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Serena DinglePosition/Title: M.Sc. email: sdingle@uoguelph.ca Phone: Office:
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I am currently a Masters by thesis student under the supervision of Dr. Julang Li. While completing my undergraduate degree in Microbiology at the University of Guelph, I developed a passion for microbes and their biotechnological applications in agriculture.
Education
BSc - Microbiology Co-op, University of Guelph (2020)
MSc (thesis) - Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph (Current)
Past Experience
While completing the co-operative education requirements of my undergraduate degree I had the opportunity to work in the industry as a microbial lab technician for the production of food products. This introduced me to the vast world of microbial food applications. I also had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Dr. Qi Wang’s lab, which lead to my interest in research and animal science. There I assisted in the developed an encapsulation formula for a water sensitive compound and assessed its release profile in simulated digestive fluids. The aim of this project was to target the small intestine to detoxify a toxin commonly found in animal feed.
Current Research
My thesis project is focused on the fermentation of soybean meal with a novel Bacillus spp. to break down allergenic proteins and reduce the antinutritional factors found in soy that affect piglets. Soybean meal is a great source of protein in animal diets, however, soy contains two allergenic proteins glycinin and β- conglycinin that can disrupt the digestive system. In commercial swine farming, these allergenic proteins pose a challenge to weaning piglets due to their immature GI tract and immature immune system. It has previously been shown that the fermentation of soybean meal can increase the growth performance of piglets. The overall gut health of piglets fed a fermented soy diet will also be determined through the assessment of immunological markers, as well as, histological, microbiome, and metabolomic data..
Additional Research
While working alongside my lab mates Lauren Fletcher, Renee Hilker, Maureen Sahar, Sudanshu Sudan, and Xiaoshu Zhan I have been fortunate enough to assist them and gain expertise outside of my thesis project. This currently includes: (1) large scale production of recombinant peptides in Pichia pastoris, (2) assessing the synergistic effects of antimicrobial peptides (3) the applications of omega-3 and choline in swine reproduction (4) assessing the growth performance of piglets with a novel probiotic