5 Mitacs Globalink (GRI) research projects for Summer 2027.
1. Delivering encrypted peptides from ancient animal proteomes to mitigate diarrhea in pigs
Post‑weaning diarrhea is a major cause of economic loss in the swine industry due to high morbidity and mortality, increased medical treatments, poor feed conversion, and long‑term growth impairment in surviving pigs. The disease is frequently associated with enteric pathogens such as Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, the causative agent of swine dysentery, and is exacerbated by extensive antibiotic use, which has contributed to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. There is an urgent need for innovative, non‑antibiotic strategies that protect gut health, improve animal welfare, and reduce food safety risks.
This research project aims to mitigate post‑weaning diarrhea in pigs by delivering AI‑designed “encrypted peptides” derived from ancient and modern animal proteomes. These peptides, selected for anti‑infectious and immunomodulatory functions, will be encapsulated in ingestible smart capsules engineered to release their contents locally in the lower intestine. Building on evidence that cathelicidin peptides enhance innate immunity at non‑antimicrobial concentrations, the project proposes that these encrypted peptides can strengthen mucosal defenses without promoting antimicrobial resistance.
The experimental approach involves screening candidate peptides for cytotoxicity, anti‑inflammatory activity, and microbicidal effects against B. hyodysenteriae in vitro, followed by in vivo testing in a swine dysentery model. Weaned pigs will receive peptide‑loaded smart capsules after infection is established, and outcomes will include clinical disease severity, bacterial shedding, weight gain, and gut inflammation. Advanced analyses, including transcriptomics, proteomics, spatial single‑cell RNA sequencing, and DNA methylation profiling, will be used to define immune mechanisms, mucin barrier integrity, protease balance, and epigenetic regulation associated with disease and treatment.
Overall, this project integrates artificial intelligence, molecular de‑extinction, and precision drug delivery to develop a novel therapeutic platform for enteric diseases in livestock. If successful, it could reduce antibiotic dependence while improving animal health, productivity, and food system sustainability.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: We examine innate gut defences, mainly cathelicidins and defensins, and their roles in the development of colitis and in intestinal host-microbial protection. Using advanced models of intestinal disease in mice and pigs, we have identified new functions for cathelicidin in pathogen clearance and colitis resolution. Our research has significant implications for both animal and human health, enhancing understanding of intestinal diseases and the gut's natural defences. Our goal is to develop alternative antimicrobial and immunomodulatory treatments to decrease antibiotic use and combat antimicrobial resistance.
Student roles:
The student will work under my team's guidance (www.cobolab.com), a leading research group in innate defenses of the colon and swine diseases. In this project, the student will participate in pig studies at UofC Veterinary Sciences Research Station (VSRS), a large animal facility with a biohazard CL2 6K sq. ft quarantine barn managed by a supervisor, husbandry care attendants, and veterinarians. The student will be assisted by DVM students who will collaborate on animal handling. The student will be trained to conduct necropsy studies and gut sampling in pigs and to process tissues at the UofC Diagnostic Services Unit, a top-tier facility for large-animal necropsies supported by trained veterinary pathologists. In wet-lab activities, the student will be trained to conduct microbiological and immunological studies, assessing and imaging the mucin barrier using light and fluorescence microscopes for cell visualization. During these activities, the student will be supervised by postdoctoral fellows (PDF) and a lab technician with advanced expertise in immunology and pathology research. The student will gain valuable experience in proteomics/N-TAILS and bioinformatics, supported by a leading expert, Dr. Antoine Dufour (UofC). Two graduate students specialising in swine dysentery will assist with the experiments. The student will be an integral part of our intensive HQP program and will have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and NSERC. Under my mentorship, the student may co-author a peer-reviewed manuscript, which will enhance their research portfolio. I emphasize communication in my lab to ensure the highest quality of education and training. Therefore, we will have daily in-person communication and weekly lab meetings, providing students with opportunities to present their findings and receive feedback and constructive criticism, thereby developing their scientific communication skills.
Skills required:
This project offers exceptional training in swine health and veterinary immunology for undergraduate students, opening up academic and industrial careers in food and pharmaceuticals. High-quality mentoring is achievable, as I have been honoured with the UofC Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Supervision and the Bachelor of Health Sciences Research Mentor Award. Candidates should have basic skills in cell biology and animal sciences. Experience in swine research, including pathology and disease, will be an advantage. The student will join my group, which conducts extensive and innovative research on the swine gut and will oversee student training.
2. Fever-Enhanced Glycolysis in Mammalian Macrophages
Fever is a conserved host response known to enhance immune function, yet the metabolic mechanisms driving this effect remain insufficiently understood. This focused project investigates how febrile temperature (39°C) promotes glycolytic reprogramming in mammalian macrophages during immune activation. Using mouse bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDM), the study will examine whether elevated temperature enhances glycolysis and how this metabolic shift supports key immune functions.
Students will measure glucose uptake, lactate production, and expression of key glycolytic genes (e.g., Hk2, Pfkfb3, Glut1, Ldha) under normothermic (37°C) and febrile conditions, with and without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Functional immune responses, including phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, will be assessed to establish links between metabolic changes and immune activity.
Participants will gain hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture, fluorescence-based metabolic assays and gene expression analysis (qPCR), while developing a strong foundation in immunometabolism within a focused experimental framework.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: My specialized research area lies at the intersection of immunology and metabolism (immunometabolism), with a particular focus on how physiological stressors such as fever regulate immune cell function. My work investigates how elevated temperatures reprogram metabolic pathways in innate immune cells, especially macrophages, to enhance their antimicrobial and inflammatory responses. Using mammalian cell models, I examine key metabolic processes such as glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation and their roles in supporting immune activation. This research aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms linking bioenergetics to immune function, with broader implications for improving host defence and developing metabolism-based therapeutic strategies.
Student roles:
The student will play an active, hands-on research role in investigating how febrile temperature influences metabolic reprogramming in mammalian macrophages. They will participate in the design and execution of experiments.
Key responsibilities include maintaining cell cultures, performing fluorescence-based assays (e.g., glucose uptake, ROS production, and phagocytosis), and conducting gene expression analyses using qPCR to assess glycolytic pathway markers. The student will also assist in sample preparation for metabolic and protein-based assays (e.g., ELISA or Western blotting, where applicable), as well as data collection, processing, and preliminary analysis.
In addition, the student will contribute to data interpretation, troubleshooting experimental protocols, and presenting findings in lab meetings. This role is designed to provide comprehensive training in immunometabolism research and foster independent research skills within a structured mentorship environment.
Skills required:
The ideal student should have a background in biological or biomedical sciences, with foundational knowledge in cell biology, immunology and/or biochemistry. Prior laboratory experience in cell culture techniques is highly desirable.
Familiarity with basic molecular biology techniques such as RNA extraction, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and protein analysis (e.g., ELISA or Western blotting) would be an asset. Experience with fluorescence-based assays or microscopy would also be beneficial but is not essential, as training will be provided.
The student should be detail-oriented, capable of working independently as well as in a team
3. Heart injury in cancer and cancer treatment
The current project aims to study the role of immune cells in cardiac and skeletal myopathy associated with some types of cancer. We use animal models of cancer (mouse), including lung, breast and pancreatic cancer. We use flow cytometry to characterize immune cell variations under injury conditions, including cell phenotype and functions. In order to decipher the mechanisms of action involved in the process we use small molecule inhibitors, antibodies and genetically modified strains. Our interests include the development of immune cells, mechanisms of expansion and migration and effector processes.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: We are an immunology lab specializing in cardiac immunopathology. We study adaptive and innate immune responses and their link to cardiac immunopathology. We use mouse models of cancer, chemotherapy-associated heart disease, and viral and autoimmune myocarditis.
Student roles:
The student will be responsible for carrying out the experiments designed in collaboration with the supervisor or a supervising graduate student. The Student will be trained in flow cytometry and animal handling, plus any other technique required for the completion of the project. The student will report the data to the supervisor in writing or presentations. All work will be performed under the supervision of a senior trainee.
Skills required:
We seek students with an excellent academic track record and expertise in IMMUNOLOGY.
Some lab experience with molecular and immunoassays is required.
Lab animal handling experience would be an important asset. If you are severely allergic or have an aversion to rodents, this is probably not your lab.
4. Investigating the life cycle stages of a gut commensal protist in vivo
The intestinal tract is an ecosystem to multiple microorganisms. Bacteria, fungi, worms and viruses
are widely accepted as members of the gut microbiota. In recent years, protozoa, unicellular
eukaryotes, entered the spot light as an additional microbial kingdom that populates the intestinal
tract. Our team identified a new gut commensal protozoa termed Tritrichomonas musculis (Tmu), a peaceful gut microbe with superior abilities to modulate the host immune system and the microbial
ecosystem of the gut. While these findings are striking, our abilities to understand the biology, life
cycle and functional features of Tmu within the gut remain limited by the lack of research tools that
facilitate the detailed molecular and cellular characterization of this new gut commensal microbe.
We have assembled a scRNA-Seq data set of Tmu in the murine gut that revealed an astonishing
heterogeneity in transcriptional programs. Several transcriptionally distinct clusters of Tmu were
identified, yet our knowledge on their relevance within the intestinal tract remains sparse. To
address this issue, we recently generated a library of monoclonal Variable Leukocyte Receptor B
(VLR-B) antibodies against Tmu to generate the first set of reagents to isolate distinct subsets or Tmu
from the intestinal tract.
As part of this project, we wish to explore the use of VLR-B antibodies in defining the heterogeneity
of a new gut commensal protozoan.
We will use molecular, biochemical, cell biologic and immunologic assays to determine whether
specific, monocolonal VLR-B antibodies allow the identification of Tmu subsets. The results of this
research will inform future experiments into understanding the biology, life cycle and function of
Tmu as novel gut commensal microbe.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: Our laboratory focuses on understanding the intricate interactions between host and microbiota.
We recently identified that the gut microbiota of health individuals and research animals contains
unicellular eukaryotic commensal microbes termed protozoa. Our recently published findings
demonstrated that a protozoa commensal called Tritrichomonas musculis is a permanent peaceful
gut microbe with striking abilities to elicit immunomodulatory properties on the host's immune
system. We are very interested in understanding the underlying pathways and unknown biology of
Tritrichomonads in the intestinal tract to advance our understanding of how host and microbiota
communicate to promote health or disease through actions on immunity.
Student roles:
Trainees interested in exploring this project will be trained on and perform methods listed above.
Students are expected to plan experiments under supervision, conduct research under direct
supervision and independent, record data and analyze results (after training) and interpret their
experiments. Based on their interpretations, an emphasis will be laid on documentation and
reproducibility of their conducted research and results. Trainees are expected to be engaged,
motivated, curious and pro-active on this project. They will interact with lab members and their
supervisors on a daily basis, participate in literature reviews and presentation and conduct a final
lab presentation summarizing their findings. Student are also required to provide a written report of
their results to the supervisor.
Skills required:
While previous experience with the below-listed skill sets are an asset, they are not all required.
Students should be able to explain their experiences with relevant skills and background.
- solid understanding of cell biology
- basic understanding of immunology
- understanding of microbiology
- experience in sterile handling
- making buffers and microbial growth media
- use of centrifuges/ gradient centrifugation
- pipetting
- cell culture of eukaryotic cells
- cloning
- plasmid preparation
- transformation of bacteria
- transient transfection of eukaryotic cells
- western blot
- ELISA
- basic understanding of Flow Cytometry
5. The role of peroxisomes in inflammatory diseases and viral infection
Peroxisomes are highly conserved metabolic organelles known for their roles in the lipid metabolism, essential for cell survival. ) In the past 10 years, peroxisomes have also been proven required for immune cell development and function, regulating key immune response pathways during bacterial (e.g. TNF-NK-kB) and antiviral responses (MAVS); and initiating plasmalogen synthesis and inducing ferroptosis in inflammation. To study the link between peroxisomes and inflammatory diseases, we will use unstimulated and LPS-stimulated blood leukocytes from healthy controls and patients affected by autoinflammatory diseases, two asymptomatic Familial Mediterranean Fever patients and four Cryopyrin Associated Periodic Syndrome patients (two with Familial Cold Autoinflammatory Syndrome and two with Muckle-Wells syndrome). We will extract leukocytes by dextran sedimentation and peripheral blood mononuclear cells by density gradient centrifugation. We will measure peroxisomal changes in number and shape in monocytes and lymphocytes after activation with LPS and TcdA, respectively, compared to inactivated and to healthy controls. Peroxisomes will be identified and quantified with a canonical peroxisomal marker anti-SKL staining in flow cytometry analyses and by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) using anti-SKL and another peroxisomal marker, anti-ABCD3, imaged by confocal microscopy and analyzed by ImageJ. Neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes from the same patients will also be analyzed with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for peroxisomes numbers, identified by DAB staining. If a correlation is found between peroxisomal changes in shape or number and intensity of diseases and secretion of inflammatory mediators (measured by ELISA), we will generate Crispr/Cas9-induced peroxisomal mutant cells to probe whether reducing peroxisomes in monocytes can reduce the inflammatory phenotypes. Since these diseases are caused by defects in NLRP3 or Pyrin inflammatory machinery, we will study how peroxisome drive the NLRP3-ASC formation to produce IL-1B and modulate inflammation. We will also test how peroxisomal lipids regulate TNF-RIPK1 assembly and MAVS activation in response to Influenza.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: My research is focused on the role of peroxisomes, structures in cells important in metabolism and their role in regulating inflammatory signaling such as TNF pathway, inflammasome and MAVS-mediated anti viral responses. To dissect the impact of peroxisomes on health and disease, my team uses the genetics of the fruit fly, murine models and human clinical samples. We start our studies in fruit fly, when possible, because fruit fly cellular processes resemble elements of the immune defense and metabolism of humans, and fruit fly genes can be easily manipulated. We combine genomics, immunology, biochemistry, and cell biology to study inflammations
Student roles:
The student will culture the patient's cells and prepare them for confocal microscopy or electron microscopy and image them. Images will be analyzed using Imaris. The student will also design and perform a Crispr/Cas9 mutagenesis and/or analyze these cells.
Skills required:
Molecular biology, immunology and cell culture experience would be a benefit.