Faculty of Medicine
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA | CANADA B3H 4R2 | +1 (902) 494-2480

Dr. Vanya Ewart, Ph.D. (Memorial University, Newfoundland)


Adjunct Professor
Senior Research Officer, National Research Council, Institute for Marine Biosciences
(902) 426-0636
Email

Research Areas

Our research aims to develop new products and processes in marine biotechnology. Most research projects include dynamic collaborations with other teams, as will be evident from the authorship of publications.

Discovery and development of novel marine bioactives
This research focuses on the molecular and cell biological properties of proteins under conditions of cellular stress, as occurs in a number of human diseases. We are investigating the ability of marine bioactives, including extracts, small molecules and macromolecules, to prevent or mitigate abnormalities in protein folding that cause disease or that contribute to disease progression. This initiative aims to provide new knowledge or technologies for Canadian industry. New facets of the work are developed in consultation with local health and nutritional products companies to assess specific needs and interests.

Marine antifreeze proteins
Antifreeze gene dosage and antifreeze protein levels are being examined in winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) from different locations by qPCR. Novel antifreeze proteins are being isolated and examined. We are also evaluating antifreeze protein folding at low temperature.

protein expression, protein purification, protein chemistry, molecular biology, functional genomics, marine sampling and fieldwork, ice crystal photomicroscopy

Graduate Students


André Dubé Masters Program
Gisela Martinez-Olivares PhD (Biology/also with M. Litvak) Program

Honours Students


Peter Goddard Marine Biology Co-op

Lab Personnel


Pamela Gallant Research Technician
Robert Richards Research Technician

Publications

  1. Hudson, D.M., Mattatall, N.R., Uribe, E., Richards, R.C. Gong, H. and Ewart, K.V. , (2011) Cystine-mediated oligomerization of the Atlantic salmon serum C-type lectin. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1814:283-289 [PubMed]
  2. Gong, H., Abbott, K., Driedzic, W.R. and Ewart, K.V., (2011) Chemical chaperoning action of glycerol on the antifreeze protein of rainbow smelt. J. Therm. Biol. 36:78-83
  3. Robinson, J.L., Hall, J.R., Charman, M., Ewart, K.V., Driedzic, W.R., (2011) Molecular analysis, tissue profiles, and seasonal patterns of cytosolic and mitochondrial GPDH in freeze-resistant rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 84:363-376 [PubMed]
  4. Richards, R.C., Short, C.E., Driedzic, W.R. and Ewart, K.V., (2010) Seasonal changes in hepatic gene expression reveal modulation of multiple processes in rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) Mar. Biotechnol. 12:650-63 [PubMed]
  5. Soanes, K.H., Ewart, K.V., Mattatall, N.R., (2008) Recombinant production and characterization of the carbohydrate recognition domain from Atlantic salmon C-type lectin receptor C (SCLRC). Protein Expr. Purif. 59:38-46 [PubMed]
  6. Ewart, K.V., Williams, J., Richards, R.C., Gallant, J.W., Melville, K., Douglas, S.E., (2008) The early response of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) macrophages exposed in vitro to Aeromonas salmonicida cultured in broth and in fish. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 32 :380-390 [PubMed]
  7. Graham, L.A., Lougheed, S.C., Ewart, K.V., Davies P.L., (2008) Lateral transfer of a lectin-like antifreeze protein gene in fishes. PLoS ONE 3:e2616 [PubMed]
  8. von Schalburg, K.R., Leong, J., Cooper, G.A., Robb, A., Beetz-Sargent, M.R., Lieph, R., Holt, R.A., Moore, R., Ewart, K.V., Driedzic, W.R., Ten Hallers, B.F., Zhu, B., de Jong, P.J., Davidson, W.S., Koop, B.F., (2008) Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) genomic library and EST resources. Mar. Biotechnol. 10:487-491 [PubMed]
  9. Clow, K.A., Ewart, K.V., Driedzic, W.R., (2008) Low temperature directly activates the initial glycerol antifreeze response in isolated rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) liver cells. Am. J. Physiol. 295:R961-R970 [PubMed]
  10. Richards, R.C., Achenbach, J.C., Short, C.E., Kimball, J., Reith, M.E., Driedzic, W.R., Ewart, K.V., (2008) Seasonal expressed sequence tags of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) revealed by subtractive hybridization and the identification of two genes up-regulated during winter. Gene 424:56-62 [PubMed]
  11. Moffatt, B., Ewart, V. and Eastman, A., (2006) Cold comfort: antifreeze proteins. Phyisol. Plant. 126:5-16
  12. Liebscher, R.S., Richards, R.C., Lewis, J.M, Short, C.E., Muise, D.E., Driedzic, W.R. and Ewart, K.V. , (2006) Seasonal freeze resistance of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is generated by differential expression of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and antifreeze protein genes. Physiol. Zool. 79:411-423 [PubMed]
  13. Driedzic W.R., Clow, K.A., Short C.E. and Ewart, K.V., (2006) Glycerol production in rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) may be triggered by low temperature alone and is associated with the activation of GPDH and G3Pase. J. Exp. Biol. 209:1016-1023 [PubMed]
  14. Walter, J.A., Ewart, K.V., Short, C.E., Burton, I.W. and Driedzic W.R., (2006) Accelerated hepatic glycerol synthesis in rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is fuelled directly by glucose and alanine: a 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance study. J. Exp. Zool. 305:480-488 [PubMed]
  15. Rise, M.S., Douglas, S.E., Sakhrani, D., Williams, J., Ewart, K.V., Rise, M., Davidson, W.S., Koop, B.F. and Devlin, R.H., (2006) Multiple microarray platforms utilized for hepatic gene expression profiling of growth hormone transgenic coho salmon with and without ration restriction J. Mol. Endocrinol. 37:259-282 [PubMed]
  16. Ewart, K.V., Belanger, J.C., Williams, J., Karakach, T., Penny, S., Tsoi, S.C.M., Richards, R.C. and Douglas, S.E., (2005) Identification of genes differentially expressed in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in response to infection by Aeromononas salmonicida using cDNA microarray technology. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 29:333-347 [PubMed]
  17. Hall, J.R., Richards, R.C., Maccormack, T.J., Ewart, K.V., Driedzic, W.R. , (2005) Cloning of GLUT3 cDNA from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 in response to hypoxia. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1730:245-252 [PubMed]
  18. Driedzic, W.R. and Ewart, K.V., (2004) Control of glycerol production by rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) to provide freeze resistance and allow foraging at low winter temperatures. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 139:347-357 [PubMed]
  19. Stratton, L., Wu, S., Richards, R.C. and Ewart, K.V., (2004) Oligomerisation and carbohydrate binding in a salmon serum C-type lectin consistent with non-self recognition. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 17:315-323 [PubMed]
  20. Ewart, K.V. and Tsoi, S.C.M., (2004) Innate immune recognition of pathogens in teleost fish. pp. 82-116 In: Molecular aspects of fish and marine biology Volume III: Trends in the study of bacterial and viral fish diseases. K.Y. Leung and C.L. Hew (eds.), World Scientific Publishing: Singapore
  21. Tsoi, S.C.M., Ewart, K.V., Penny, S., Melville, K., Liebscher, R.S., Brown, L.L. and Douglas, S.E., (2004) Identification of immune-relevant genes from Atlantic salmon using suppression subtractive hybridization. Mar. Biotechnol. 6:199-214 [PubMed]
  22. Soanes, K.H., Figuereido, K., Richards, R.C., Mattatall, N.R. and Ewart, K.V. , (2004) Sequence and expression of C-type lectin receptors in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Immunogenetics 56:572-584 [PubMed]
  23. Li, Z., Lin Q., Yang, D.S.C. Ewart, K.V. and Hew, C.L. , (2004) The role of Ca2+-coordinating residues of herring antifreeze protein in ice binding. Biochemistry 43:14547-14554 [PubMed]