Innovating Protein Biochemistry into Biotechnology (Spring 2022)
We are pleased to have Dr. Kishore Rajagopalan join the lab. Kishore comes to us from Heidelberg Germany, where we was previously working as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Zentrum fur Molekulare Biologie der Universitat Heidelberg. He will be joining Dr. Olesya Kharenko working on abscisic acid binding-protein structural and functional characterization related projects in collaboration with Dr. Sue Abrams.
We are pleased to welcome Cameron Gordon, of the University of Saskatchewan to the lab. Cameron joined us in Early September as part of the Biochemistry Project Course program. He will be working with Stephanie Kendall and Pooja Choudhary throughout the winter on our NSERC funded G-protein Coupled Receptor Project, making and structurally characterizing mutants of the yeast receptor Ste2p.
Characterization of the ATP Translocating Properties of the Predicted Arabidopsis thaliana Mitochondrial Adenine Nucleotice Translocator 2, Olesya, A. Kharenko & Michele C. Loewen (2010) . Botany 88:685-690.
This work represents an output related to an ongoing project funded by the NRC Genomics and Health Initiative. It comprises development of a recombinant expression and enrichment system as well as an in vitro assay system for the detailed characterization of a plant mitochondrial ANT.
We are pleased to welcome Ms. Allison Didychuk, of Jamestown College ND, to the lab for the summer. Allison is majoring in Biochemistry and Math. She started with us mid-May and is working primarily in collaboration with Mr. Jason Boyd on a project establishing the role of Abscisic Acid in Human Health focussing on mammalian cell culture techniques and assays as well as in silico protein 3D modelling and docking.
It is with great pride that I highlight the success of the PBI Paddle Snappers this year! 5th out of 32 dragon boats! Well done! Largely a new team, however including 4 members of the Loewen Lab – Jason Boyd, Stephanie Kendall, Olesya Kharenko and Devin Polichuk. (Click on the image below to see a larger version.) Nicely done! – now back to the bench!
This work represents a collaborative effort between our laboratory at NRC and the labs of Dr. Susan Kaminskyj at the University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Eric Grote at John Hopkins. It is a continuation of the work we initiated looking at the role of the N-terminal tail of the GPCR Ste2p in mediating yeast mating events. It comprises a systematic mutagenesis analysis of targeted residues. Please visit our Publication page to view a PDF version of the publication.
This paper represents a collaborative effort between three laboratories (Loewen, Cutler and Abrams) at the Plant Biotechnology Institute. Essentially we describe the rational design, synthesis and in vitro and in vivo testing of a series of small molecules that serve as inhibitors of the carotenoid cleavage enzyme NCED3. Chemical synthesis, protein expression and purification, enzyme kinetic analyses, hormone profiling and qPCR technologies were used to complete this project. Please visit our Publications page to view a PDF version of this paper.
We are pleased to welcome Pooja Choudhary to the lab as of January 1, 2009. Pooja comes to us all the way from Gopalpura Bye Pass, Jaipur, India. Pooja is now a Ph.D. graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan. She will be working with us on our NSERC funded research program deciphering mechanistic aspects of novel functionalities of G-Protein Coupled Receptors. We look forward to working with Pooja over the next few years.
This paper represents a collaborative effort between the Loewen Lab at PBI and Dr. Matthew Paige of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan as well as Mr. Jason Maley of the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Center. Essentially we demonstrate ligand induced oligomerization of Ste2p to dimeric, trimeric and possibly higher order states in detergent solubilized micelles and in isolated cell membranes. Atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering and chemical crosslinking methods are applied. Please visit our Publications page to view a PDF version of this paper.
We are pleased to welcome Mr. Devin Polichuk to the lab starting September 2, 2008. Devin will be working in the capacity of a Technical Officer, as part of a collaborative project funded by the PBI Plant Products for Health and Wellness Program. He will be investigating mechanisms driving plant product related modulations of human diabetes, stroke and immunological systems. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Sue Abrams, of PBI, and groups at IBS/NRC in Ottawa and at University of Laval in Quebec. We look forward to working with Devin over the next couple years.
