of Basra for the period from 1995-2002. He was awarded the title of first professor at the University of Basra in 1995. He worked as a member of Council of the University of Basra for the period from 1998-2001. He worked as a member of the editorial board, editorial secretary, consultant and editor-in-chief of some academic scientific journals. He joined the University of Duhok as a professor in the Department of Life Sciences, College of Education for the period from 2007-2010, then a professor in the Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Zakho University for the period from 2010. - 2017. He was retired in 2017 and then joined Al-Noor University College in Nineveh Governorate to work as Assistant Dean of the College for Scientific Affairs. Until now, he has published more than 190 scientific papers in various Iraqi and international journals, in addition to supervising more than 100 students to obtain master’s and doctorate degrees. In many Iraqi universities. He obtained membership in many scientific societies for mycology in the United States of America, Britain, Japan and India. He obtained membership in the International Association of Universities. He received the title of scientist in 1999 and was included in the Iraqi government’s Law for the Care of Scholars. I am still active in the field of scientific research and supervising postgraduate students. The direction in the field of scientific research is focused on diagnosing fungi using molecular methods, studying superficial fungal infections of human and animal skin, studying the diversity of endophytic fungi in forest plants, and using some fungi for biological control of insects and plant diseases.

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Most cited scientific research

Abstract :

Surveys (in 2002 and 2003) were performed for fungal endophytes in roots of 24 plant species growing at 12 sites (coastal and inland soils, both sandy soils and salt marshes) under either water or salt stress in the Alicante province (Southeast Spain). All plant species examined were colonized by endophytic fungi. A total of 1830 fungal isolates were obtained and identified by morphological and molecular [internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor-1α gene region (TEF-1α) sequencing] techniques. One hundred and forty-two fungal species were identified, belonging to 57 genera. Sterile mycelia were assigned to 177 morphospecies. Fusarium and Phoma species were the most frequent genera, followed by AspergillusAlternaria and Acremonium. Fungal root endophytic communities were influenced by the soil type where their respective host plants grew, but not by location (coastal or …

Abstract :

Monascus pallens sp. nov. and M. sanguineus sp. nov. are newly recognized species isolated from surface sediments of the Shatt-al-Arab river and its creeks near Basrah City, Iraq. Descriptions are provided, growth on denned media is measured and enzyme activities are investigated. A key to species is given.

Abstract :

Nineteen species of aquatic and areo-aquatic conidial fungi were tested for their ability to produce extracellular enzymes which degrade cellulose, starch, lipids, proteins and tannic acid. The cellulolytic activity was determined by using both solid and liquid media. The activity of other enzymes was examined using solid media. Two-thirds of the species were able to hydrolyze soluble cellulose (CMC) incorporated in solid and liquid media with varying degrees of activity. Extracellular culture filtrates ofAegerita candida, Helicodendron giganteum andH. tubulosum contained a Cl-Cx enzyme complex that could degrade both soluble cellulose (CMC) and crystalline cellulose (filter paper). Lipase activity was demonstrated by 11 species. Fourteen of the species showed activity for amylase and protease, but only 11 of the 16 were capable of degrading tannic acid.

Abstract :

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the most important fruit trees growing in the Arabian world and some neighboring countries and represents a good cash crop for many farmers. Palm diseases are among the major factors that affecting the products. Fungi and Phytoplasma are known as the most causal pathogens on date palm trees. The present study is an attempt to provide an update informations on the previously known as well as the recently reported pathogens on date palm trees. The causal pathogens, their associated symptoms, distribution, known epidemiology and possible control strategies are discussed.

Abstract :

The genus Helicoon was established by Morgan (1892) to accommodate those helicosporous Hyphomycetes characterized by the production of non-proliferating, cylindrical, barrel-shaped conidia. The conidia are borne on distinct conidiophores, which may in some instances be very short and inconspicuous. Members of the genus most closely resemble those species of Helicodendron which also produce cylindrical, barrel-shaped conidia, but which differ from species of Helicoon in that proliferation from previously formed conidia always occurs, resulting in the formation of tangled masses of conidia (Goos et al., 1985). The conidia are always produced singly in Helicoon, and proliferation does not occur. As emphasized by Linder (1929), this distinction may require careful examination, particularly in young material. As presently constituted, the genus Helicoon contains eight accepted species. Seven of these were included by Linder (1929) in his monograph of the helicosporous fungi. Moore (1955) listed nine species in his key, and Abdullah (1980) discussed the seven species he found in Great Britain. Six species previously assigned to the genus are considered doubtful and are not included in the keys presented here. No teleomorph of Helicoon is known.

Most members of the genus belong to the ecological group known as aero-aquatic Hyphomycetes, which have been described as' indwelling organisms characterized by the production of purely vegetative mycelium in substrata under water and by the formation of conidia with a special flotation device, formed only when the substrate on which the fungus is growing is exposed to a moist …

Abstract :

A new species, Monascus argentinensis, isolated from soil of Northern Argentina is described and illustrated. It is characterised by its ascomatal wall, which presents dark-coloured patches separated by hyaline areas; a Basipetospora anamorph with hyaline conidia; and the production of arthroconidia and sessile conidia. Monascus lunisporas Udagawa & Baba, another species with a similar peridial wall, is fully described and reported for first time as a soil-borne fungus. A molecular study based in the nucleotidic sequences of the ITS region support the status of M. argentinensis as a new species, and the inclusion of Xeromyces bisporus LR Fraser as a member of Monascus. A key to the accepted species of Monascus is provided.

Abstract :

ABDULLAH, SK & SM AL-BADER (1990). On the thermophilic and thermotolerant mycoflora of Iraqi soils.-Sydowia 42: 1-7. Thirty-five species of thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi were isolated from 200 soil samples collected from different parts of Iraq. Eleven species are new records for this country. For five species thermotolerance has been demonstrated for the first time, whilst true thermophily was shown only by six species. The study revealed that thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi are widely represented in the mycoflora of Iraqi soils. The majority of the species isolated can produce one or more enzymes involved in the degradation of starch, carboxymethylcellulose, lipids and proteins incorporated in solid media.
Several papers have dealt with the ecology and taxonomy of fungi from Iraqi soils (ABDULLAH & al., 1986; ABDULLAH & AL-BADER, 1989; ISMAIL & ABDULLAH, 1977; AL-DOORY & al., 1959; TOLBA & al., 1957; EL-DOHLOB & AL-HELFI, 1982; UDAGAWA & al., 1985, 1986), but

Abstract :

The teleomorphs of Tricladium splendens, Articulospora tetracladia and Dimorphospora foliicola are described and illustrated. They are respectively Hymenoscyphus splendens n.sp., Hymenoscyphus tetracladius n.sp. and Hymenoscyphus foliicola n.sp.

Abstract :

Twenty‐five sediment samples were taken from randomly selected sites in the Shatt Al‐Arab River and its creeks and analysed for dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi. The results revealed that out of 25 samples only 13 (52%) yielded dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi. A total of nine species in four genera were isolated. The most frequent genera isolated in this study were Chrysosporium and its teleomorph Aphanoascus. The species most frequently found were Aphanoascus julvescens, A. durus, Chrysosporium crassitunicatum, Chr. keratinophilum and Chr. tropicum (each n=3). Microsporum was represented by two species, namely M. fulvum and M. gypseum. Trichophyton was represented by one species, T. verrucosum. The occurrence of these fungi illustrates that sediments may act as a reservoir for potentially pathogenic fungi for human and animals.

Abstract :

A survey of entomopathogenic and other opportunistic fungi associated with seven naturally infected insect species live hidden in some plants at their hibernation sites at Gara mountain, Kurdistan region of Iraq was carried out. Aspergillus flavus, A. niger and Beauveria bassiana were detected with high isolation rates. Several other opportunistic pathogens including