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Lucas AlcantaraPosition/Title: Manager, Research Centre Data email: lucas.ma@uoguelph.ca Phone: Office: Ontario Dairy Research Centre & ANNU 124
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Lucas obtained his Bachelor’s in Biotechnology (2015) and a Master’s in Biosciences (2017) from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, and recently (June 2022) defended his Ph.D. in Animal Breeding and Genetics at the University of Guelph.
As part of numerous research projects during his undergraduate studies, he acquired experience in genetic polymorphisms, molecular biology, fermentative processes, bioprospection of microorganisms, and the production and purification of industrial enzymes. He was an exchange student at the University of Toronto (2013), where he improved his skills in molecular biology and enzymology while studying the biological degradation of pine tree bark by different fungi species for bioethanol production.
As a master’s student, he decided to understand the role of different bacteria from the rumen in the degradation of plant cell-wall through bioinformatics analysis and to target species with the potential to produce enzymes of industrial interest. His passion for research and new challenges brought him to the Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL) at the University of Guelph in 2018 to pursue a Ph.D. in Animal Breeding and Genetics under the advisement of Dr. Flavio Schenkel and Dr. Christine Baes, where he applied machine learning algorithms to improve breeding programs in the dairy industry.
Lucas currently works as Manager, Research Centre Data at the Office of Research - Agri-Food Partnership and collaborates with CGIL providing data support for students and researchers.