Technical Speakers

Dr. John Parkinson

Scientist, Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto

Title: Adventures Beyond the Bacteriome: Evolution and Dynamics of Biological Networks

Dr. John Parkinson is a CIHR New Investigator in the Molecular Structure and Function program at the Hospital for Sick Children as well as an assistant professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto. The focus of Dr Parkinson's research centers on the application of computational methods to advance our understanding of how proteins are organized and function within the context of complex biological systems. Applied to the study of networks of protein interactions or metabolic reactions in bacterial pathogens and parasites, these studies are expected to identify key proteins that mediate critical roles in growth, infection and immunity.

Dr. Trevor Charles

Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Waterloo

Title: New Sources of Biodegradable Plastics

Due to environmental pressures, bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) have been gaining attention as potential replacements for the common petroleum-derived plastics. These PHA polymers are accumulated naturally in cells and serve as carbon and energy storage products. Dr. Charles will present an overview, and then discuss some of the genetic work that is being done to improve the process.