People Projects Programs Publications Press
Permanent Residents
Stevan Springer
Stevan Springer — Principal Investigator (2018F – ∞) Computational and Molecular Evolution We study adaptation by experimentally retracing evolution. We design and synthesize genes to test how mutations change protein function. We use computational tools to predict protein properties and model spaces of functional possibility.
Current Students
Estefania Bolanos Sanguesa
Estefania Bolanos Sanguesa — Research Project (2026W) Expressing and measuring the colour of mutant luciferase alleles
Victoria Perez Gomez
Victoria Perez Gomez — Research Project (2026W) Expressing and measuring the colour of mutant luciferase alleles
Amy Crocker
Amy Crocker — Research Project (2026W) Expressing and measuring the colour of mutant luciferase alleles
Evelyn Yang
Evelyn Yang — Master's Thesis, co-advised with Sean Li, CFIA (2024F – ) Evolution of bacterial ring rot and other potato pathogens
Frankie Arnold
Frankie Arnold — Research Project (2024F – ) Choosing shells to blend in – optomotor responses of hermit crabs
Alumni
Alexandra Kowalchuk
Alexandra Kowalchuk — Honours Thesis and Summer Research (2024F – 2025W) Reconstructing libraries of intermediate alleles by HiFi shuffling Lexi was accepted into the first cohort of students at the UPEI Medical School
Amber Wells
Amber Wells — Research Project (2024F – 2025W) Expressing and measuring the colour of mutant luciferase alleles Amber went on to work in plant conservation in the Bahamas
Gillian Nazar
Gillian Nazar — Research Project (2024F – 2025W) Expressing and measuring the colour of mutant luciferase alleles Gillian went on to work at Canadian Blood Services
Shanelle Berthier
Shanelle Berthier — Honours Thesis (2024F – 2025W) Cloning and expression of Lysin-M7 variants Shanelle went on to veterinary school at the University of Guelph
Heather Ling
Heather Ling — MSc Student (2023F – 2024F) Transmissible cancer in blue mussels Heather went on to work at the Atlantic Veterinary College
Elijah Moase
Elijah Moase — Research Project (2023F – 2024W) Effects of alternative substrates on luciferase emission colour Elijah went on to work in the PEI biotechnology sector
Dylan MacDougall
Dylan MacDougall — Research Project (2023F – 2024W) QM/MM models to predict luciferase colour from 3D structure Dylan went on to work for, or possibly become, a bitcoin billionaire
Victor Maru
Victor Maru — Research Project (2023F – 2024W) Analysis of long-read sequencing data
Raj Kumar Gharti
Raj Kumar Gharti — Research Project (2023F – 2024W) Consciousness as a protective device Raj went on to work in the PEI biotechnology sector
Will Bissett
Will Bissett — Research Project (2023F) Protein adaptation under pressure Will went on to graduate school studying the ecology of invasive species at UPEI
Eliana Seburn
Eliana Seburn — Honours Thesis and Summer Research (2023S – 2024S) Measuring the folding stability and surface charge of myoglobin mutants Eliana went on to grad school studying tissue regeneration at the University of British Columbia
Alex Chang-Ojeda
Alex Chang-Ojeda — Research Project (2022F – 2023W) Selection for desynchronization in viscous populations
Joely Welsh
Joely Welsh — Research Project (2022F – 2023W) Determinants of sociality in cooperative hunting Harris hawks Joely went on to work in science outreach
Marcus Gauthier
Marcus Gauthier — Honours Thesis and Summer Research (2022S – 2024S) Cloning colour variants of click-beetle luciferase Marcus went on to grad school studying chemical mimicry at Carleton University
Amber McCabe
Amber McCabe — Research Project (2022W) Sex chromosomes and sex ratio adjustment Amber went on to the biotechnology program at Holland College
Niloofar Hesar
Niloofar Hesar — Research Project (2022W) The origin of selection: diversification of autocatalytic cycles Niloofar went on to graduate school doing proteomics at UPEI
Jemma Todoschuk
Jemma Todoschuk — Senior Research Project and Summer Research (2021S – 2022W) Evolution of deception in plant-pollinator interactions Jemma went on to grad school studying the ecology of pollination at the University of Lethbridge
Noah Murphy
Noah Murphy — Research Project (2020W) Evolution of innate immune receptors
Evelyn Yang
Evelyn Yang — Honours Thesis (2019F) Evolution of innate immune receptors Evelyn went on to work in the biotech industry before starting graduate school at UPEI / CFIA
Mei Shimizu
Mei Shimizu — Honours Thesis and Summer Research (2019S – 2021S) Evolution in fully resolved phenotype spaces Mei went on to a research internship at OIST in Okinawa, Japan and a PhD program at LMU Munich
Yashiodya Wijayakulathilake
Yashiodya Wijayakulathilake — Summer Research (2019S) Microfluidic devices to measure sperm-egg compatibility Yashi went on to work in the biotech industry and then to graduate school at the University of Ottawa
Projects
Programs
Publications
Editorial – Glycans: molecules at the interface of immunity and disease
Springer SA, Siddiqui SS (2024) Frontiers in Immunology 14:1354723
Muscle injury induces a transient senescence‐like state that is required for myofiber growth during muscle regeneration
Young LV, Wakelin G, Cameron AWR, Springer SA, Ross JP, Wolters G, Murphy JP, Arsenault MG, Ng S, Collao N, De Lisio M, Ljubicic V, Johnston APW (2022) The FASEB Journal 36(11):e22587
Controversies about the subcellular localization and mechanisms of action of the Alzheimer's disease protective CD33 splice variant
Sudeshna S, Siddiqui S et al. Springer SA, Ghosh P, Varki A (2019) Acta Neuropathol 138(4):671–672
The Alzheimer's disease-protective CD33 splice variant mediates adaptive loss of function via diversion to an intracellular pool
Siddiqui SS, Springer SA, Verhagen A, Sundaramurthy V, Alisson-Silva F, Jiang W, Ghosh P, Varki A (2017) Journal of Biological Chemistry 292:15312–15320
Studies on the detection, expression, glycosylation, dimerization and ligand binding of mouse Siglec-E
Siddiqui S, Schwarz F, Springer SA, Khedri Z, Yu H, Deng L, Verhagen A, Naito-Matsui Y, Jiang W, Kim D, Zhou J, Ding B, Chen X, Varki N, Varki A (2017) Journal of Biological Chemistry 292:1029–1037
Separating spandrels from phenotypic targets of selection in adaptive molecular evolution
Springer SA, Manhart M, Morozov AV (2016) In Evolutionary Biology: Convergent Evolution, Evolution of Complex Traits, Concepts and Methods (pp. 309–325) P. Pontarotti (ed), doi 10.1007/978-3-319-41324-2_18
Des nouvelles variations génétiques préservent les facultés cognitives des personnes âgées
Springer SA, Gagneux P (2016) Médicine et Science 32:10–12
Maintenance of postreproductive cognitive capacity by inclusive fitness
Springer SA, Schwartz F, Altheide T, Varki NM, Varki A, Gagneux P (2016) PNAS 113:E1591–E1592
Human-specific alleles of CD33 and other genes protect against postreproductive cognitive decline
Schwartz F★, Springer SA★, Altheide T, Varki NM, Gagneux P, Varki A (2016) PNAS 113:74–79
Glycomics: revealing the dynamic ecology and evolution of sugar molecules
Springer SA, Gagneux P (2016) Journal of Proteomics 135:90–100
Evolutionary analysis and classification of OATs, OCTs, OCTNs, and SLC22 transporters
Zhu C, Nigam KB, Date RC, Springer SA, Saier MH, Wu W, Nigam SK (2015) PLoS One 10(11):e0140569
Glycan evolution in response to collaboration conflict and constraint
Springer SA, Gagneux P (2013) Journal of Biological Chemistry 28:6904–6911
Sexual selection by female immunity against paternal antigens can fix loss of function alleles
Ghaderi D★, Springer SA★, Ma F, Coehn M, Secrest P, Taylor R, Varki A, Gagneux P (2011) PNAS 108:17443–17448
Beyond the phenotypic gambit: molecular behavioral ecology and the evolution of genetic architecture
Springer SA, Crespi BJ, Swanson WJ (2011) Molecular Ecology 20:2240–2257
Coevolution of interacting fertilization proteins
Clark NL, Gasper J, Sekino M, Springer SA, Aquadro CF, Swanson WJ (2009) PLoS Genetics 5(7):e1000570
Oyster sperm bindin is a combinatorial fucose lectin with remarkable intra-species diversity
Springer SA, Moy GW, Friend DS, Swanson WJ, Vacquier VD (2008) Int J Dev Biol 52:759–768
Extraordinary intraspecific polymorphism in oyster sperm bindin
Moy GW★, Springer SA★, Adams SL, Swanson WJ, Vacquier VD (2008) PNAS 105:1993–1998
Adaptive gamete-recognition divergence in a hybridizing Mytilus population
Springer SA, Crespi BJ (2007) Evolution 61:772–783
Environment-specific heterozygote deficiency and developmental instability in hybrid Mytilus
Springer SA, Heath DD (2007) Marine Biology Research 3:182–187
Implications of the Copernican Principle for my Masters thesis
Springer SA (2004) Annals of Improbable Research 10.4:20–21
Social slime molds meet their match
Crespi BJ, Springer SA (2003) Science 299:56–57
Protocols
Inventory