A5024773634- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
- Malaria Research and Control
- Molecular Biology Techniques and Applications
- Immune Response and Inflammation
- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- interferon and immune responses
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- QR Code Applications and Technologies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
Health Canada
2018-2025
McGill University
2012-2024
McGill Genome Centre
2020-2024
McGill University Health Centre
2023
Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital
2022
Centre For Human Genetics
2021
University of Birmingham
2020
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut
2008-2013
Institute of Immunology
2010
The late-onset cerebellar ataxias (LOCAs) have largely resisted molecular diagnosis.We sequenced the genomes of six persons with autosomal dominant LOCA who were members three French Canadian families and identified a candidate pathogenic repeat expansion. We then tested for association between expansion disease in two independent case-control series - one (66 patients 209 controls) other German (228 199 controls). also genotyped 20 Australian 31 Indian index patients. assayed gene protein...
Red blood cells parasitized by Plasmodium falciparum can be distinguished from uninfected and characterized on the basis of reduced deformability. To enable improved simplified analysis, we developed a microfluidic device to measure red cell deformability using precisely controlled pressure. Individual are deformed through multiple funnel-shaped constrictions with openings ranging 5 down 1 μm. Precisely pressures generated on-chip circuit that attenuates an externally applied pressure factor...
Ongoing human infections with highly pathogenic avian H5N1 viruses and the emergence of pandemic swine-origin influenza (IV) highlight permanent threat elicited by these pathogens. Occurrence resistant seasonal strains against currently licensed antiviral medications points to urgent need for new amply available anti-influenza drugs. The recently identified virus-supportive function cellular IKK/NF-κB signalling pathway suggests this module as a potential target intervention. We...
Abstract Mass releases of sterilized male insects, in the frame sterile insect technique programs, have helped suppress pest populations since 1950s. In major horticultural pests Bactrocera dorsalis, Ceratitis capitata , and Zeugodacus cucurbitae a key phenotype white pupae (wp) has been used for decades to selectively remove females before releases, yet gene responsible remained unknown. Here, we use classical modern genetic approaches identify functionally characterize causal wp −...
Abstract Background Québec was the Canadian province most impacted by COVID-19, with 401,462 cases as of September 24th, 2021, and 11,347 deaths due mostly to a very severe first pandemic wave. In April 2020, we assembled Coronavirus Sequencing in (CoVSeQ) consortium sequence SARS-CoV-2 genomes track viral introduction events transmission within province. Methods Using genomic epidemiology, investigated arrival Québec. We report 2921 high-quality context > 12,000 publicly available...
Abstract The American eel ( Anguilla rostrata ) has long been regarded as a panmictic fish and confirmed such in the northern part of its range. In this paper, we tested for first time whether panmixia extends to tropical range species. To do so, assembled reference genome (975 Mbp, 19 chromosomes) combining (PacBio Nanopore short (Illumina paired‐end) reads technologies support both study future research. test population structure, estimated genotype likelihoods from low‐coverage...
During H5N1 influenza virus infection, proinflammatory cytokines are markedly elevated in the lungs of infected hosts. The significance this dysregulated cytokine response H5N1-mediated pathogenesis remains to be determined. To investigate influence hypercytokinemia, or "cytokine storm," a transgenic mouse technology was used. classical NF-kappaB pathway regulates induction most cytokines. Deletion p50 subunit leads reduced expression NF-kappaB-regulated and chemokines. Here we show that...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) cause severe disease in humans. Still, the basis for their increased pathogenesis remains unclear. Additionally, high morbidity younger population stays inexplicable, and recent pandemic H1N1v outbreak 2009 demonstrated urgent need a better understanding about virus infection. In present study, we that HPAIV infection of mice not only led to lung destruction but also functional damage thymus. Moreover, respiratory dendritic cells functioned...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was used to track evolution and emergence variant lineages gauge infection levels community, informing appropriate public health responses without relying solely on clinical testing. As more sublineages were discovered, it increased difficulty identifying distinct variants a mixed population sample, particularly those known lineage. Here, we compare sequencing technology from Illumina Oxford Nanopore Technologies, order...
Infections with protozoan parasites associated the consumption of fresh produce is an on-going issue in developed countries but mitigating risk hampered by lack adequate methods for their detection and identification. We a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) assay using MinION sequencer identification intentionally contaminated lettuce to achieve more accurate rapid method than traditional molecular microscopy commonly used regulatory purposes. Lettuce (25 g) was spiked varying...
Advances in DNA sequencing have transformed genomics, enabling comprehensive insights into human genetic variation. While short-read (SRS) remains dominant due to its high accuracy and affordability, limitations complex genomic regions spurred the adoption of long-read (LRS) platforms, such as those from Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT). Despite these advances, there is still a lack systematic, large-scale benchmarking variant calling performance across diverse...
Abstract Mutations in the multidrug resistance transporter of P lasmodium falciparum Pf MDR 1 have been implicated to play a significant role emergence worldwide drug resistance, yet molecular and biochemical mechanisms this are not well understood. Although it is generally accepted that . partly associated with transport activity situated membrane digestive vacuole, direct estimates pump rate process natural environment intact host–parasite system never analysed. The fluorochrome Fluo‐4...
The Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance 1 transporter, PfMDR1, contains five amino acid polymorphisms that are suggested to be involved in altered drug transport from the parasite's cytosol into digestive vacuole (DV). Transport of a substrate another intracellular compartment influences availability at its site action, therefore making parasite more susceptible or resistant drug. Fluo-4 is known fluorescent can used as molecular tool investigate dynamics PfMDR1 many strains. Six P....
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that originated in the Amazon. Felids (mammals cat family) are only definitive hosts. These animals shed large numbers of infectious oocysts into environment, which can subsequently infect many intermediate hosts, including birds, mammals and, possibly, fish. Human T. seroprevalence high some parts Canadian Arctic and associated with adverse health consequences among Inuit population. Since range felids does not extend to Arctic, it immediately...
Zoonotic parasites of seals that are harvested for food may pose a health risk when seal meat or organ tissues infected animals eaten raw undercooked. In this study, 124 tissue samples from 81 seals, comprising four species, were collected northern and eastern Canada. Tissues 23 ringed (Pusa hispida), 8 hooded (Cystophora cristata), 21 harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus), 29 grey (Halichoerus grypus) tested the Sarcocystidae family including Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis spp., Neospora spp....
ABSTRACT Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a promising tool to monitor pathogens in population, particularly when clinical diagnostic capacities become overwhelmed. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), several jurisdictions have tracked viral concentrations wastewater inform public health authorities. While some studies also sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes from wastewater, there been relatively few direct...
Toxoplasma gondii is a very common zoonotic parasite in humans and animals worldwide. Human seroprevalence high some regions of Canada's North thought to be associated with the consumption traditionally prepared country foods, such as caribou, walrus, ringed seal beluga. While numerous studies have reported on prevalence T. these animals, general absence felid definitive hosts there has been considerable debate regarding source infection, particularly marine mammals. It proposed that fish...
Abstract Background Currently available short read genome assemblies of the tetraploid protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis are highly fragmented, highlighting need for improved at a reasonable cost. Long nanopore reads well suited to resolve repetitive genomic regions resulting in better quality eukaryotic genomes. Subsequent addition accurate long-read further improves assembly quality. Using this hybrid approach, we assembled genomes three isolates, two with published and one novel,...
Abstract Chloroquine (CQ) treatment failure in Plasmodium falciparum parasites has been documented for decades, but the pharmacological explanation of this phenotype is not fully understood. Current concepts attribute CQ resistance to reduced accumulation drug at a given external concentration ([CQ] ex ) resistant compared sensitive parasites. The implication that mechanisms CQ-induced toxicity and strains are similar once lethal internal concentrations have reached. To test hypothesis, we...
Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring of SARS-COV-2 RNA in wastewater was used to track evolution and emergence variant lineages gauge infection levels community, informing appropriate public health responses without relying solely on clinical testing. As more sublineages were discovered, it increased difficulty identifying distinct variants a mixed population sample, particularly those known lineage. Here, we compare two next-generation sequencing technologies, Illumina...
The apicomplexan parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis causes foodborne gastrointestinal disease in humans. Here, we report the first hybrid assembly for C. cayetanensis, which uses both Illumina MiSeq and Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION platforms to generate genomic sequence data. final genome consists of 44,586,677 bases represented 313 contigs.
Chloroquine (CQ) was the drug of choice for decades in treatment falciparum malaria until resistance emerged. CQ is suggested to accumulate parasite's digestive vacuole (DV), where it unfolds its anti-malarial properties. Discrepancies accumulation CQ-sensitive (CQS) and CQ-resistant (CQR) strains are thought play a significant role susceptibility. Analysis transport intracellular localization using fluorescently tagged analogue could provide much needed information distinguish susceptible...