Introducing Nick Gauthier from the department of Biology!

Name: Nick Gauthier
Year: 4th Year
Major: Biology
Supervisor: Dr. Margo Moore

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up/ finish undergrad?
A: I hope to be accepted into medical school and become a practicing physician after I complete my undergrad. I’m really interested in infectious diseases, which is why I wanted to become involved in the Moore Lab.

Q: How did you get involved in research?
A: I took BISC 303 with Dr. Moore and really enjoyed the course so I decided to email her and ask if there were any positions to volunteer in the lab. She responded and agreed to meet with me. I met with all of the lab members for lunch one day and everyone was extremely friendly! I started volunteering in the lab in January and am currently holding a USRA for the summer semester.

Q: What are you researching?
A: So far, I have worked on several projects, but I am currently attempting to purify a sialidase enzyme in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus terreus. Sialidases cleave sialic acid and play a key role in microbial pathogenesis. We believe that the Aspergillus terreus sialidase plays a role in human pathogenesis and are looking to find out more about its’ substrate specificity and how it works.

Q: What is a typical “day in the life” in the lab for you?
A: Because the project I am working on requires many steps and lengthy procedures, there really isn’t a typical “day in the lab”, which I really enjoy about working in the lab because every day is something new for the most part.

Q: What’s your favourite course that you have taken so far in your degree?
A: There have been a few courses that I’ve really enjoyed, but I think my favorite was the course I took at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre last summer; Marine Invertebrate Zoology. The atmosphere in Bamfield is like nowhere else in the world and I met a lot of cool people in my class. In fact, one of my classmates from Bamfield works in the Moore Lab with me now and helped train me!

Q: Favourite science joke or meme from your field?

Q: If you were a scientific lab instrument, which one would you be?
A: Honestly, I think that I would be a centrifuge because my mind is constantly spinning!

Q: What scares you the most in the lab or the field?
A: At first, I was really scared about messing up in the lab and making mistakes, but as a became more familiar with everyone I was more open to asking questions and help. Everyone in the lab has been so awesome and willing to help whenever I ask!