DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY McMaster University THURSDAY ! DECEMBER 4 ! 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS ! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS! Event Sponsors! Event Coordination! Photography! Website! Budget Administration! Display Poster! 1! 1! 1! 1! 1! 1! 1! MESSAGE! 2! COMMITTEES! Event Committee! Abstract Selection Committee! Judges! Session Chairs! 3! 3! 3! 3! 3! INVITED KEYNOTE SPEAKER! 4! ITINERARY! 5! ORAL PRESENTATION SCHEDULE! 5! LIST OF PRESENTERS! Oral Sessions! Session I (Chair: Angus Ho)! Session II (Chair: Qanber Raza )! Session III (Chair: Lana Shaya)! Poster Sessions! Session I: Even numbers! Session II: Odd numbers! 6! 6! 6! 6! 6! 7! 7! 8! ABSTRACTS! 9! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Event Sponsors We sincerely thank the following sponsors for their generous support. We also thank the following individuals who helped make the event a success. Event Coordination Barb Reuter Budget Administration Website Stan Zolinski Photography Ayush Ranawade Angus Ho Marvin Gunderman Stan Zolinski Display Poster Daniel Hsieh (Biological Illustration Suite) Marge Geroux This booklet was designed by Bhagwati Gupta using Mac OS X version of Microsoft® Word software. The front cover shows the event logo created by Stan Zolinski and pictures of the 2013 GRD event. Page 1 MESSAGE On behalf of the Department of Biology we welcome you to the second annual Biology Graduate Research Day (BGRD). BGRD is a unique event that showcases the research of our graduate students and celebrates their accomplishments. Last year’s event was a tremendous success. Participation of students, faculty and staff provided ample opportunities for discussions, exchange of ideas and networking. The keynote speaker Dr. Carole Yauk (Health Canada) gave an inspiring and insightful presentation. The event also helped build a sense of community in our large and diverse graduate program, and generated fruitful post-graduation career possibilities. Building on last year’s success, this year’s event will host Dr. John Howe (Merck USA), a McMaster Biology alumnus who has forged a successful career outside of academia. Dr. Howe will present a keynote address to guide and inspire our students. The response from the University community and private sector sponsors has been extremely positive. We thank all graduate students for their participation and enthusiastic support, and wish everyone an amazing experience. Bhagwati Gupta Chair, 2014 BGRD Event Committee Page 2 COMMITTEES In alphabetical order Event Committee ! George BIJELIC Juliet DANIEL Rosa DA SILVA Marie ELLIOT Ben EVANS Benjamin FURMAN Bhagwati GUPTA (Chair) Roger JACOBS Barb REUTER Joanna WILSON Xu-Dong ZHU Abstract Selection Committee ! Natalie D’SILVA Benjamin FURMAN (Co-Chair) Marten KAAS Chantel MARKLE Danielle SEXTON Nastashya WALL Joanna WILSON (Co-Chair) Rachel YOUNG Judges Ryan BELOWITZ George BIJELIC Alison COWIE Neal DAWSON Ben EVANS Mihaela GEORGESCU Angela SCOTT Emma SHERWOOD Kevin TATE Alastair TRACEY Jessica VANDERPLOEG Xu-Dong ZHU Session Chairs Angus HO Qanber RAZA Lana SHAYA Page 3 INVITED KEYNOTE SPEAKER John Howe completed his PhD work in the laboratory of Dr. Stanley Bayley, where he used adenoviruses to study gene transcription and cellular transformation. His work was published in well-respected journals including PNAS and J Virology. He then moved to UC-San Diego to pursue post-doctoral research on the regulation of the transition between the embryonic and somatic cell cycles. This work was supported by a CIHR (then MRC) fellowship. Dr. Howe has extensive experience of working in the industry environment. Currently he is the Principal Scientist at Merck Research Laboratories (New Jersey USA), where he leads projects on antibiotic production, anti-viral inhibitors, and other related topics. His seminar will explore his current research and the non-academic career path. The title of his talk is: “From McMaster to Merck: Adenoviruses, Antivirals and Antibiotics”. Page 4 ITINERARY TIME EVENT LOCATION 8:30 - 9:00 AM Breakfast and registration LSB-213 Lounge 9:00 - 9:10 AM Opening remarks by Assoc. Dean of Science HSC-1A6 9:10 - 10:00 AM Keynote speaker - Dr. John Howe (Talk title: From McMaster to Merck: Adenoviruses, Antivirals and Antibiotics) HSC-1A6 10:00 - 11:00 AM Platform presentations - Session I HSC-1A6 11:00 - 11:15 AM Coffee break - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Platform presentations - Session II HSC-1A6 12:15 - 2:30 PM Lunch - 12:30 - 1:30 PM Poster Session I - Even numbers HSC Ewart Angus Hall 1:30 - 2:30 PM Poster Session II - Odd numbers HSC Ewart Angus Hall 2:45 - 3:45 PM Platform presentations - Session III HSC-1A6 4:00 - 5:00 PM Awards ceremony and refreshments Phoenix • Oral presentation awards • Poster presentation awards • 2013-14 Biology Graduate Student Achievement Awards ORAL PRESENTATION SCHEDULE Session I (Chair: Angus Ho) 10 – 10:15 AM 10:15 – 10:30 AM 10:30 – 10:45 AM 10:45 – 11 AM Blessing I. Bassey Nicole L. Batenburg Tamzin Blewett Philip Carella Session II (Chair: Qanber Raza ) 11:15 – 11:30 AM 11:30 – 11:45 AM 11:45 AM – 12 PM 12 – 12:15 PM Cody J. Dey George C. diCenzo Catherine Ivy Lindsay Keegan Session III (Chair: Lana Shaya) 2:45 – 3 PM 3 – 3:15 PM 3:15 – 3:30 PM 3:30 – 3:45 PM Qanber Raza Renée St-Onge Nastashya Wall Nicholas V.L. Yap Page 5 LIST OF PRESENTERS Abstract numbers are indicated in brackets and speakers/presenters are listed in alphabetical order Oral Sessions Session I (Chair: Angus Ho) 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM [5] Blessing I. Bassey, Ph.D. candidate (Daniel lab): Kaiso promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of triple negative breast cancer cells [6] Nicole L. Batenburg, Ph.D. candidate (Zhu lab): Cockayne syndrome group B protein regulates DNA double strand break repair pathway choice and checkpoint activation [7] Tamzin Blewett, Ph.D. candidate (Wood lab): What’s up DOC? : protective effects of dissolved organic carbon on nickel toxicity to sea urchin early life-stages [8] Philip Carella, Ph.D. candidate (Cameron lab): PLASMODESMATA-LOCATED PROTEIN overexpression negatively impacts the manifestation of systemic acquired resistance and the long-distance movement of DEFECTIVE IN INDUCED RESISTANCE1 in Arabidopsis Session II (Chair: Qanber Raza ) 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM [9] Cody J. Dey, Ph.D. candidate (Quinn lab): The structure of dominance networks in a highly social bird [10] George C. diCenzo, Ph.D. candidate (Finan lab): Genetic redundancy is prevalent in the 6.7 Mb genome of Sinorhizobium meliloti [16] Catherine Ivy, M.Sc. candidate (Scott lab): Control of breathing and adaptation to highaltitude hypoxia in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) [17] Lindsay Keegan, Ph.D. candidate (Dushoff lab): Analytic Calculation of FinitePopulation Reproductive Numbers Session III (Chair: Lana Shaya) 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM [24] Qanber Raza, Ph.D. candidate (Jacobs lab): Mobility of cardioblast leading edge requires Slit and Netrin activity in Drosophila [29] Renée St-Onge, Ph.D. candidate (Elliot lab): Multi-level regulation of a resuscitationpromoting factor in Streptomyces coelicolor Page 6 [34] Nastashya Wall, M.Sc. candidate (McClelland lab): Life in the extreme: Deer mouse thermogenesis at high altitude [36] Nicholas VL Yap, M.Sc. candidate (Golding lab): Verifying bioinformatic predictions of functional sites within the scavenger receptor MARCO Poster Sessions Session I: Even numbers 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM [2] Scott Amon, Ph.D. candidate (Gupta lab): Regulation and Function of the LIM-Hox Gene lin-11 in C. elegans Development [4] Sheridan Baker, M.Sc. candidate (McClelland lab): The effects of aquatic copper exposure on the acute ventilatory drive in freshwater acclimated killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) [12] Shamaila Fraz, Ph.D. candidate (Wilson lab): Toxicity of Carbamazepine and Gemfibrozil in Zebrafish across Multiple Generations [14] Amanda Garvin, M.Sc. candidate and Caitlin Simopoulos, Ph.D. candidate (Weretilnyk lab): Do Yukon Eutrema salsugineum plants require elevated sulfur and, if so, why? [18] Jennifer Klunk, Ph.D. candidate (Poinar lab): Yersinia pestis and the Plague of Justinian 541-543 AD: a genomic analysis [20] Katie Monster, M. Sc. candidate (Rollo lab): Effects of a complex dietary supplement (CDS) on cognitive function, oxidative damage and stress signalling in the brains of gamma irradiated mice [22] Sindy Murali, M.Sc. candidate (Nurse lab): Purinergic signaling in the rat carotid body: Cell-cell interactions at the tripartite sensory synapse [26] Sangeena Salam, Ph.D. candidate (Gupta lab): Modulation of C. elegans electrotactic swimming behavior by dopamine signaling [28] Lana Shaya, Ph.D. candidate (Wilson lab): Gene regulation of cytochrome p450, family 3, in model organism Danio rerio (Zebrafish) [30] Jonathan Tsou, M.Sc. candidate and Nadia Iftekharuddin, M.Sc. candidate (Campos lab): SPG-targeted expression of the Toll pathway leads to behavioral and physiological declines [32] Vera Marjorie Velasco, Ph.D. candidate (Weretilnyk lab): Phenotypic and gene expression responses of the extremophile Eutrema salsugineum to phosphate limitation Page 7 Session II: Odd numbers 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM [1] Brian P. Alcock, M.Sc. candidate (Evans lab): Evolutionary consequences of wholegenome duplication in a tetraploid African clawed frog [3] Eta Ebasi Ashu, Ph.D. candidate (Xu lab): Population Structure, Molecular Epidemiology and Anti-Fungal Resistance Patterns of Aspergillus fumigatus: A Global Perspective [11] Adrian Forsythe, M.Sc. candidate (Xu lab): Phenotypic Changes Accompany Clonal Expansion of Pseudogymnoascus destructans Into Eastern Canada [13] Ben Furman, Ph.D. candidate (Evans lab): Phylogenetic reconstruction of African Clawed frog (Xenopus) relationships; implications for sex chromosome evolution [15] Angus Ho, M.Sc. candidate (Zhu lab): ATM regulates phosphorylated (pT371)TRF1 to facilitate the functional assembly of ALT-associated PML bodies [19] Kyle Lindsay, M.Sc. candidate (Zhu lab): Characterization of phosphorylated (pT371)TRF1 trafficking between subnuclear domain [21] Nathalie Mouttham, M.Sc. candidate (Poinar lab): Surveying the repair of damaged ancient DNA with high-throughput sequencing [23] Ayush Ranawade, Ph.D. candidate (Gupta lab): Transcriptomics approach to understanding the role of Wnt signaling in C. elegans aging [25] Shaiya C. Robinson, Ph.D. candidate (Daniel lab): The transcription factor Kaiso inhibits expression of the Notch target gene Hes1 in intestinal cells [27] Devika Sharanya, Ph.D. candidate (Gupta lab): Identification of new genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae that limit the response to EGF signaling during vulval development [31] Tarushika Vasanthan, Ph.D. candidate (Stone lab): Radiation tolerance and bystander effects in the eutardigrade Hypsibius dujardini [33] Aaron A. Vogan, Ph.D. candidate (Xu lab): The Effect of Hybridization on Drug Resistance in the Human Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans [35] Daniel Wilson, Ph.D. candidate (Cameron lab): Age-related resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana [37] Alex M. Zimmer, Ph.D. candidate (Wood lab): Assessing the Nature of Branchial and Cutaneous Ammonia Excretion in Larval Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) !! Page 8