People
Research Associate
Ibrahim Taga
When a child comes into the world, its first food is milk. While the milk can come from either its mother or cows, milk contains nutrients that are essential for the infant’s growth. Since cows are consuming a variety of plant materials, it is necessary to see if the toxic plant-derived compounds are detectable in their milk. My responsibility in the laboratory is to identify and trace toxic plant chemicals such as terpenol-4-ol that may exist in cow’s milk.
Postdoctoral Fellows
William Spencer
With a background in microbial physiology and genetics (PhD) as well as cell biology (MSc) I decided to combine my skills to investigate questions related to infection and immunity. QUESTION: How does the innate immune system regulate colonization of microorganisms within the Human host? With this focus in mind, I joined the Altosaar lab to investigate the fate and function of CD-14. This pattern recognition receptor functions as a ‘sensor’ to detect micro-organisms and alert the immune system. The identification of CD14 in breast milk exposes new questions and suggests CD14 may be involved in shaping the early stages of neonatal immune function... stay tuned.
Van Thong Pham
Why I study science? Growing up, I found my world to be a complicated and confusing place. The adults’ explanations made it more perplexing. Through learning and using science, I hope to understand my environment better and be less fearful of the world. Currently, I am trying to produce a conjugate vaccine under vacuum using no chemicals. Working with less to attain more so that one day, I hope to know everything I could about nothing.
Evelin Loit
Initially an international collaborative project on legislation behind genetically modified food brought me here. I then fell in love with plants and all these exciting projects underway in this lab. I am actually learning how to make better food, rather than just studying the literature. What I enjoy the most is the process of creation of novel things, that can directly benefit society (such as producing non-allergenic food; improving insect-resistance in plants, thus decreasing the use of chemicals and resulting in safer food and environment; working on plants that can reduce greenhouse gases). Our open environment entices lab members to come up with their own new ideas. Through this process students learn independence and the ability to push their ideas all the way through to publications, patents and spin-offs.
Graduate Students
Mike Wall
I wanted to spend my graduate years in a lab that embraced creative thinking and would encourage ideas outside a narrow path of research. I chose the Altosaar lab more for the diverse publication history than for one particular research topic and overall I feel I've found more than I was looking for. The positive work environment, supportive lab mates, and outstanding mentoring really make me feel I made the right choice.
Shen Wan
I and science: Especially fascinated by Molecular Bio-pharming research, it represents for me a novel and cheaper way to produce pharmaceuticals. Genetic modified (GM) plants are grown not only for human food, but also to produce medicine, such as edible antibodies, vaccines, enzymes, hormones and other therapeutic-valued proteins. With the development of molecular biology, medicine, and agriculture, drug production in plants will change the world pharmaceutical industry by enabling larger quantities of medicines to be manufactured more cost-effectively.
Adam Koziol
This lab is a natural progression of my scientific interests. While pursuing my BSc in Biology and Biotechnology at Carleton University, I worked with Arabidopsis hormone-regulated tissue expression in the Regan lab, and for my MSc at the University of New Brunswick I worked with Dion Durnford, and studied the evolution of the light-harvesting complex protein family. When I found out about the work being performed here in the Altosaar lab, I just couldn’t resist!
Laura Davis
Food is a critical ingredient to future health research. I have come to this laboratory to explore ways that food crops can help prevent or alleviate global diseases. A diverse laboratory that investigates greenhouse gases, diabetes, edible vaccines, gastrointestinal diseases and plant biofarming fosters considerable personal growth.
George Styles
For me, this lab represents the gateway to the future. The broad array of projects that make up the agenda of the Altosaar lab allows me the ability to contribute towards shaping the time, space and events that lie ahead.
Tonya Ward
Upon graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a BSc honors specialization in genetics, there was a wide spectrum of choices for graduate studies. The Altosaar lab first attracted me to the University of Ottawa with its broad array of globally applicable projects. The diverse backgrounds of our lab members, in conjunction with various ongoing collaborations, have presented many opportunities and a unique dynamic in which to further develop my scientific knowledge. The friendly and enriching atmosphere of the lab has also significantly contributed to my experience in Ottawa so far.
Project Students
Andrew Binette
As a final year Biochemistry student working towards my honors thesis, I have aspirations to become a medical doctor. I am currently working on the mothers milk CD-14 project as it has applications to human health and infant development.
Nancy Maltez
What I’ve always been impressed with is how our lab can focus on specific interests like protein structure-function relationships while keeping broader applications such as global health in mind. This, mixed with a dynamic team, results in a motivating environment that promotes quality research.
Trevor Greenham
Studying Biochemistry with a minor in Business Administration, my future goals are the PhD with an MBA, and to start up my own business, all concomitantly. I am researching dissimilative denitrification by transferring the nos cluster genes from Pseudomonas into transgenic rice and tobacco plants to reduce the amount of nitrous oxide released into the atmosphere from fertilized acreage.
Mark Horsman
My interests in systems, protein chemistry, and molecular biology has drawn me to protein biotechnology. I focus my attention on developing an economic plant-based protein production platform. A reliable production platform is needed as proteins take the forefront as catalysts and pharmaceuticals.
Amanda Johnson
I enjoy working in the lab for two reasons: First, Nature becomes more and more amazing the more we learn about it. Secondly, the lab is a very creative work environment. Labwork is just like baking (only less delicious) because you never know exactly how an experiment will turn out. Whether I'm doing a PCR or baking a cake, I can get creative and am often surprised with the results. I am a biochemistry undergraduate, and my project involves nitrous oxide reductase activity in transgenic plants.
Alumni
Dr. Annette Nassuth (Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph)
Dr. Diego Albani (Biology, University of Sassari, Italy)
Dr. Michael Tanchak (Biology, Cape Breton University, Sydney)
Dr. Greg Matlashewski (Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University)
Dr. Bruce Lennox (Chemistry, McGill University)
Dr. Khosrow Adeli (Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto)
Dr. Anna Cudjoe Lartey (Nutrition & Food Science, Univ. Ghana, Legon)
Dr. Qing-yao Shu (Genetics Breeding, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China)
