Carbohydrates, enzymes and natural products

雅克曼NSERC发现研究资助计划将在生物化学方面做出基础性的科学发现。这些发现将对理解酶的机制产生重大影响，酶是自然界的主要催化剂。它的重点是催化自然科学中普遍存在的重要反应的酶。它将提供对抑制特定酶类或产生更大底物专一性的新方法的洞察。其中一些酶负责产生次生代谢物，这些小分子具有与自然界相互作用的前所未有的能力。我们对酶的研究包括合理改变天然产物结构的范式转换方法，从而赋予天然产品不同的物理化学性质。该研究项目将为本科生、研究生(硕士和博士)和PDF学员提供良好的培训环境。受训者将在多个领域发展技能，包括：碳水化合物合成、酶学、天然产物分离和结构阐明。受训者将成为尊重学习环境的一部分，在这种环境中，日常指导、讨论和解决问题至关重要。他们将得到及时的书面和口头研究结果的鼓励和反馈，以确保他们发挥最大的潜力。不同培训级别的学员之间的合作将加强沟通技能，改善解决问题的能力。学员将学习与现实世界相关的研究技能，以在完成培训后为他们提供最佳机会。受训者将继续参加强调权利宪章的讲习班，主题包括公平、多样性和包容性(EDI)、GBA+、性别偏见和无意识偏见，以最大限度地改善培训环境，使他们为工作场所做好更好的准备。在过去的NSERC资助期间，雅克曼实验室已经培训了9名本科生、4名硕士、3名博士生和6名PDF，其中包括3名来自欧洲的本科生访问学生。受训者在雅克曼小组中很有成效：他们已经撰写了34份手稿。他们在离职时获得的职位也很出色。两名前博士生目前是PDF。一个在密歇根大学，另一个在UBC，过渡到旧金山Codexis的研究科学家职位。在那里，她将应用化学诺贝尔奖获得者弗朗西斯·阿诺德的定向进化来设计蛋白质生物催化剂。两名硕士毕业生正在渥太华和麦吉尔攻读博士学位。加拿大行业的高管也对雅克曼实验室的学员印象深刻，最近的PDF是由Intelliyn(蒙特利尔)招聘的。

The Jakeman NSERC Discovery research grant program will make fundamental scientific discoveries in biological chemistry. These discoveries will have a significant impact on understanding the mechanisms of enzymes, Nature's predominant catalysts. It focuses upon enzymes that catalyze reactions of ubiquitous importance within the natural sciences. It will provide insight into new ways to inhibit specific enzyme classes or to generate greater substrate specificity. Some of these enzymes are responsible for the production of secondary metabolites, small molecules that have unprecedented capacity to interact with the natural world. Our studies on the enzymes include paradigm shifting methods to rationally alter the structures, and hence confer different physicochemical properties, of natural products. The program of research will provide an excellent training environment for undergraduate, graduate (MSc and PhD) and PDF trainees. Trainees will develop skills in multiple areas including: carbohydrate synthesis, enzymology, and natural products isolation and structure elucidation. Trainees will be part of a respectful learning environment where daily guidance, discussion and problem-solving are of paramount importance. They will be provided with timely encouragement and feedback on written and oral research results to ensure that they achieve their maximum potential. Collaboration between trainees at different levels of training will strengthen communication skills and improve problem-solving. Trainees will learn research skills relevant to the real-world to provide them with optimum opportunities upon completion of training. Trainees will continue to participate in workshops emphasising the charter of rights with topics including equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), GBA+, gender bias, and unconscious bias to maximize the training environment and better prepare them for the workplace. Over the past NSERC funding period, the Jakeman laboratory has trained 9 undergraduates, 4 MSc, 3 PhD students and 6 PDFs, including three undergraduate visiting students from Europe. Trainees are productive in the Jakeman group: 34 manuscripts have been authored by them. The positions they secure upon departure are also excellent. Two former PhD trainees are currently PDFs. One is at the University of Michigan, and another at UBC transitioning to a research scientist position with Codexis, San Francisco. There she will apply Chemistry Nobel Laureate Francis Arnold's directed evolution to engineer protein biocatalysts. Two former MSc students are pursuing PhD research at Ottawa and McGill. Executives in Canadian industry are also impressed by trainees from the Jakeman lab with the most recent PDF being recruited by Intellisyn (Montreal).