Dre. Joelle Pelletier

Biocatalytic monoliths: macroporous polymeric monoliths for enzyme immobilization

Develop a biocatalytic monolith with co-continuous morphology and a surface decorated with enzyme biocatalysts through polymer melt-processing and covalent immobilization to increase enzyme stability and reusability.

Collecting LP records, playing the trumpet, temporary cyclist.

Bucaramanga, Colombia

Dre. Joelle Pelletier

Transmission of antibiotic resistance in human populations by type B dihydrofolate reductases

Type B dihydrofolate reductases (DfrB) are possibly linked to trimethoprim resistance in DfrB-carrying bacteria. DfrB homologs exist in a wide range of environments, and some homologs seem to have been mobilized into the resistome. My project aims to identify the events that mobilized dfrB genes into clinically relevant pathogens through genomic and metagenomic analyses, as well as experimentally assess the resistance they confer.

Bouldering, yoga, hiking, swimming, puzzles, and board games.

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Dr. Andrew Woolley

Design of a general method to induce light-dependent protein-protein binding

Affibodies are small engineered proteins based on the Z-domain that bind to a specific target. They are useful molecular tools since they can be used as affinity reagents for a wide range of biological targets. Photo-controlled binders have been engineered for specific proteins, but these designs are highly customized and cannot be transferred to other proteins. Our goal is to design a general method of inducing protein-protein interactions in a light-dependent manner through the engineering of light-switchable affibodies.

Playing video games, listening to music, going on very long walks.

Markham, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Roberto Chica

Developing methods for de novo enzyme design

Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions with exceptional rate acceleration and selectivity, making them attractive biocatalysts for various applications. Natural enzymes are used by many industries, but many products require catalysts for reactions which are not catalyzed by a natural enzyme. Thus, the ability to design an enzyme for any reaction on demand is a main goal of protein design. However, de novo enzymes developed through current computational methods and machine learning tools do not achieve the rate enhancement of their natural counterparts.

Football, music, hiking, and traveling.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Roberto Chica

New Approaches for New Reactions - Utilizing Scaffold Ensembles for Computational Design of an MBHase

My research aims to design a de novo enzyme for catalyzing the Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction, a valuable transformation that generates functionalized chiral building blocks for use in chemical synthesis. Traditional MBH catalysts suffer from low enantioselectivity and narrow substrate scope. Existing enzymatic designs, developed via directed evolution, have shown limited activity despite high enantiomeric excess. To address these challenges, this project utilizes Ensemble-Based Design (EBD) to explore diverse protein scaffolds and improve catalytic efficiency through conformational sampling and transition state stabilization. The methodology includes modifying cap domains of pre-existing MBHase scaffolds to generate new variants. This work will utilize new computational tools, such as RFdiffusion and LigandMPNN for scaffold generation and active site optimization, followed by AlphaFold validation and molecular dynamics simulations. Promising candidates will be experimentally characterized to identify highly active MBHase variants, providing a novel and efficient biocatalyst for the MBH reaction and establishing a robust framework for future enzyme design.

Reading, hiking, video games and lore, listening to video essays.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Dr. Roberto Chica

Computational design of artificial enzymes from de novo protein scaffolds

Enzymes are renowned for their exceptional effectiveness as catalysts in various industrial processes. However, the spectrum of reactions that natural enzymes can facilitate is limited. Therefore, creating artificial enzymes capable of catalyzing any desired reaction has become a key objective in protein engineering. While numerous artificial enzymes have been successfully developed from scratch, they still fall significantly short of matching the efficiency of natural enzymes. My project aims to establish a computational approach to design novel enzymes that achieve catalytic efficiencies comparable to those found in nature.

Cooking, outdoor activities.

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire