Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, QNC 3606
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West,
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
519-888-4567, ext. 38654
win-office@uwaterloo.ca
Research interests: synthetic biology; virus based systems as novel nanobiomaterials; complex biologies
Professor Marc Aucoin is an expert in the area of Biochemical Engineering, in particular biological nano-particles (Virus-Like Particles or VLPs, Virus Vectors) with particular interest in the genetic control of the assembly and composition of these particles.
We are currently actively pursuing different ways of characterizing and manipulating baculovioruses to enhance their use as vectors. Is there a need? We believe so. That is also why we are actively participating in the discussions on the development of a standard reference material for baculoviruses.
One of our biggest veins of this research is to try and gain a better understanding of competition between vectors when multiple vectors are used to produce a single product. How best to look at this problem? We are devsing means based on synthetic biology to help us address some of these issues...
We are at a point where we can collect huge amounts of data for our processes but do we use it to it's full advantage? The answer to this is that even though we can amass a lot of information for our cultures we still do not know what to do with it. We are very interrested in this aspect.
A billion dollar industry that is based on a therapeutic molecule that is inherently a population of molecules with different glycosylation patterns. Can we create processes that will enhance the monodispersity of the product? This is what we are trying to do.
Recent publications include:
Srirangan K, Akawi L, Liu XJ, Westbrook A, Blondeel EJM, Aucoin MG, Moo-Young M, Chou CP, Manipulating the sleeping beauty mutase operon for the production of 1-propanol in engineered Escherichia coli, Biotechnology for Biofuels. 6(139), 2013
Nicastro J, Sheldon K, El-zarkout F, Sokolenko S, Aucoin MG, Slavcev R, Construction and analysis of a genetically tuneable lytic phage display system, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 97(17), 2013, 7791-7804
Sokolenko S, McKay R, Blondeel EJM, Lewis MJ, Chang D, George B, Aucoin MG, Understanding the variability of compound quantification from targeted profiling metabolomics of 1D-H-1-NMR spectra in synthetic mixtures and urine with additional insights on choice of pulse sequences and robotic sampling, Metabolomics, 9(4), 2013, 887-903
Sokolenko S, Nicastro J, Slavcev R, Aucoin MG, Graphical analysis of flow cytometer data for characterizing controlled fluorescent protein display on λ phage. Cytometry Part A, 83A(6), 2013, 592
Thompson CM, Petiot E, Aucoin MG, Henry O, Kamen AA, Developing a production process for influenza VLPs: a comparison between HEK 293SF and Sf9 production platforms,BMC Proceedings, 7(6), 2013
George S, Sokolenko S, Aucoin MG, Rapid and Cost-Effective Baculovirus Sample Preparation Method as a Viable Alternative to Conventional Preparation for Real Time PCR, Journal of Virological Methods. 182(1–2), 2012, 27–36
Sokolenko S, George S, Wagner A, Tuladhar A, Andrich JMS, and Aucoin MG, Co-expression vs co-infection using baculovirus expression vectors in insect cell culture: benefits and drawbacks. Biotechnology Advances 30(3), 2012, 766–781
Kamen AA, Aucoin MG, Merten OW, Alves P, Hashimoto Y, Airenne K, Hu YC, Mezzina M, van Oers MM, An initiative to manufacture and characterize baculovirus reference material., Journal of invertebrate pathology 107, 2011, S113-7, 2011
Please see Marc Aucoin's Google Scholar profile for a current list of his peer-reviewed articles.
Office: E6 4012
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 36084
Email: marc.aucoin@uwaterloo.ca
Website: Marc Aucoin
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, QNC 3606
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West,
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
519-888-4567, ext. 38654
win-office@uwaterloo.ca
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 our Office of Indigenous Relations.