What is your favourite enzyme, and why?

ACP synthase because it puts the functional group on ACP in bacteria, and ACP has dozens of functions such as making fatty acids. If you inhibit it, it shows potential for antimicrobial drugs. It’s an enzyme I have worked on for many years.

 

What is your favourite book?

Rascal, by Sterling North. It’s a children’s book set in the early 1900s, about a kid who realizes the environment is changing. It’s interesting to think about problems now in relation to this book. I’m more into music, but that is a good book.

 

What is the most recent book you’ve read?

Fodor’s New York City- it’s a travel book and I’ve been many times,  go every few years.

 

What is your favourite amino acid, and why?

Cysteine, because it behaves differently when you consider its D/L or R/S configuration.

 

What are some of your hobbies?

Music’s number one! Mainly classical and alternative rock- I’m probably the world’s oldest Radiohead fan. I’ve played the guitar since I was 8.

 

What is your dream vacation?

Following Radiohead on concert tour in Europe or some other nice place!

 

What is the coolest project you’ve ever worked on?

It was a brainstorm with one of Paul Liu’s students. We studied the physical and chemical properties of ACP when you join the amino to the carboxy terminus and, in E. coli, it still worked! It kinds of makes you think- how much can you change a protein?

I also enjoyed working on Niemann Pick disease- the first 2/3 of my career was in pediatrics, and it was basically a race to find the Niemann Pick gene. In Nova Scotia, there’s a founder effect resulting in nearly 25% of a local community near Yarmouth being carriers. Our team was able to identify the Nova Scotia mutation, and after that it didn’t take long to find the carrier test.

In the end, though, most of my projects have been cool- it’s hard to choose!

 

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in lab?

I was on sabbatical, and my goal was to add some molecular biology techniques to my repertoire, which I was doing by studying the insulin receptor. I was looking at it in leprechaunism, studying the differential gene expression. I basically spent the whole time chasing PCR artifacts.

Broadly, I would say it’s those times that I’m not motivating people as much as I could. There’s a lot of different aspects to the job- business, HR- and it’s important to work on all parts of the job, so missing parts of it is hard.

 

Do you have any advice or anything else you want to say?

It’s been a rough few years for research, but it’s a great career- I love teaching. Science is so important, to be citizens and voters. This is an incredible department. I’ve seen it from many sides- as a student, a researcher, and a department head- and it’s very collegial with great people, and the teachers are all supportive of each other and the students- it’s really great! Take advantage of it.