Donald Tam

Johnston Heights Secondary School

The University of British Columbia

Masters Project Title: Identifying novel protein-protein interactions between the host and SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 15My thesis focuses on identifying novel protein-protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural proteins and host proteins to discover how these viral proteins function and contribute to the viral life cycle. We recently identified a novel interaction between nonstructural protein 15 (NSP15) and cytokeratin by mass spectrometry and confirmed this interaction… Show more Masters Project Title: Identifying novel protein-protein interactions between the host and SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 15My thesis focuses on identifying novel protein-protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural proteins and host proteins to discover how these viral proteins function and contribute to the viral life cycle. We recently identified a novel interaction between nonstructural protein 15 (NSP15) and cytokeratin by mass spectrometry and confirmed this interaction by immunoprecipitation. As cytokeratin is characteristically expressed in epithelial cells, which are the primary target cells of SARS-CoV-2, it will be interesting to see how this interaction between NSP15 and keratin alters the cell's cytoskeleton to promote viral proliferation. Show less

The University of British Columbia

Activities and Societies: Science One Alumni (2018-2019) Thesis Title: Filtered far-UVC efficacy at surface decontamination of microbes commonly found in healthcare settingsMy thesis focused on evaluating the efficacy far-UVC light (222 nm) to decontaminate a surface by utilizing a filtered far-UVC lamp (UVX, Zener) that emits 222 nm light. The far-UVC light was tested against a panel of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi to determine the minimum amount of time required to achieve a 3 log reduction in these pathogens at… Show more Thesis Title: Filtered far-UVC efficacy at surface decontamination of microbes commonly found in healthcare settingsMy thesis focused on evaluating the efficacy far-UVC light (222 nm) to decontaminate a surface by utilizing a filtered far-UVC lamp (UVX, Zener) that emits 222 nm light. The far-UVC light was tested against a panel of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi to determine the minimum amount of time required to achieve a 3 log reduction in these pathogens at an exposure distance of 50 cm. Show less