Trevor C. Charles

• Plant-microbe interactions
• Symbiotic nitrogen fixation
• Functional metagenomics
• Bacterial genome engineering
• Synthetic biology, bioplastics and bioproducts

Professor Charles is a microbiologist with expertise in bacterial molecular genetics. His research group studies the mechanisms of gene regulatory circuits that control the interactions of Rhizobiales bacteria such as Sinorhizobium meliloti with their eukaryal hosts.

The group also develops methods for functional metagenomics using alternate surrogate hosts, and employs these methods to isolate novel genes with interesting functions from microbial community genomic libraries.

Current research emphasis is on functional metagenomics, bioplastics and bacterial genome engineering.

Professor Charles teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses. Course offerings have included

• BIOL 240 - Fundamentals of Microbiology
• BIOL 349 - Synthetic Biology Design Project
• BIOL 431 - Bacterial Molecular Genetics
• BIOL 475 - Topics in Applied Microbiology
• BIOL 608 - Advanced Molecular Genetics

Please see Dr. Trevor Charles' links on Google Scholar for a current list of his peer-reviewed articles.

• 2015 Fellowship of Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy (India)
• 2015 International Award of the Ninth DBN Science and Technology Awards (China)
• 2012 Outstanding Performance Award
• 2000-2010 President, Canadian Society of Microbiologists
• 1991 NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship

• The Water Institute, member

• Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (WICI), core member

• Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), member
• Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research (Director)
• Waterloo Climate Institute, member

• Entrepreneurship
  • LiftOff, Executive Director
• Journal Editorship
  • Specialty Chief Editor, Frontiers in Microbiology, Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants

  • Senior Editor, Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions

• Professional Associations
  • American Society for Microbiology
  • Canadian Society of Microbiologists
  • International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
  • International Society for Microbial Ecology

The following news stories have featured Professor Charles's research:

• Berry good news: Waterloo-led team tackles food insecurity through sustainable year-round berry production in Canada

• Trevor Charles wins Research Innovation and Impact Award

• Introducing LiftOff: a Black-led business accelerator and incubator for Black Entrepreneurs

• Trevor Charles awarded $250,000 through The New Frontiers in Research Fund Exploration competition

• Ontario Genomics Institute SPARK Award

1991 PhD Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario

1985 BSc Microbiology, University of British Columbia