Dr. bignell

Biography

"Dr. Bignell received her B.Sc. in Biotechnology (Honours) at the University of Manitoba in 1998 and her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Biotechnology at the University of Alberta in 2003. Her Ph.D. thesis under the guidance of Dr. Brenda Leskiw focused on the regulation of secondary metabolism and morphological differentiation in Streptomyces coelicolor. After a brief post doc in Dr. Leskiw's lab, she joined the lab of Dr. Eric Cundliffe in 2004 at the University of Leicester, UK, where she worked on the regulation of tylosin production by Streptomyces fradiae. Then in 2006, she moved to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where she worked under the guidance of Dr. Rosemary Loria on plant pathogenic Streptomyces species causing common scab disease of potato. In 2010, Dr. Bignell joined the Department of Biology at Memorial University as an Assistant Professor. Her research continues to focus on plant pathogenic Streptomyces species and the secondary metabolites that they produce. She currently teaches two undergraduate courses in the department, Food Microbiology (BIOL/BIOC 3052) and Microbiology for Nurses (BIOL 3053), and one graduate course, Research Topics in Microbiology (BIOL 6000). She also serves on the Memorial University Institutitional Biosafety Committee, the Biology Safety Committee, and the Biology Undergraduate Studies Committee. She is a member of the editorial board of Frontiers in Microbiology, and is a member of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. "  

Research Interest

Our lab is interested in a diverse and fascinating group of microorganisms called the streptomycetes, which are Gram-positive, filamentous bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment. These microorganisms are known for their large, GC-rich, linear chromosomes and for their complex developmental life cycle that involves the formation of aerial hyphae structures and chains of spores. In addition, Streptomyces species are renowned for their ability to produce medically- and agriculturally- important secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, anti-viral, anti-fungal, herbicidal and immunosuppressive compounds. In fact, over two-thirds of the clinically-important natural products currently in use are produced by the streptomycetes! Most Streptomyces species are saphrophytes that degrade complex organic polymers and contribute to nutrient recycling in the environment. However, there are some species that also have the ability to infect living plant tissue and are the causative agents of economically-important crop diseases such as potato common scab.