Nicole Simut Email & Phone Number

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

• Launched new bread and snack products for general market including Costco, Walmart, and Loblaws and food service• Produced lab and production trial samples according to customer specifications and utilized feedback to customize prototypes to achieve high customer satisfaction• Contributed to cost savings by sourcing and testing new ingredients for continuous improvement, improved quality, and increased shelf life• Collaborated closely with inter-departmental teams including Sales, Marketing, Production, and QA to plan trials and effectively develop and commercialize products• Participated in food safety and quality audits and maintained document control by accurately documenting results of approvals and trials• Facilitated new product set up, product changes, shelf life testing, and preliminary formulation costing exercises to meet target formula costs

Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

• Prepared and assisted with development of custom dry mix sports and nutritional supplement products• Performed sensory evaluation and spectral analysis, using Perkin Elmer Spectrum Two FT-IR Spectrometer, of raw and finished materials in order to ensure lab and national/international client standards and expectations were met• Adapted to quickly-changing priorities to ensure customer samples were delivered in timely manner

Waterloo, Ontario, Ca

• Worked from April-December 2016, April-December 2018, September-December 2019, January 2020, and March 2020• Aided Technical Curator in algal propagation for the Centre and clients• Prepared reagents, culture media and stock solutions for algal and cyanobacterial specimens in addition to assembling and packaging shipments of live cultures in order to ensure clients received high-quality samples • Monitored and performed maintenance and calibration on equipment including pH meters, balances, Milli-Q water purification system, growth cabinets, laminar flow hood, etc.• Trained undergraduate and graduate students on CPCC procedures for operations and safety such as liquid nitrogen collection• Performed general laboratory work, including cleaning and labeling glassware to culture specifications, preparing glassware for autoclaving and culturing, etc.

Waterloo, Ontario, On

• Teaching Assistant for Management of Science and Business (SCBUS 423 - Senior Honours Science and Business Workshop 4)• Assisted 82 students in understanding assignment and presentation outlines and expectations• Marked assignments and presentations in a timely manner and gave detailed feedback on how students could improve for future tasks

Waterloo, Ontario, Ca

• Teaching Assistant for Fundamentals of Microbiology Laboratory (BIOL 240L) • Guided 32 students through expectations of course and lab experiments, instilling strong awareness of safety and proper technique in a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory• Prepared pre-lab discussions to help students gain better understanding of procedures and result

Vaughan, Ontario, Ca

• Assisted R&D team by conducting product testing from sensory evaluation to plant trials• Developed 5+ recipes for potential new products and assisted with troubleshooting product issues• Supported Sales and Marketing teams by gathering and sorting samples to be sent to customers including Starbucks and Costco Wholesale• Evaluated products for shelf life based on set criteria • Completed project determining effects of sour dough on shelf life and quality of certain products

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Ca

• Successfully conducted fungal transformations in Fusarium graminearum in order to edit and disrupt genes with CRISPR gene-editing system to identify and characterize unique effector proteins and virulence factors• Microscopically examined fungal spores to ensure successful propagation and cell culture• Designed guide RNA and primers to meet proposal objectives and confirmed designs and edits using gel electrophoresis and imaging and DNA sequencing • Extracted DNA from straw and grain samples to determine fungal community make-up with qPCR and determine efficacy of field plot treatments in national survey• Maintained organized lab environment and detailed lab notebook for contribution to future reports and articles

Waterloo, Ontario, Ca

• Represented the University of Waterloo during Open House events and Ontario Universities Fair (OUF)• Demonstrated professionalism and outstanding customer service by answering phone calls and emails • Provided information (general campus, program specific, admissions, etc.) to families and prospective students in the Visitors' Centre office and on tours• Conducted tours through campus and knowledgeably answered questions from visitors

Waterloo, Ontario, Ca

• Managed the lab of the University of Waterloo's synthetic biology student design team during the co-op term, leading to a Silver Medal being awarded at the international Giant Jamboree event • Performed plasmid minipreps, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformations and cloning, and restriction enzyme digests to further lab research • Troubleshot experiments and project using primary literature research skills• Implemented entire safety program in lab, including chemical inventory records, eyewash maintenance, collection of training records, etc. • Managed lab by ordering materials, maintaining inventories, organizing samples and equipment • Mentored 12 high school students while running 3-day workshop for education in lab and synthetic biology-related skills• Supervised fellow lab members while they performed experiments

Lacombe, Alberta, Ca

• Assisted technicians in Biosafety Level 2 laboratory in a variety of tasks within the disciplines of Microbiology and Virology with Molecular Biology Techniques• Collected and processed biological and environmental samples from meat and carcasses • Performed RNA and DNA extractions and PCR (both conventional and Real-Time) to characterize micro-organisms while using appropriate experimental designs and controls• Propagated various cell lines in order to collect cells for virus-mediated transfections using aseptic technique• Prepared plaque assays for different types of viruses and accurately counted plaques for analysis• Prepared media in order to culture bacteria and viruses• Performed inventory on thousands of cryotubes to ensure requirements for biosecurity and biosafety program were up to date

Bachelor Of Science, Honours Science And Business, Biology Specialization, Co-Operative Program, Dean'S Honours List

Activities and Societies: Vice President of Science and Business Student Association (SBSA), Co-operative Education in Research.

Graduate Certificate, Food Safety And Quality Assurance - Food Processing, High Distinction, President'S Honour List, 3.98 (Out Of 4.0 Gpa)

The Food Safety and Quality Assurance - Food Processing program is a two-semester, full-time graduate certificate program designed to give.