Research

The explosion of publicly available genomic information and continuous development of bioinformatics tools have revolutionized natural product research by revealing the existence of genes that encode novel and interesting compounds. We take advantage of the recent advances in genome mining tools for the discovery of novel bacteriocins, which are ribosomally synthesized peptides that usually undergo post-translational modifications. They are produced by bacteria and are best known for their antimicrobial properties. Bacteriocins are mainly used as biopreservatives in the food and animal industries, with great potential in various biotechnological applications. More recently, they have been shown to be involved in regulating gut microbiota, suggesting their importance in promoting human health. Moreover, bacteriocins are being considered as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. 

Structure-Activity Studies of Peptide Antimicrobials

We study how peptide antimicrobials discovered through our genome mining approach kill their targets by investigating their bioactivity profile, structures, modes of action, and ability to prevent biofilm formation, and establishing optimal conditions necessary for activity. Structure-activity studies guide future bioengineering efforts to design compounds with desired properties and set the stage for their development for various applications. 

Global warming is a major environmental change that causes the thawing of permafrost (permanently frozen ground). The melting of permafrost could result in the release of ancient organisms and biochemicals into the environment. This phenomenon has the potential to pose a risk to human health and at the same time, provide opportunities to discover novel or ancient microorganisms that potentially encode bioactive molecules. We aim to explore research that is built on Indigenous knowledge and integrates recent advancements in Western science disciplines (i.e., environmental metagenomics and ecosystem probing) to assess the potential emergence of novel antimicrobial compounds and/or AMR genes from thawing permafrost in the Canadian Arctic Region.