Kevin Mehr

KevinPh.D. Candidate (Genome Science and Technology)

 

  • 2004-2008 B.Sc. (Hons.) (Co-op) Chemical Biology, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia

 

Phone:  604-822-9256
Email:  kmehr(at)gsat.ubc.ca

 

RESEARCH INTEREST

Over the past five years, Metagenomics, or the study of environmental DNA (bacteria, archaea, viruses) has provided an enormous amount of genomic information about previously unstudied organisms. This has opened up a world of possibilities when it comes to unique enzymes of importance to desired biotechnological applications. While the technologies for acquiring this genomic information have continued to improve quickly, the technology for screening of these metagenomic libraries for enzymes and proteins of interest has lagged behind. My research is focused on the development of ultra-high-throughput screening technologies for isolating and identifying unique sugar-altering enzymes from environmental organisms.

 

PUBLICATIONS

  • Mehr K, Withers SG. “Mechanisms Of The Sialidase And Trans-Sialidase Activities of Bacterial Sialyltransferases From Glycosyltransferase Family 80 (GT80).” (2016) GLYCOBIOLOGY 26: 353-359.
  • Reitinger S, Petriv OI, Mehr K, Hansen CL, and Withers SG. “Purification and quantitation of bacteriophage M13 using desalting spin columns and digital PCR.” (2012) Journal of Virological Methods 185: 171-174.
  • Stanley B, Mehr K, Kellock T, Van-Hamme J, and Donkor K. “Separation and determination of closely-related lantibiotics by micellar electrokinetic chromatography.”  (2009) Journal of Separation Science 32: 2993-3000.