Microbiology

Dr. Trevor Charles' work applies bacterial genetics to the study of bacteria in both pure culture and environmental communities. His research has focused on bacteria that form beneficial relationships with plants. Using comparative and functional genomics, he investigates the shared genetic factors underlying these interactions.

Research in the Dr. Simon Chuong’s lab focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the structure and function of single-cell C4 photosynthesis in two genera of terrestrial plants. In particular, his research group investigates factors that are involved in the movement of organelles and localization of macromolecules leading to the establishment of anatomical and biochemical polarity within two cytoplasmic regions of the cell.

Dr. Andrew Doxey's lab is interested in both the development and application of computational methods to predict novel molecular functions (protein-coding and non-coding) from genomic, structural, and other high-throughput datasets. They explore three separate but overlapping areas: predicting novel protein families and functions; predicting evolutionary adaptations in genes and genomes; and comparative functional metagenomics.

Dr. Bernard Duncker is a Professor in the Department of Biology whose lab work focuses on using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in cancer-related studies of the cell cycle.

Dr. Laura Hug's research examines the diversity and function of microbial communities in contaminated sites. Research in Dr. Hug's lab seeks to define microbial diversity and function at contaminated sites (primarily municipal landfills). Her lab sequences the total DNA, RNA and protein (meta-omics) of microbial communities to identify which organisms are there, and which pathways are active. She uses enrichment culturing to explore microbial community interactions and to develop new bioremediation tools.

Dr. Brendan McConkey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo with extensive expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics and integrative omics analysis. His research program integrates experimental and computational approaches to understand gene and protein expression across diverse biological systems, with particular emphasis on non-model organisms.

Dr. Kirsten Müller carries out research in Phycology and is a world expert on the Bangiales. The red algae (Rhodophyta) are an ancient lineage with some members being reported in the fossil record as far back as 1.2 billion years. This group is of considerable economic importance since they contain compounds (agar, carrageenan, etc.) that are used extensively as thickeners in products such as yogurt, ice cream and toothpaste.

Dr. Josh Neufeld's lab thrives at the interface between method development, basic microbial ecology, and applied research, providing exceptional training opportunities for students and postdoctoral research fellows. In order to address important global challenges, Dr. Neufeld's lab characterizes bacterial and archaeal communities in terrestrial, aquatic, and host-associated habitats. 

Dr. Jozef I. Nissimov leads the Environmental Virology and Ecology Research Group, where his research examines ecological and co-evolutionary dynamics between aquatic microbial hosts (microalgae and cyanobacteria) and their viruses, and how these dynamics shape aquatic ecosystems. 

Dr. Abiola Olaitan's research focuses on infectious diseases, with particular emphasis on the anaerobic bacterial pathogen Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea worldwide. Dr. Olaitan's laboratory integrates multi-omics approaches with molecular microbiology to study the evolution, stress adaptation and epidemiology of C. difficile. 

Dr. Bruce Reed carries out research in developmental and cell biology and is an expert on the model genetic organism Drosophila.