Our team develops knowledge of microbial and plant natural products. Interdisciplinary training is provided to develop highly qualified personnel proficient with chromatographic approaches, spectroscopic methods, aseptic microbiology techniques, and both advanced NMR interpretation and LC-MS skills.
Students develop transferable skills by (1) growing organisms to bio-synthesize natural products, (2) purifying and structurally characterizing chemicals, (3) developing analytical methods for chemicals in complex matrices, and (4) assessing the biological activity of purified compounds.
Please contact David if you are interested in joining the group. We are always interested in recruiting motivated graduate and undergraduate students interested in natural products, chemical ecology, or toxicology.
Graduate students
MSc and PhD Chemistry degree programs are offered through the joint Ottawa-Carleton Chemistry Institute. Specializations in both degree programs are offered in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Biochemistry and Food Science. More details can be found in the official Graduate Calendar. More information on skills development and career opportunities for MSc Chemistry graduates of the Chemical and Environmental Toxicology can be found here.
Undergraduate students
BSc Chemistry and Biochemistry students can join the team through fourth-year Honours thesis projects (CHEM 4907/4908, FOOD 4907/4908, and BIOC 4907/4908), with I-CUREUS internships or as NSERC-USRA researchers. Opportunities to conduct independent research projects are also available for Chemistry (CHEM 2400/3400) and Biochemistry (BIOC 2400/3400) undergraduates. Students enrolled in the new BSc Chemistry concentration in Chemical Toxicology would be well prepared to join the group.