Graduate Students

Mina Basiri, PhD Candidate

My research involves the plant-microbe interactions, with a specific emphasis on deciphering the functions and importance of genes in rhizosphere and root microorganisms particularly the Rhizobium. Through my research, I employ techniques such as INSeq and RNA-Seq.

Mina Shirazi, MSc Candidate

My research is focused around plant-microbe interactions, with a specific focus on the importance of genes related to erythritol catabolism and nodule competition in Rhizobium strains within legumes such as peas, lentils, and vetch. In my work, I cultivated these plants and employed various molecular methods to examine their interactions.

Ashton Sies, PhD Candidate

My research involves the study of bacterial plasmids in coastal marine ecosystems, with a focus on microbes associated with marine animals like shellfish and finfish. I aim to discover what genes are transferred between marine bacteria on plasmids, and if these pose potential threats to animal health and human health.

Priya Verma, MSc Candidate 

I am working on an interdisciplinary Masters in Kinesiology and Biology, co-supervised by Dr. Julia Totosy de Zepetnek and Dr. Andrew Cameron. My research examines the gut microbial communities, cardiometabolic health, mental health, and lifestyle factors in a cohort of healthy older adults. A secondary objective is to compare participants’ gut bacterial compositions to the literature to assess whether regular exercise and a healthy diet have attenuated age-associated gut dysbiosis in this cohort.

 

Bere Mondragon, incoming graduate student

Laura Schnell, PhD Candidate

I study aquatic microbes. Currently, I focused on early-detection of cyanobacterial toxin genes in dugouts. This project focuses on using RT-qPCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to detect toxin transcript levels. These will then be compared to toxin quantities over time to validate the predictive ability of transcript measurements.