Bio
I study a phage-like particle called gene transfer agents in a bacterial organism called Rhodobacter capsulatus (RcGTAs) in the Beatty Lab as part of my PhD thesis. GTAs had evolved from phages after being co-opted by their hosts into serving the purpose of horizontal gene transfer in certain bacteria and archaea. My research goal is to identify the receptor molecules for GTA-reception in R. capsulatus. My research interests are phages, Gram-negative membranes, microbial extracellular polysaccharide chemistry, super-resolution microscopy, electron microscopy, protein structures, and more.
Prior to starting my PhD degree here, I had completed my undergraduate degree in Cell, Molecular, and Microbial Biology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where I had done my Honours dissertation on the effect of oxygenation and media composition on RcGTA promoter activity at Dr. Andrew Lang's lab. That experience helped me gain foundational knowledge on gene transfer agents. Additionally, I have had the recent experience of working at Dr. Paul Fogg's lab at the University of York in the United Kingdom on a collaboration project where I had gathered the experience of cryogenic grid preparation and cryo-EM microscopy, confocal microscopy, and extracellular polysaccharide and protein purification techniques.
In my free time, I enjoy cooking, baking, nature walks, and understanding Islam.