Contact Us:
Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology
University of Waterloo, East Campus 4, Room 2001
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo , Ontario, N2L 3G1 Canada
cbb.uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567 Ext 32732
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Pathogen detection, disinfection and sterilization using UV light
Photochemistry, photocatalytic applications to water and air treatment
Environmental engineering
Biotechnology, biofiltration
Metal nanoparticle synthesis and applications
Process modelling and simulation
Research Interests:
Treatment of neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and mental health conditions including schizophrenia and depression)
Molecular pharmacology and pharmaceutical delivery
Intracellular signaling pathways in neurons, and the role of cytoskeletal dynamics in the trafficking of receptors in neurons
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Biochemical engineering
Microbial biotechnology
Synthetic and molecular biology
Genetic, metabolic and protein engineering
Biopharmaceuticals (to treat autoimmune diseases and prevent rejection of organ transplants)
Biomanufacturing, bioprocessing technologies (biological strain construction, bioreaction cultivation, biofuels, bioproduct recovery and purification)
[Waterloo Stories] May 3, 2013 "Can bacteria help create a cheaper fuel for our cars?"
[UW Eng-e-news] August 14, 2013 "Engineering Life-enhancing research"
Research Interests:
Canada Research Chair in Fish and Environmental Immunology [Canada Research Chair Profile]
[UW Science News] June 15, 2018, Waterloo Biologist mentors local teen, the 2018 International BioGENEius Challenge winner
[Waterloo Stories] January 22, 2018 "Vaccines not protecting farmed fish from disease"
[Waterloo Stories] February 13, 2014 "True love makes pacific salmon healthier"
[YouTube] October 9, 2013 "Science Scoop - For the love of fish!"
[Waterloo Stories] September 9, 2013 "Video conferencing connects Waterloo biologist to young students"
Research Interests:
Cancer research
Cell cycle, DNA replication, biomarkers and checkpoints
Genetics, yeast genetics, molecular biology
Protein factors
Kinases
Chromatin
[CBB researcher story] January 2, 2013 "How the Trout are Saving Us: Using Biomarkers to Improve Water Quality"
Research interests:
[Science Direct] August 10, 2018 "Revealing the atomistic details behind the binding of B7–1 to CD28 and CTLA-4: A comprehensive protein-protein modelling study"
[Nature] August 27, 2019 "Comprehensive in vitro characterization of PD-L1 small molecule inhibitors"
Research interests:
[Waterloo News] February 6, 2019 "Researchers find new treatment for Chlamydia"
[Waterloo News] April 16, 2018 "Developing new way to fight transmission of HIV"
Research interests:
Research Interests:
Methionine chemistry and biochemestry (amino acid methionine and its roles in proteins, cellular pathways and its functions)
Bionanomaterials, bionanotechnology (for novel drug carriers, molecular foundations for nanodevices)
Medicinal chemistry
[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners
Research interests:
Research interests:
Research Interests:
University Research Chair
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Research Interests:
[American Chemical Society] January 23, 2012 "Exploring Inhibitor Release Pathways in Histone Deacetylases Using Random Acceleration Molecular Dynamics Simulations"
[Wiley Online Library] July 27, 2013 "Ligand release mechanisms and channels in histone deacetylases"
[Royal Society of Chemistry] December 19, 2013 "A steered molecular dynamics mediated hit discovery for histone deacetylases"
[Nature Methods] May 8, 2017 "ModelFinder: fast model selection for accurate phylogenetic estimates"
[Royal Society of Chemistry] October 24, 2017 "Reverse engineering: transaminase biocatalyst development using ancestral sequence reconstruction"
Research Interests:
Biophysics of lipids and lipid-protein interactions
The role of structural changes and physical properties of lipid template in controlling biological processes and diseases
Biomedical nanotechnology (lipid films, molecular mechanism of Alzheimer's disease)
Drug development and delivery systems, antimicrobial peptides in lung disorders
Fluorescence and atomic force microscopy
Kelvin probe force microscopy and single molecule force spectroscopy
[Global Impact] May 2018, studying Alzheimer's at a molecular level to find a cure
[YouTube Lecture] October 1, 2014 "Scanning probe microscopy in biomedical research"
Research Interests:
Green energy: solar cells and hydrogen generation
Research Interests:
Biomedical diagnosis
Targeted drug delivery
Environmental monitoring
DNA-based biosensors and functional polymers
Nanomaterials, (gold nanoparticles, liposomes, magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots, graphene hydrogels, hybrid nanomaterials)
Bioinorganic / Bioanalytical chemistry
University Research Chair
[Waterloo Stories] February 27, 2013 "Waterloo researcher uses nano-materials to clean water"
Research Interests:
Biochemistry and enzymology
Thermostable Biocatalyst and dehydrogenases (Biofuel/Bioethanol production, pharmaceutical and other industrial processes)
Enzyme evolution and protein engineering, microbial physiology, molecular biology
Sulfur reduction and energy metabolism, alcohol metabolism
Electron transfer and flavoproteins.
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Research Interests:
microrobots
We develop microrobots for medical applications. The goal is to develop more targeted, active, but less invasive strategies for drug or cell delivery with the help of wireless, autonomously moving microrobots. One strategy is to combine biological elements with artificial components in a biohybrid approach. The biological component (cells, molecules) can serve as power source, loading unit or structural unit.
One example is the "spermbot" - a sperm cell remotely controlled with magnetic fields: https://phys.org/news/2014-01-sperm-bots-desired-video.html
Another example is IRONSperm: a magnetically functionalized nonmotile sperm driven by magnetic fields:https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba5855
Inspired by the motion of sperm, we also develop small scale flexible magnetic robots for noninvasive surgery (coming soon). I am also interested in reproductive biology and research that elucidates reasons for infertility. We look into the mechanisms of sperm migration and some interesting phenomena, such as sperm bundling (publication online soon)
[Google Scholar]
Research interests:
Research interests:
Research Interests:
[Science News] October 22, 2018 "Nekkar lab determines that depression medications can help treat Alzheimer’s disease"
[Pharmacy News] July 29, 2015 "Waterloo pharmacist examines drug therapies for Alzheimer’s disease"
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Research Interests:
Protein and DNA separation analysis towards disease diagnosis and drug discovery
Biosensing and Devices (bacterial, proteins, fluorescence)
Living cell analysis and water toxicity testing
Lab-on-a-Chip technology (point-of-care biomedical diagnosis , chemical detection, protein separation and identification, environmental testing)
Micro-scale fluid mechanics, droplet microfluidics and nanofluidics
Canada Research Chair in Lab-on-a-Chip Technology [Canada Research Chair Profile]
[Waterloo Stories] June 14, 2012 "Creating the tiny future of science"
Research Interests:
Drug discovery, delivery systems and nanomedicine
Gene therapy, microbial genetics
Oncology, Antiviral therapeutics design
Anti-bacterials
Acne cosmeceutical design
Phage-based biotechnology
Viral exclusion systems
Cosmeceuticals
Vaccine design (dementia), bacteriophage-based biotechnology, use of coliphages to design and construct vectors for the development of novel vaccines, pharmaceuticals and gene delivery systems, and the identification and application of novel phage genomic anti-bacterial genes with potential phage therapy applications.
Strategic management in Pharmacy; healthcare reform
Research Interests:
Calcium channel analysis for target drug delivery for treatment of pain, arrhythmias, angina, and potential benefits in treatment of epilepsy and cancer.
Structure, function and pharmacology of calcium channels and sodium channels
Structure and function and analysis of NALCN cation channel and anti-calcium channel toxins
The Spafford Neurobiology Research Laboratory studies voltage-gated calcium channels, molecular physiology, biophysics, cell biology, protein biochemistry, fluorescence microscopy and tissue cultures.
[Science News] April 25, 2014 "Waterloo discovers a key regulator in the pacemakers of our brain and heart"
Research Interests:
Medicinal chemistry/enzymology (treatment of prostate and breast cancer, diabetes)
Nanomedicine; development of novel antibiotics
Bionanomaterials; synthetic polymers and methodologies
Peptide, charbohydrate, nucleoside and nucleotide chemistry
[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners
[Science News] February 4, 2015 "Chemists develop new method to improve the discovery of antibiotics"
Research Interests:
Biochemistry and molecular biology of programmed cell death
Functional genomics of senescence (biological aging) and apoptosis
Comparative aspects of senescence and stress including the role of hormones and the involvement of free radicals
Applicable therapies for cancers, inflammatory diseases (arthritis and sepsis), and in the agricultural sector (enhance yield, develop tolerance to environmental stress and plant diseases, and increase the shelf-life of perishable produce)
The Royal Society of Canada Fellow
Research interests:
Research Interests:
Biomaterials and mechanics of biomaterials and tissues
Bone quality and fragility, collagen
Engineering of bone mimetic materials for skeletal reconstruction (3D printing)
Research Interests:
Biopharmaceuticals (therapeutics, treatment of autoimmune diseases, prevent rejection of organ transplants)
Industrial biomanufacturing and biotechnology (fermentation, food ingredients, enzymes, biofuels)
Environmental management (bioremediation of carcinogenic environmental pollutants, filtration, chromatography)
The Royal Society of Canada Fellow
[YouTube Lecture] September 29, 2014 "Biofuels and Waste Treatment"
[YouTube Lecture] September 19, 2013 "Industrial Biotechnology: Current developments and trends"
[UW Eng-e-news] August 14, 2013 "Engineering Life-enhancing research"
[Waterloo Stories] May 3, 2013 "Can bacteria help create a cheaper fuel for our cars?"
[CBB researcher story] December 6, 2012 "Bringing Bioengineering and Biotechnology to its Fullest Potential"
Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology
University of Waterloo, East Campus 4, Room 2001
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo , Ontario, N2L 3G1 Canada
cbb.uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567 Ext 32732
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.