Lab Alumni
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I am a fourth-year biochemistry honours student working to identify virulence factors and complete a phylogenetic analysis on Aerococcus viridans var. homari. This will be done by comparing the genomes of ten different A. viridans strains, five of which are pathogenic and five that are not. Infection of pathogenic A. viridans causes a lethal systemic disease in lobster, which poses an acute threat to the lobster industries. This bacterium can kill a lobster in less than three days and can quickly cause large asset losses to lobsters in live storage. Both the pathogenic and non-pathogenic genomes will be aligned to a reference A. viridans genome (ASM208313v2), this will identify small nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which indicate the possible areas of the genome that conferred virulence to some strains. Following statistical analyses, a shortlist of possible virulence causing SNPs will be annotated and its biological impact determined. This will provide a clear and objective method for identifying pathogenic versus non-pathogenic A. viridans.
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Emma Garlock
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Kristena Daley
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I am a fourth year biology honours student researching differences in gene expression between four populations of the Atlantic deep-sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) in the Northumberland Strait. My project aims to determine whether the new underwater electricity cable that runs from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island is having an effect on of the surrounding scallop beds. A total of 76 scallop samples have been taken from four locations across the Northumberland Strait; Cape Tormentine (NB), Pictou (NS), Miminegash (PEI), and West Point (PEI). RNA was extracted and sequenced through Illumina HiSeq4000 PE100 sequencing. I am analyzing these sequences using RNA-Seq bioinformatics as well as using functional annotation to determine differential expression between the four populations. I will be using RT-qPCR to verify my results, and ultimately assess the biological impact that the cable may be having on these scallops.
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Brian Beardsall
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I am a third year biochemistry student, assisting with research being carried out in the lab. I am examining the effect of temperature on the heart rate of various crab species, using non-invasive photoplethysmography sensors. I am also working to determine the effect of ocean acidification on the gene expression of lobsters, using RT-qPCR. Additionally, I am determining differential gene expression in lobster (Homarus americanus) as a result of infection by acanthocephalan parasites, using bioinformatics tools.
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Elizabeth Baker
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I am a fourth year biochemistry honours student researching molecular mediators of crustacean acute phase response. The major acute phase protein, serum amyloid A (SAA), is greatly up-regulated in mammals during bacterial infections, and thus it is currently used as a biomarker in human and veterinary medicine. The SAA protein sequence is highly conserved between vertebrate organisms; however, the ubiquity of this protein’s sequence and function among invertebrates, and specifically crustaceans, has yet to be analyzed and remains largely unknown.
My research aims to identify and compare the protein sequence of SAA in transcriptomic datasets from a variety of crustacean species of different habitats. I will be doing a comparative study to determine the feasibility of using a custom lobster polyclonal antibody to quantify SAA in other crustaceans, or provide the necessary information to improve its function. I am also conducting a phylogenetic analysis between these SAA protein sequences to determine if evolutionary history or habitat play a key role in driving evolution of the crustacean innate immune system. This research will expand our knowledge of the crustacean immune system and determine whether SAA expression could be a useful biomarker for crustacean health. Further research to develop SAA diagnostic tests could lead to the prevention of outbreaks resulting in population loss and economic stress in various fishing industries. |
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I am a recent graduate from Mount Allison University with a BSc, major in biology and minors in both biochemistry and french. I am currently the laboratory technician and field lead, and I also assist in various research projects. One of these involves testing the physiological tolerance and stress of certain crab species, in response to changes in temperature, using non-invasive photoplethysmography sensors. I am also comparing the differences in gene expression between two life stages of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) after being exposed to various concentrations of a commonly used sea lice pesticide, using bioinformatics tools.
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Gabrielle Landry
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I am a fourth-year biology honours student researching toll and immunodeficiency pathway components in crustaceans. Using a comparative immunology approach, I will be focusing on studying various immune molecules in several different crustacean species native to Australia and Canada. A phylogenetic analysis will be performed in order to determine the evolutionary relationship between immune protein sequences in the different species of crustaceans. The aim of this research is to expand our knowledge of the crustacean immune system.
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Shae Scully
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