Marc Aucoin, PEng (He/Him)

Marc Aucoin is the Associate Chair, Operations and a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He specializes in Biochemical Engineering, particularly in cell culture engineering for the production of complex biologics: from proteins (projects have included work on myristoylated proteins, antibodies and other immune-system related proteins), to DNA, to virus-like particles, viruses and viral vectors.

Professor Aucoin’s research work makes use of several cell culture platforms including insect (Sf9, Hi5) and mammalian cells (CHO, Vero). One aspect of Prof. Aucoin's work involves the use of 1D-1H NMR for optimizing cell culture processes.

Through his work with viruses, Prof. Aucoin has also gained an interest in examining the stability of virus in complex solutions including cell culture media. This has led to collaborations with industry in the area of virus inactivation and virus control.

At the University, Prof. Aucoin is also a Faculty Advisor for the university’s international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition student team. Prof. Aucoin is an active member of the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology and the Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research. He is also a member of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology. More information can be found on his personal website.

• Virus propagation
• Viral vector
• Virus-like particle
• Vaccine production
• Infection
• Gene delivery
• Animal cell culture
• Biochemical & Biomedical
• Mammalian cell
• Metabolism
• Bioprocess development
• Monoclonal Antibody Production and Modification
• Biologic Production
• Baculovirus Expression Vectors
• Serological Assays
• Cell Culture Monitoring
• Modeling and Simulation
• Synthetic Biology

My research interest surrounds the production of therapeutics that are either able to incite or evade the human immune system. In this vein, I am dedicated to establishing a laboratory in the areas of smart vaccine development and production. My research involves the study of lipid enveloped viruses, including baculoviruses, influenza and coronaviruses.

• 2007, Doctorate Chemical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
• 2003, Master's Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada
• 2000, Bachelor's Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2022 Faculty of Engineering Outstanding Performance Award
• 2018 Faculty of Engineering Distinguished Performance Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching, Scholarship and Service
• 2016 Faculty of Engineering Outstanding Performance Award
• 2011 Faculty of Engineering Distinguished Performance Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching, Scholarship and Service

• 2021- Accociate Chair, Operations
• 2020-2021 Interim Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering
• 2020 Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, Department of Chemical Engineering
• 2013-2020 Academic Director, WatPD Engineering

• Professional Engineers Ontario
• Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
• Canadian Socivety for Virology

• Academic Cross-Appointment, School of Optometry, Faculty of Science, 2022 – present
• Academic Cross-Appointment, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, 2020 – present
• Academic Cross-Appointment, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science 2012 - present
• Academic Cross-Appointment, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science 2008 – present

• CHE 180 - Chemical Engineering Design Studio 1
  • Taught in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• CHE 500 - Special Topics in Chemical Engineering
  • Taught in 2020, 2021
• CHE 562 - Advanced Bioprocess Engineering
  • Taught in 2019, 2020
• CHE 660 - Principles of Biochemical Engineering
  • Taught in 2019, 2022, 2024
• NE 281 - Biology for Nanotechnology Engineers
  • Taught in 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Frenette A, Rodríguez-Ramos T, Zanuzzo F, Ramsay D, Semple SL, Soullière C, Rodríguez-Cornejo T, Heath G, McKenzie E, Iwanczyk J, Bruder M*, Aucoin MG, Gamperl AK, Dixon B (2022), InVitro, Ex-Vivo and In Vivo, Developmental and Comparative Immunology.
• Bruder MR* and Aucoin MG (2022), Utility of alternative promoters for foreign gene expression using the baculovirus expression vector system, Viruses.
• Bruder MR*, Aucoin MG (2022), Evaluation of virus-free manufacture of recombinant proteins using CRISPR-mediated gene disruption in baculovirus-infected insect cells, Vaccines.
• Nogueira CL*, Boegel SJ*, Shukla M, Ngo W, Jones L, Aucoin MG (2022), The Impact of a Rub and Rinse Regimen on Removal of Human Coronaviruses from Contemporary Contact Lens Materials, Contact Lens and Anterior Eye.
• Varga JFA, Brunner SR, Cheng G, Min D*, Aucoin MG, Doxey A, Dixon B. (2022), Identification and characterization of a novel peptide from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus iniae, Developmental and Comparative Immunology, Volume 137, Issue 104518.
• Bruder MR*, Aucoin MG (2022), Development of a sensitive assay for efficient scrutiny of AcMNPV genes using CRISPR-Cas9, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.
• Liu M, Bauman L, Nogueira CL*, Aucoin MG, Anderson WA, Zhao B (2022), Antimicrobial Polymeric Composites for Healthcare Applications, Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering, Volume 22, 100395.
• Nogueira CL*, Boegel SJ*, Shukla M, Ngo W, Jones L, Aucoin MG (2022), Antiviral Activity of Contemporary Contact Lens Solutions Against Human Seasonal Coronavirus Strains, Pathogens, Volume 11, Issue 4, 472.
• Sahaa DC, Boegel SJ*, Tanvirb S, Nogueira CL*, Aucoin MG, Anderson WA, Jahed H (2022), Antiviral and antibacterial cold spray coating application on rubber substrate, disruption in disease transmission chain, Journal of Thermal Spray.
• Marcali M*, Chen X, Aucoin MG, Ren CL (2022), Droplet Formation of Biological Non-Newtonian Fluid in T-Junction Generators, Part I: Experimental Investigation, Physical Review E, Volume 105, 025105.

• University of Waterloo developing DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine