User:Maureen McKeague
Contact Info
Maureen McKeague
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Email me through OpenWetWare
I work in the DeRosa lab at Carleton University.
Education
- 2007-Current: PhD in Chemistry at Carleton University
- 2003-2007: BSc in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from Carleton University
Research interests
My PhD research involves improving the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX) process using a combination of experimental and computational methods. I am also applying the improved SELEX technique to produce aptamers that can recognize and bind to mycotoxins (fungal metabolites) with high affinity. It is estimated that at least 25% of the grain produced worldwide is contaminated with mycotoxins. In Canada, three mycotoxins of major concern include fumonisin B1 (FB1), deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OA). Mycotoxin exposure leads to a variety of pathologies including vomiting (DON); kidney disease (OA, FB1); neurological disorders (FB1); disease of the lung and liver (FB1); cancer (OA, FB1) and death (FB1, OA). While traditional food safety testing techniques to detect mycotoxins exist; there is a need for more rapid and cost-effective approaches. We expect that the relatively new technology of aptamers is a viable alternative for use in food testing, specifically for mycotoxin detection.
Publications
- Cruz-Toledo, J.; McKeague, M.; Zhang, X.; Giamberardino, A.; McConnell, E.; Francis, T.; DeRosa, M.C.; Dumontier, M. Aptamer Base: A collaborative knowledge base to describe aptamers and SELEX experiments. Database: Journal of Biological Databases and Curation. 2012.
- McKeague, M.; Giamberardino, A.; DeRosa, M.C. Advances in Aptamer-Based Biosensors for Food Safety, Environmental Biosensors. 2011, Vernon Somerset (Ed.) ISBN: 9789533074863, InTech.
- De Girolamo, A.; McKeague, M.; Miller, J.D.; DeRosa, M.C.; Visconti, A. Determination of Ochratoxin A in Wheat After Clean-Up through a DNA Aptamer-Based Solid Phase Extraction Column. Food Chem. 2011, 127, 1378-1384.
- McKeague, M.; Bradley, C.R.; De Girolamo, A.; Visconti, A.; Miller, J.D.; Derosa, M.C. Screening and Initial Binding Assessment of Fumonisin B(1) Aptamers. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2010, 11, 4864-4881.
- Luo, X.; McKeague, M.; Pitre, S.; Dumontier, M.; Green, J.; Golshani, A.; Derosa, M.C.; Dehne, F. Computational Approaches Toward the Design of Pools for the in Vitro Selection of Complex Aptamers. RNA. 2010, 16, 2252-2262.
Useful links
- New search engine for aptamers! Aptamer Base
