Group Members

CURRENT

Postdocs

  • Dr. Maria Cleveland (2022 – present). Plastic biodegradation.
  • Dr. Tripti Dadheech (2022 – present). Plastic biodegradation.
  • Dr. Luana Cunha (2022 – present). Nucleocidin biosynthesis.

PhD Students

  • Samantha Hollands (2019 – present). Biosynthesis of cyanobactins.
  • Ola Pasternak (2016 – present). Biosynthesis of the fluorometabolite nucleocidin by Streptomyces calvus.
  • Sahar Shokrgozar (2022 – present). Biodegradation of plastics.

MSc Students

  • Maame Yaa Yamoa (2021 – present). Microbial degradation of plastic.
  • Alessia Rizzello (2022 – present). Biosynthesis of nucleocidin.
  • Liwah Keller (2022 – present). Biodegradation of plastics.

Undergraduate

  • Kennedy Quigg (4th year thesis). Biodegradation of plastics.
  • Megan Millier Stellato (4th year thesis). Cyanobactin biosynthesis.

ALUMNI

PhD Students

  • David Simon (PhD student, 2013 – 2019, co-supervised with Richard Oleschuk). Influence of the bldA gene on the proteomes and secondary metabolite profiles in Streptomycetes.
  • Usman Aftab (April – Oct., 2013, visiting Ph.D. student, University of the Punjab). Discovery of anticancer compounds in Streptomyces isolated in Pakistan
  • Fern McSorley (Ph.D., 2008 – 2013). Enzymatic cleavage of carbon-phosphorus bonds.
  • Katie Groom (Ph.D., 2005 – 2013, co-supervised with Vic Snieckus). Studies into the Biosynthesis and Chemical Synthesis of Indolocarbazoles and Related Heterocyclic Compounds. Metalation of Indole-6- Carboxamide.
  • Arne Gessner (visiting Ph.D. student, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität-Freiburg, June-July 2012). The effect of the bldA gene on Streptomyces secondary metabolite production.

MSc Students

  • Kendall Hupp (4th year thesis, 2018 – 2019; MSc, 2019 – 2021). Novel pathways for organophosphonate degradation and biosynthesis.
  • Suhayla Sequeira (MSc student, 2017 – 2019). Biosynthesis of the fluorometabolite nucleocidin by Streptomyces calvus.
  • Isobel Barber (MSc student 2018-2019, on exchange from Durham University, UK). Biosynthesis of a cyanobactin.
  • Jorge Antonio Tzec Interián (MSc student, summer of 2018, on exchange from the  Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, México). Application of a promoter assay to improve nucleocidin production in S. calvus.
  • Becky Lo (2017 – 2018). Mechanistic analysis of the phosphonate degrading enzymes PhnY* and PhnZ.
  • Kaitlyn Pinkett (MSc student, 2015 – 2017). Biosynthesis of the fluorinated natural product nucleocidin by S. calvus.
  • Jacqueline Séguin (M.Sc., 2013 – 2015). Mechanistic analysis of the organophosphonate degrading enzymes PhnY and PhnZ.
  • Alyssa Brewer (M.Sc., 2013 – 2015). Analysis of cryptic biosynthetic pathways in Streptomyces calvus.
  • XiMing Zhu (M.Sc., 2012 – 2014). Exploration of cryptic biosynthetic pathways activated with a functional bldA gene in Streptomyces calvus.
  • Ryan Latimer (M.Sc., 2008 – 2010 ). Studies on the chloramphenicol halogenase CmlS.
  • Di Hu (M.Sc., 2007 – 2010, co-supervised with Derek Pratt). Computational Studies of Lipid Autoxidation and Solvent-Mediated Antioxidant Activity and a Kinetic Study of a Halogenase in the Pyrrolnitrin Biosynthetic Pathway.
  • Meagan Perry (M.Sc., 2006 – 2009). Improving protein solubility via directed evolution.
  • Shu-Mei He (M.Sc., 2005-2008). Towards the structure and function of CP-lyase enzymes.

Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Dr. Simanga Gama (2018 – 2021). Characterization of glyphosate degradation enzymes.
  • Dr. Manisha Patel (2018 – 2020). Biosynthesis of cyanobactins.
  • Dr. Daria Trofimova (2008 – 2010). Production of reactive oxygen species by antibodies (joint with Derek Pratt).
  • Dr. Anupam Bhattarachya (2005 – 2007). Indolocarbazole biosynthesis and halogenases.
  • Dr. Yan Luo (2004 – 2006). Analysis of bacterial CP-lyase enzymes. 

Visiting Professors

  • Prof. Bjarne Hove-Jensen, Dept. of Biology, University of Copenhagen (2010 – 2012). Analysis of the pathway for organophosphonate degradation by carbon-phosphorus lyase. 

Undergraduates

  • Steven Chandler (4th year thesis, 2021-22). Biosynthesis of a cyanobactin.
  • Alessia Rizzello (4th year thesis, 2021-22). Biosynthesis of a cyanobactin.
  • Jordan Goodnough (4th year thesis, 2021-22). Plastic biodegradation.
  • Alysa Evans (4th year thesis student, 2020-21). Biosynthesis of fosfonochlorin.
  • Dylan Thompson (4th year thesis student, 2020-21). Microbial degradation of RoundUp herbicide.
  • Joshua Maligaya (4th year thesis student, 2020-21). Biosynthesis of a cyanobactin.
  • Shanzeh Chaudhry (4th year thesis student, 2020-21). Biosynthesis of the fluormetabolite nucleocidin.
  • Mimi McClean (4th year thesis student, 2019 – 2020). Biosynthesis of fosfonochlorin.
  • Christina Roesch (diploma  student, University of Freiburg, summer of 2019). Biosynthesis of a cyanobactin.
  • Zed Lu (4th year thesis student, summer 2019). Phosphonate specificity of CP-lyase PhnD proteins.
  • Peter Hall (4th year thesis in biochemistry, 2019). Biosynthesis of nucleocidin.
  • Eric Lawrence (4th year thesis in chemistry, 2017-2018). Analysis of PhnZ by solid state 17O-NMR spectroscopy (in collaboration with Prof. Gang Wu).
  • Shauna Deorajh (4th year Eng Chem student, 2017-2018). 4th year thesis project on the functional characterization of nucleocidin biosynthetic enzymes.
  • Peter Kalistchuk (2017). Exchange student in Biotechnology from St. Lawrence college. Biosynthesis of nucleocidin.
  • Stephanie Hrab (4th year BSc student, 2016-2017). 4th year thesis project and summer student.
  • Alexa Torelli (3rd year life science, 2017). Summer student.
  • Linor Berezin (4th year BSc student, 2016-2017). NSERC summer student and lab volunteer. Biosynthesis of nucleocidin.
  • Dragos Chiriac (3rd year BSc student, 2016-2017). iGEM Synthetic Biology team leader.
  • Sophia-Klara Gassenschmidt (exchange student from Freiburg University, Germany, August – September, 2016). Biosynthesis of nucleocidin.
  • Jessie Hebbert (BSc, 2015-2016, 4th year thesis in Chemistry). Biosynthesis of nucleocidin in S. calvus.
  • Akpevweoghene Akohwarien (BSc, 2015-2016, 4th year thesis in Chemistry). Identification of the product of a NRPS in S. calvus.
  • Shane Colborne, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2014-2015.
  • Nathalie Butler, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2013-2014.
  • Aric Huang, co-op student via McMaster Chemical Biology program and NSERC USRA, 2013.
  • Anne Li, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2012-2013
  • Stephanie Vanner, NSERC USRA, 2012
  • Christine Klaus, diploma exchange student from Bechthold lab (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität-Freiburg), Mar-June 2012
  • Hanna Zhao, co-op student from McMaster Chemical Biology Program, Jan-August 2012
  • Anjuli Szawiola, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2011- 2012
  • Matthew Rankin-Byrne, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2011 – 2012
  • Zhimeng Jia, NSERC USRA, 2010
  • Matt Wong, 4th year thesis in Chemistry and NSERC USRA, 2009-2010
  • Joshua Wood, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2009-2010
  • Christina Sun, NSERC USRA, 2009
  • Stuart Macfie, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2008-2009
  • Shelly McArthur, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2008-2009
  • Leslie Young, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2008-2009
  • King (Polly) Ho, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2007-2008
  • Matthew Wathier, 4th year thesis and NSERC USRA, 2007-2008
  • Mats Junek, NSERC USRA, 2007
  • Elizabeth Wong, NSERC USRA, 2007
  • Amelie Menard, 4th year thesis (joint with Prof. D. Pratt)
  • Fu Yan, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2006-2007
  • Young Chang, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2006
  • Taila Hartley, NSERC USRA, 2005 and 2006
  • Dianna Wang, NSERC USRA, 2005
  • Karin Ho, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2005-2006
  • Julia Kennedy, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2005-2006
  • Shane Nagle, 4th year thesis in Chemistry, 2005-2006
  • Allison Tsang, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2005-2006
  • Christopher Yang, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2005
  • Sam Molyneux, 4th year thesis in Biochemistry, 2005