New Science Professors present their Cutting-Edge Research Programs

Mechanisms of enzyme-surface interaction in plastic degrading enzymes

Summary

Enzymes have revolutionized many industrial processes by enabling the efficient catalysis of complex reactions under mild conditions. Modern industrial enzymes are typically heavily engineered to improve and diversify their properties. Given the staggering number of possible protein sequences, this engineering process is generally guided by known structural and functional information. This information is typically obtained using standard structural biology techniques such as X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

These characterization techniques are however poorly suited to the study of enzymes that interact with solids. As a result, designing and engineering such proteins is difficult despite their incredible potential in both bioremediation efforts to combat environmental pollution and biocatalytic applications in the multitrillion-dollar materials industry. 

We seek to address this challenge by building an understanding of protein-solid interactions and creating novel biosystems that function in this interface. We are working towards a mechanistic understanding of the thermodynamic and structural elements that enable protein-solid interactions, beginning with an in-depth characterization of plastic degrading enzymes (PDEs).

During our study of these industrially relevant enzymes, we will improve the catalytic efficiency of select PDEs, identify the sequence and structure motifs responsible for plastic binding, and use this information to build empirical models rationalizing PDE catalytic activity. This cycle of designing, building, and testing novel enzymes, and learning from their mechanisms will allow us to progressively deepen our understanding of these difficult-to-study systems and interactions. Ultimately, it will enable the design of complex biocatalysts with tangible industrial and environmental applications.

Biography

Adam Damry, a former alumnus of the University of Ottawa, completed the Biotech program and later pursued a Ph.D. under the guidance of Roberto Chica, concentrating on protein engineering and the study of protein dynamics.

Postdoctoral studies led him to the group of Colin Jackson in Australia, initiating a transition into a synthetic biologist with expertise in biosensing applications. Adam collaborated with electrochemists, physicists, engineers, and medical professionals, contributing to the development of various sensing platforms. This work continues through ongoing overseas industrial collaborations.

Now back in Canada, Adam is establishing a research group at the intersection of these roles and the boundary between solids and liquids. His focus is on exploring novel questions in interfacial biochemistry, utilizing a synthetic biology shell to intuit information about molecular interactions between enzymes and solid elements in their medium. Projects range from studying plastic-degrading enzymes to address plastic pollution to the development of new solid-state sensors for disease management.

Quantum Delegation with an Off-the-shelf Device

Summary

Simulating quantum computers is considered challenging. However, when a client delegates a task to a quantum server, it's improbable that they possess their own quantum computer for result verification. This raises the question: How can a classical client ensure that an untrusted quantum server provides an accurate result? Security concerns also come into play, as the server may be unwilling to disclose proprietary information. Specifically, one may inquire: How can a quantum server prove the correctness of its result to a client without revealing additional proprietary information? Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in addressing these questions, with various proposed models each exhibiting specific strengths and weaknesses.

This discussion will delve into a novel model wherein the client places trust solely in its classical computer. During the setup phase, the client specifies the computation size needed and receives an untrusted and generic "off-the-shelf" (OTS) quantum device, used to report the outcome of a single measurement.

Biography

Arthur Mehta, a local from Ottawa, wrapped up his journey with a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Toronto. His curiosity leads him into the fascinating realms of quantum information theory, where he loves tackling problems that blend pure math, computer science, and physics. Lately, he's been diving into non-locality, quantum graph theory, and chasing the excitement of quantum computational advantage.