Bogumil J. Karas
Assistant Professor
I have received Ph.D. degree in Biology (2010) from Western University where my research was focused on deciphering genetics of nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis. Next, I worked at the Synthetic Biology and Bioenergy group at J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in La Jolla, CA, USA. At JCVI my work focused on developing technologies for cloning of whole natural or synthetic chromosomes as centromeric plasmids in yeast, where they can be manipulated using powerful yeast genetic tools and then transplanted inside microbial cells of the same or different species.
Daniel Nucifora
PhD Candidate
I am currently a PhD student in the Karas Lab. My research focuses on establishing the unusual bacterium Acholeplasma laidlawii as a new platform for creating “synthetic” or highly engineered cells. I enjoy working with uncommon microbes because the process of developing new protocols for these species is a fun challenge, and there is always something new to discover!
Jordyn Meaney
PhD Candidate
Vida Nasrollahi
Postdoctoral Researcher
Emma Jane Walker
PhD Candidate
I began direct-entry PhD studies in the Karas lab during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic (Sept. 2020). Prior to this, I had completed a BSc (honours) in Biology at Queen’s University. My PhD research seeks to develop tools for designing, building, and delivering large DNA constructs in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Most of my work has specifically focussed on the chloroplast genome of this organism.
Samir Hamadache
PhD Candidate
Jack Huang
MSc Candidate
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Tahani Jaafar
MSc Candidate
I am a first year MSc student working on delivering conjugative plasmids to phytopathogenic fungi.
Catherine Zhao
Undergraduate Student
I am currently in my last year of completing a BMSc degree with an honours specialization in Biochemistry. The research I am working on is focused on expanding the genetic toolbox of Haemophilus influenzae, by creating a seamless gene deletion method that can be manipulated to allow for the targeted deletion of any gene in H. influenzae.
Vaniya Peyghami
Undergraduate Student
Tanveer Saini
Student Volunteer
Victor Yuan
Workstudy Student
Selinia
Workstudy Student
Past Students
Tony Huang
Jack Whelan
Daniel Tsyplenkov
Zach Gordon
Maximillaian Soltyslak
Jessica Li
Past Volunteers
Kaitlyn Dan
Michael Groff
Joy Wang
Sam Tholl
Jennifer Davis
Stephanie Brumwell
Ryan R. Cochrane
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