Dr. Adam Damry
We're a newly established lab looking at how proteins behave at solid interfaces. Most of our understanding of protein science comes from fluid environments. However, solids are another incredibly relevant medium to modern biotech applications, and we don't yet have a strong understanding of how proteins interact with them.
Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Email Address: adam.damry@gmail.com
Bio: We're a newly established lab looking at how proteins behave at solid interfaces. Most of our understanding of protein science comes from fluid environments. However, solids are another incredibly relevant medium to modern biotech applications, and we don't yet have a strong understanding of how proteins interact with them.
Our research program aims to start filling in these holes using whatever tools we can find, make, or dream up. With so much of the landscape uncharted, we'll be pioneers of sorts, but that's the exciting part! Along the way, we'll use what we learn to create biological tools with real world applications. From plastic degrading enzymes for bioremediation and recycling to immobilized enzymes in personalized medical devices to functional enzyme-linked scaffolds for industrial processes, the possibilities are endless.
Website: www.damrylab.com
Dr. Alex N. Nguyen Ba
We take advantage of latest synthetic biology approaches to increase the scale or resolution at which we can interrogate the systems biology of the cell.
Assistant Professor of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto
Email address: alex.nguyenba@utoronto.ca
Bio: We take advantage of latest synthetic biology approaches to increase the scale or resolution at which we can interrogate the systems biology of the cell, or to observe the evolutionary process of cell populations under adaptation.
Website: https://annb-lab.github.io/
Twitter: @alex_nguyen_ba
Dr. Codruta Ignea
Our group is interested in sustainable production of chemicals by reprogramming simple organisms, such as yeast, into "smart chassis" to yield customizable products.
Assistant Professor, McGill University
Bio: Our group is interested in sustainable production of chemicals by reprogramming simple organisms, such as yeast, into "smart chassis" to yield customizable products. We apply a multi-disciplinary approach that involve biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, protein engineering and synthetic biology to access and expand Nature’s chemical space for discovery of new molecules with improved biological activities.
Website: https://www.mcgill.ca/bioengineering/codruta-ignea-0
Twitter: @codrutaignea
Dr. Laura Keffer-Wilkes
I am the primary investigator for the Lethbridge high school iGEM team and the manager of SynBridge, the U of L's synthetic biology maker space.
Instructor & lab manager, University of Lethbridge
Email Address: kefferwilkesl@uleth.ca
Bio: I am the primary investigator for the Lethbridge high school iGEM team and the manager of SynBridge, the U of L's synthetic biology maker space.
Website: https://www.uleth.ca/core-facilities/synthetic-biology
Twitter: @LethHS_iGEM @SynBridge @InnovationRNA
BioZone
BioZone aims to use Bioengineering to create a sustainable world by making industrial processes more sustainable, remediating humanity's environmental impact, and improving health outcome.
BioZone, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto
Bio: BioZone is a Centre for Applied Bioscience and Bioengineering Research at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.
BioZone aims to use Bioengineering to create a sustainable world by making industrial processes more sustainable, remediating humanity's environmental impact, and improving health outcome.
For example, to help make industrial processes more environmentally friendly and reduce carbon emissions, we help companies replace petroleum feedstocks with renewable sources, including waste material from agriculture and forestry sectors, by engineering microbes and enzymes that can convert sugars or complex organics (lignin) into value-added chemicals and materials.
BioZone's synbio relevant skills include metagenomics, enzymology, functional genomics, enzyme engineering, metabolic and whole cell modeling, systems biology, computational biology, bioprocess design, techno-economic assessment, and lifecycle analysis.
Website: www.biozone.utoronto.ca
Twitter: @BioZoneUT
Dr. Vincent Martin
We are synthetic biologists with a strong penchant for metabolic engineering and industrial strain improvement. We like yeast but will play with other unicellular bugs as well.
Professor, Concordia University and Co-Director, Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology
Email Address: vincent.martin@concordia.ca
Bio: We are synthetic biologists with a strong penchant for metabolic engineering and industrial strain improvement. We like yeast but will play with other unicellular bugs as well.
Dr. Ahmad Saleh
Synthetic biology strategies for the biosynthesis of fine chemicals, especially lipid-based drugs and biofuels
Assistant Professor, Université Laval
Email Address: ahmad.saleh@bcm.ulaval.ca
Bio: Our research projects aim at developing synthetic biology strategies for the biosynthesis of fine chemicals, especially lipid-based drugs and biofuels, to render them accessible for human consumption. In addition, we work on the discovery/invention of new fine chemicals that satisfy emerging human needs in health, energy and bioremediation fields. Our research is conducted using synthetic biology (SB) approaches in microbial hosts as platforms, while aiming at a sustainable production of safe and ecological fine chemicals.
Website: http://abdel-mawgoud.com/
Dr. David Stuart
We investigate the potential application of synthetic biology for performing metabolic engineering of yeast, bacteria and cyanobacteria.
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta
Email Address: dtstuart@ualberta.ca
Bio: We investigate the potential application of synthetic biology for performing metabolic engineering of yeast, bacteria and cyanobacteria. Current applications include engineering oleaginous yeast and bacteria metabolic pathways for production of high value oleochemicals from cellulosic waste, engineering fermentation inhibitor tolerance into microbial cell factories, construction of microbial cell biosensors for the detection of human and agricultural pathogens, and engineering microbial cell for bioremediation applications.
Website: https://www.ualberta.ca/biochemistry/people/faculty/david-stuart
Dr. Vikramaditya Yadav
The principal theme of Prof. Yadav’s research is the utilization of metabolic & enzyme engineering to investigate and customize novel biosynthetic enzymes that can convert biomass-derived feedstocks into value-added chemicals.
Associate Professor of Chemical, Biological & Biomedical Engineering & Program Director of Sustainable Process Engineering, University of British Columbia
Email Address: vikramaditya.yadav@ubc.ca
Bio: Vikramaditya G. Yadav is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering and the School of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Master of Engineering Leadership in Sustainable Process Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Prof. Yadav leads one of Canada’s foremost research groups on synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology. The principal theme of Prof. Yadav’s research is the utilization of metabolic & enzyme engineering to investigate and customize novel biosynthetic enzymes that can convert biomass-derived feedstocks into value-added chemicals. His group also extends the principles of metabolic engineering to the design and development of unique bioremediation strategies to rehabilitate the water quality in and around industrial zones and develop new mining biotechnologies. In addition to green engineering, his research group also pursues medical biotechnology research, wherein they primarily focus on assay development, biosynthetic engineering, and pharmaceutical product development. Prof. Yadav’s research program is distinguished by its impact and strong emphasis on technology translation. Prof. Yadav has successfully raised over $5 million in research funding and his group collaborates with numerous industry partners from a range of sectors. He is also the Chair of the Biotechnology Division of the Chemical Institute of Canada and an Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. He was previously an Associate Scientific Advisor for Science Translational Medicine. He also founded Metabolik Technologies Inc. and was its Chief Technology Officer until it was recently acquired by Allonnia, a Bill Gates-backed environmental biotechnology company. Metabolik is widely regarded as a Canadian success story and was developing a first-of-its-kind bioremediation platform for decontaminating oil sands process-affected water. He is also the Chief Technology Officer and Chairman of ArqMetal Inc., which is developing biotechnological solutions for the mining industry. He also serves on the boards of InMed Pharmaceuticals and Reazent.
Website: www.biofoundry.ca
Twitter: @biofoundry
Dr. Andrew Woolley
Optogenetic control, photo-controlled proteins
Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
Email Address: awoolley@chem.utoronto.ca
Bio: Optogenetic control, photo-controlled proteins
Website: http://www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/GAW/
Dr. Wei Zhang
My lab will open in July 2018 at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph. We are creating synthetic proteins using bimolecular engineering approaches to accelerate understanding of biology and development of novel therapeutics.
Assistant Professor, University of Guelph
Email Address: weizhang8182@gmail.com
Bio: My lab opened in July 2018 at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph. We are creating synthetic proteins using biomolecular engineering approaches to accelerate understanding of biology and development of novel therapeutics.
Website: www.thezhanglab.com
Twitter: @WeiZhangTO
SynBioApps NSERC-CREATE program
SynBioApps offers graduate training in the various technologies of synthetic biology, including work in Concordia University’s Genome Foundry.
SynBioApps NSERC-CREATE program, Concordia University
Email Address: synbioapps@concordia.ca
Bio: SynBioApps offers graduate training in the various technologies of synthetic biology, including work in Concordia University’s Genome Foundry. Students are exposed to applied R&D in the context of industrial synbio applications and entrepreneurship. Further training includes ethical considerations; an understanding of regulatory environments and IP; network opportunities; and collaboration with business student to create product pitches.
Website: https://www.concordia.ca/sgs/programs/interdisciplinary/synthetic-biology-applications.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SynBioAppsCU