Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Dalhousie University

2020

Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Christian Gilissen

Associate Professor, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands

"Computational approaches to identify genetic causes of neurodevelopmental disorders"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Ketul Chaudhary

Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Dalhousie University

"Pathophysiology of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Right Heart Failure: New insight into the role of biological sex and stem cells"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Monday, December 7, 2020 at 9 a.m.

MSc Thesis Defence - Oliver P. Kuehm

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Investigations on enzymes of the enolase superfamily"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 10 a.m.

PhD Thesis Defence - Purvi Trivedi

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Role of transcription factor EB (TFEB) in cardiac health and disease"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Trần Thanh Tâm (Tam) Phạm

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University
"Understanding the variable bioactivity of apelin isoforms elicited through their cognate GPCR"

Kathleen Vergunst

PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University
"Exploring the structural stability and assembly mechanism of hydrophobin proteins"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Sergio Muñoz-Gómez - Recipient of the 2019 Patrick Prize Award

Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Arizona State University

"A purple-green eukaryote with two contrasting photosynthetic endosymbionts"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 4 pm

Honours Student Presentations

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

4:05 - 4:15 p.m. - Anjali Kapilan
"Ablation of The Neuronal Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Exacerbates Calpain Activity in Mice Subjected to an Experimental Model of Multiple Sclerosis"

4:20 - 4:30 p.m. - Maggie Lawton
"Insight into the Pelagophyceae: Long-read Sequencing of Novel Genomes"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Matthew C. Lorincz, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia

"Chromatin-guided DNA methylation: lessons from the mouse germline"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Natasha Breward

Manager, Health Innovation Sandbox, Dalhouisie University

"Health Innovation: Resources and Opportunities for Students"

https://dalinnovates.ca/programs/discover/

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Jessica Esseltine, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland

"Stem cells on the Rock(s)"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Martin Duennwald, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University

"Rethinking yeast models of protein misfolding"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Morgan Colp

PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Developing Acanthamoeba castellanii as an experimental model for studying eukaryote lateral gene transfer"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Simiao (Michelle) Lu

PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Defining the structures of unstructured amyloid-beta peptide in solution"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Jennifer Shepherd

Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Washington, USA

"Rhodoquinone in bacteria and animals: Two distinct pathways for biosynthesis of this key electron transporter used in anaerobic bioenergetics"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Purvi Trivedi

PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Loss of function of transcription factor EB (TFEB) remodels"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.

PhD Thesis Defence - Qinyan Song

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"The interplay between the tumor supressor p53 and its negative regulators MDM2 and MDMX"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Anamika Sulekha

PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Disulfide Locking: Opposite Effects on Disparate Proteins"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link 
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Oliver Kuehm

MSc Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Investigations on Enzymes of the Enolase Superfamily"

Shelby Williams

MSc Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Investigating Mitochondrial Reduction in 5 Novel Microbial Eukaryotes"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link 
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Sarah van der Ende

MSc Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Investigating Candidate Genes for the Childhood Blinding Disease FEVR"

Ronie Haro

PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Studying the dinoflagellate nucleus: retrogene dynamics and karyotype organization"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link 
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Alex Brown

PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Structural and functional insights into coactivator recruitment by the melanogenic transcription factor MITF"

Gregory Seaton

MSc Candidate, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Investigating genomic diversity of Blastocystis, a microbial eukaryote that colonizes the human gut"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link 
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 1 p.m.

MSc Thesis Defence - Dandan Zhao

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dalhousie University

"Investigating the role of the anaerobic protist Blastocystis in the gut microbiome by metagenomic analysis"

Location
Room 429-430, Goldberg Computer Science Building,
6050 University Avenue, Halifax, NS
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 4:00-6:30 pm

Honours Student Research Presentations - CANCELLED

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dalhousie University

04:05 - 04:15 Jordan Thompson (supervisor Neale Ridgway)
Fatty acid regulation of phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase beta (CCT-beta) phosphorylation & cellular localization

04:20 - 04:30 Jacob Rukavina (supervisor Paola Marignani)
The role of VAV2 in cell migration

04:35 - 04:45 Madison Kropp (supervisor John Frampton)
Development and analysis of an in vitro co-culture hepatic fibrosis model

04:50 – 05:00 Nicholas Bacon (supervisor Vanya Ewart)
The effect of a Fucus vesiculosus extract on alpha-synuclein amyloid formation

05:05 - 05:15 Madelaine Robertson (supervisors Jan Rainey and John Frampton)
That’s a wrap: Using recombinant aciniform spider silk as a platform for cell growth

05:20 - 05:30 Sam Paton (supervisor George Robertson)
Inhibition of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter attenuates proinflammatory activation of human brain endothelial cells

05:35 - 05:45 Noa Sorbara (supervisor Stephen Bearne)
Investigating inhibition of isoleucine 2-epimerase by alkyl boronic acids

05:50 - 06:00 Erin Donovan (supervisor Vanya Ewart)
Exploring the interaction between Pseudopleuronectes americanus type I antifreeze protein
and rat erythrocytes

06:05 – 06:15 Madhav Makkena (supervisory Barbara Karten)
Visualization of cholesterol in the neuronal plasma membrane

Location
Theatre "A", Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)
Room 102, DMNB (Saint John, NB)
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 2:00-6:00 pm

Graduate Student Symposium - CANCELLED

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Graduate Students Present:
Hot Topics in Nature and Science

2:00-2:25 pm - Kathleen Vergunst, Langelaan Lab
A reversible RNA on-switch that controls gene expression of AAV-delivered therapeutics in vivo

2:25-2:50 pm - Lizzy Baker, Rainey Lab
Microporous methacrylated glycol chitosan-montmorillonite nanocomposite hydrogel for bone tissue engineering

2:50-3:15 pm - Jason Foster, Ridgway Lab
Journey to the center of the cell: Exploring nuclear lipid droplet formation and function

3:15-3:40 pm - Taryn Jakub, Kramer Lab
Updates in the genome editing world

3:40-4:00 pm - Intermission
coffee and refreshments courtesy of the
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

4:00-4:25 pm - Xingjian Chang, Ewart Lab
FPR1 is the plague receptor on host immune cells

4:25-4:50 pm - Tom Gillis, Bearne Lab
Efficacy of novel binding interactions between antitumour drug AMG 510 and KRAS(G12C)

4:50-5:15 pm - Tam Pham, Rainey Lab
How oxygen (or the lack thereof) can potentially lead to human adaptive responses

5:15-5:40 pm - Kelsey Williamson, Roger Lab
Characterization of a bacterium that demonstrates unprecedented
prokaryotic complexity

Location
Room 14B2, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 1 p.m.

MSc Thesis Defence - Dane C. Sands

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dalhousie University

"Investigation of the Amyloid "Properties of Winter Flounder Antifreeze Protein (AFP6) and the Application of Aqueous Curcumin in the Detection of this Protein

Location
Theatre 14B02, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Zoe Finkel

Professor, Department of Oceanography
Dalhousie University

"Phytoplankton in a changing world"

Location
Theatre A, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)
Room 102, DMNB (Saint John, NB)
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Gerd Prehna

Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology
University of Manitoba

"Probing the intersection between natural competence and transduction in Streptococcus"

Location
Theatre A, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)
Room 102, DMNB (Saint John, NB)
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Luc Boudreau

Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, Université de Moncton
Moncton, New Brunswick

"Implication of a Novel Subpopulation of Platelet-Derived Microparticle in Inflammatory Diseases"

Location
Room 102, DMNB (Saint John, NB)
Theatre A, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)
Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Recipient of the 2018-2019 Doug Hogue Award

Shannon Sibbald

Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dalhousie University

"A genomic investigation into the evolution of microbial eukaryotes"

Location
Theatre A, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)
Room 102, DMNB (Saint John, NB)

Reception to follow, Room 9-A1
All are welcome to attend!
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Jillian Rourke

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Mount Allison University

"A high-throughput approach identifies novel nutrient-sensing G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR)"

Location
Room 102, DMNB (Saint John, NB)
Theatre A, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (Halifax, NS)