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Dr Hafna Ahmed

Research Scientist

https://people.csiro.au/A/H/hafna-ahmed

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Biography

Hafna is a Research Scientist at CSIRO Environment currently working on identifying, characterising and engineering bio-plastic degrading enzymes as part of CSIRO’s Ending Plastic Waste Mission and Advanced Engineering Biology Future Science Platform. She is also leading a project under CSIRO’s Permanent Carbon Lock Future Science Platform on characterising proteins involved in calcium carbonate formation.

She received her PhD in Biological Chemistry at the Australian National University in 2016, and has expertise in protein engineering, biochemistry, bioinformatics and structural modelling. Her broad research interests are in investigating the role of biomolecules in nature and how they can be repurposed and engineered to help solve problems in industry and environmental remediation.

Achievements and Awards

  • 2022--

    Australian Science Policy Fellowship
    Office of the Chief Scientist Australia

  • 2019--

    CSIRO L&W Early Career Researcher Award – Highly Commended
    CSIRO

  • 2018--

    ASBMB Fellowship
    Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  • 2017--

    Vince Massey Young Investigator Award
    19th International Symposium on Flavins and Flavoproteins, Netherlands

Current Roles

  • Research Scientist
    Engineering bio-plastic degrading enzymes and calcium carbonate templating proteins

Academic Qualifications

  • 2016

    Ph.D. (Biological Chemistry)
    Research School of Chemistry - Australian National University

  • 2011

    B.med.Sc (Hons)
    Research School of Biology - Australian National University

Professional Experiences

  • 2022-2022

    Science Policy Fellow
    Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

  • 2021-2022

    Research Scientist
    CSIRO Land and Water

  • 2018-2021

    Postdoctoral Fellow
    CSIRO Land and Water

  • 2016-2018

    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research School of Chemistry - Australian National University

Other highlights

  • Nov 2023--

    Invited talk titled 'Identifying, characterising and engineering thermostable polyester degrading enzymes'

  • Oct 2018--

    Invited talk titled 'Understanding the dynamic substrate binding mechanism of Human Heparanase' at ComBio 2018 held in Sydney

  • Dec 2017--

    Invited talk titled 'Cofactor F420: uncovering new roles in mycobacterial pathogens' at the RSC/IPR Joint Conference on Protein Structure and Function held in Osaka, Japan

  • Jul 2017--

    Young investigator talk titled 'Structure, function and evolution of F420H2 utilizing flavin/deazaflavin oxidoreductases (FDORs) in Mycobacteria' at the 19th International Symposium on Flavins and Flavoproteins held in Groningen, Netherlands

Grants

  • 2023-2026

    CaCO3 biomineralizing proteins (CSIRO Avanced Engineering Biology and CarbonLock Future Science Platforms)

  • 2022-2025

    Bioplastic degrading enzymes (CSIRO Advanced Engineering Biology Future Science Platform)

  • 2019-2020

    Chromoprotein structure and function (CSIRO Land and Water Acorns Grant)

We have publications by Dr Hafna Ahmed