Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Dalhousie University

2021

Wednesday, December 10, 2021 at 1-4 p.m.

MSc Thesis Defence - Xingjian Chang

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Expression of a Winter Flounder Antifreeze Protein in E. coli and its Effect on Ice Nucleation"

Location
Room C-140, Collaborative Health Education Building (CHEB) (Halifax, NS)
Room 221, DMNB (Saint John, NB)
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Tobias Karakach, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University

"Deciphering the molecular landscape of Wilms tumors via a multi-omics playbook"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

MSc Thesis Defence - Thomas Gillis

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Effects of 5′-Triphosphate Metabolites of Specific Antiviral Drugs on CTP Synthase Activity"

Location
Room C-264, Collaborative Health Education Building (CHEB) (Halifax, NS)
Room 221, DMNB (Saint John, NB)
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, November 29, 2021 at 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

PhD Thesis Defence - Anamika Sulekha

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Disulphide Locking: Opposite Effects on Disparate Proteins"

Location
Hybrid
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Graduate Student Research Day

Poster Session
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.     CHEB C150

Soft Skills Building Sessions
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.     MS Teams

Platform Presentations
1:30 p.m. - 3:30     MS Teams

Keynote Speaker - Dr. Xavier Banquy
Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Montreal
"Bioinspired hairy materials: from biolubrication to nanomedecine"
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Location
CHEB C150 and Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the links
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Julie Forman-Kay, Ph.D.

Professor, Biochemistry, University of Toronto

"Phase-Separation of Intrinsically Disordered Protein Regions: Biophysics, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Thomas Simmen, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta

"Redox Control of ER-Mitochondria Tethering and Ca2+ Flux"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Logan Slade

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

"Multifaceted Role of Transcription Factor EB in Breast Cancer Pathobiology"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Barry Kennedy

Research Associate, Department of Clinical Translation, IMV Inc.

"Targeted metabolic reprogramming to enhance the efficacy of oncolytic virus-based cancer immunotherapy"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Voula Kanelis

Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto
Co-director of Amgen Biotech Experience Canada

"Structural studies reveal insights into regulatory mechanisms in ABC proteins"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Denys Khaperskyy, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Dalhousie University

"Antiviral stress response pathways as targets for host-directed antivirals"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Andrew J. Roger, Ph.D., F.R.S.C

Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University
Canada Research Chair
Institute for Comparative Genomics (ICG, formerly CGEB)

"Coevolving genomics, organelles and bacterial symbionts in anaerobic protozoa"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Michael Charette, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Brandon University
Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)
Adjunct Scientist, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute

"A Prairie Ribosome Assembly Disorder: the Bowen-Conradi Syndrome Ribosomopathy"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Belong Speaker Series: Breaking Barriers

Dr. Kimberley Gauthier

Postdoctoral Fellow, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

"Spatial regulation of cell signalling and development in worm and fly model organisms"

Event Poster [PDF - 612 kB]

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Xiangjian Chang

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

"Expression of a winter flounder antifreeze protein in E. coli and its effect on ice nucleation"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 1-4 p.m.

MSc Thesis Defence - Elizabeth A. Baker

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Engineered Neurotrophin-Binding Spider Silk Biomaterials for Nerve Growth Applications"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Aaron Woblistin

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

"Breaking the Dogma. NPC2 deficiency does not induce cholesterol accumulation in neuroblastoma"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Spencer Jones

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

"Investigating the role of the core SWI/SNF sub-unit Bap60 during long-term memory formation in Drosophila melanogaster"

Nicholas Raun

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

"The methyltransferase Trx regulates critical energy genes in memory neurons"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Kelsey Williamson

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

"Unravelling the early evolution of eukaryotes through genomics and molecular phylogenetics"

Taryn Jakub

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

"Investigating functional effects of missense variants in chromatin regulators"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Elizabeth Baker

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

"Engineerng Neurotrophin-Binding Recombinant Spider Silk Promotes Neurite Outgrowth"

Jason Foster

MSc Candidate Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

"Journey to the center of the cell: Exploring nuclear lipid droplet formation and function"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Emily Eden, Ph.D.

Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London

"Linking inter-organelle communication with cholesterol traffic through the endocytic pathway"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Jan K. Rainey, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry (cross-appointed), and School of Biomedical Engineering (cross-appointed), Dalhousie University

"Untangling the atomic through nanoscale features that allow the outstanding mechanics of spider silks"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Michael Downey

Associate Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa

"New functions for an old favourite: Lysine polyphosphorylation as an evolutionarily conserved post-translational modification"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Jeff Simmons
Recipient of the 2019-2020 Doug Hogue Award

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

"A Sticky Situation: Investigating Structural and Mechanical Properties of Recombinant Pyriform Silk"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 3:00-5:30 p.m.

Honours Student Research Presentations

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

3:05 – 3:15 Emma Ferguson (supervisor Dr. Claudio Slamovits)
Evaluating transcriptional responses for HSP70 and HSP90 to light stresses in the dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina

3:20 – 3:30 Joel Phillips (supervisor Dr. Jamie Kramer)
Identification of novel memory genes by analysis of transcripts enriched in memory neurons

3:35 - 3:45 Rodina Salem (supervisor Dr. David Langelaan)
Purification and characterization of the 2-micron plasmid protein, Raf

3:55 - 4:05 Erica Allen (supervisor Dr. David Waisman)
Function of calreticulin in plasminogen activation

4:10 - 4:20 Turner Kinal (supervisor Dr. Barbara Karten)
Lysosomal cholesterol trafficking influences activity of transcription factor EB (TFEB)

4:25 – 4:35 Hyejin Jeon (supervisor Dr. Deniz Top)
Investigating secondary messengers in circadian signaling

4:40 - 4:50 Lillian Adams (supervisor Dr. Jan Rainey)
Using 19F- and 15N-labels to probe and characterize apelin-55

4:55 - 5:05 Joshua Hayden (supervisor Dr. Stephen Bearne)
Studies on the mandelate racemase subgroup of the enolase superfamily: Inhibition and molecular dynamics simulations

5:10 - 5:20 Klea Richardson (supervisor Dr. Claudio Slamovits)
Examining the effect of temperature stress on the expression of retrotransposons in dinoflagellates

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 3-5 p.m.

Graduate Student Symposium

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University

3:00-3:30 pm - Trilok Neupane, Langelaan Lab
Taking a drug only twice a year for treating HIV?

3:30-4:00 pm - Laura McGary, Bearne Lab
A potent suppressor of ferroptosis identified in protecting against cell death by lipid peroxidation

4:00-4:30 pm - Anupama Ghimire, Rainey Lab
Are inactive ingredients of drug formulation “inert”?

4:30-5:00 pm - Jordan Thompson, Rigdway Lab
Updated model of autophagy leads to new potential cancer treatment

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Shinya Yamamoto, DVM, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine

"Using Drosophila to discover and study new human disease genes"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Nicolas Pichaud, Ph.D.

Professeur, Départment de chimie et biochimie, Université de Moncton

"Stressing the powerhouse: What Drosophila can teach us about metabolic (in)flexibility?"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Samuel Veres, Ph.D., P.Eng

Associate Professor, Division of Engineering, Saint Mary's University

"Some basic questions about the body's most important structural protein"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Beth Mason, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer, The Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment, Cape Breton University

"From shellfish to Covid"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 4 p.m.

Jeffrey S. Dason, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor

"Neural Mechanisms of Nociception"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 4 p.m.

James G. Omichinski, Ph.D.

Professor, Département de biochimie et médicine moléculaire, Université de Montréal, Québec

"The functional diversity of bacterial organomercurial lysases (MerB) that confer resistance to methylmercury toxicity is linked to environmental niches"

Location
Microsoft Teams (Online)
Contact bioc@dal.ca to receive the link