Culture double haploid canola plants Collecting and cultivating embryo and plantlets for shoot regeneration

Currently exploring allelopathy and how it contributes to the invasive success of Vincetoxicum rossicum Using mass spectrometry to observe secondary metabolites and allelochemicals in soilUsing Structural Equation and Linear Modelling to predict its future and current impacts to help conservation efforts

Chemical Ecology involves the use of chemistry and biology to explain complex plant-plant interactions, such as allelopathy. The definition of allelopathy has changed drastically throughout its course of existence since 1937 by Hans Molisch. Nowadays, it is agreed upon that it involves the secretion of metabolites from a donor plant that causes effects to its surroundings.The focus of my research is to further understand and define allelopathy to explain important ecological interactions such as plant, microbial, and fungal community structures and plant invasion strength. Invasive plant species such as Vincetoxicum rossicum (dog-strangling vine) are hypothesized to release Phenanthroindolizidine Alkaloids, a class of allelopathic chemical, which may contribute to their invasion strength.In collaboration with Algoma University and using analytical techniques such as MinION sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, I hope to further characterize V. rossicum’s metabolomics, physiology and belowground effects to combat its intrusion to uninhabited areas and apply these concepts to other invasive plants.

Observing belowground impacts caused by allelochemicals produced by invasive species.

Synthesized and characterized novel thieno[2,3-b] pyridines for potential DNA intercalation and novel cancer treatment using Suzuki-Coupling and Thorpe-Ziegler reactionObserved their DNA binding modes with salmon sperm DNA using ultraviolet visible and fluorescence spectroscopy

Assessing Tree Health in Urban Sites in the Greater Toronto Area and Rouge National Urban Park Analyze soil nutrients, fungal and microbial communitiesObtain Biomass samplesData Analyzing using R-Studio

Revised and conducted lab experimentsDesigned storyboards, films, and scripts in order to create videos to give students during the pandemic

Observing invasion impacts on native and non-native plant biodiversity in the Rouge National Urban Park.