Devon Radford

I have a broad range of diverse scientific interest in molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, food safety, microbiology, metabolomics, microbiome pan-genomics, and virology. My most fulfilling work has focused on applications of computational biology tools as a complement to traditional and novel molecular techniques. This melding of the power of computational methods and physical/biochemical experiments has tremendous potential for addressing pivotal questions in science which can't be effectively tackled by separate disciplines in isolation. Thus my background has made me both interested and equipped to tackle collaborative projects in a wide range of biological systems and contexts, both at the level of applied research and discovery based investigation.

My research career has covered a diverse range of projects and topics in molecular biology, genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, including microbial biodiversity, animal nutrition, plant/animal/prokaryotic genomics, plant cell structural dynamics, microbiology, food science and safety, microbiomes, and bacteriophage virology. Under-girding all these projects has been the application of bioinformatics as a complement to traditional and novel molecular techniques. This melding of the power of computational methods and physical/biochemical experiments has tremendous potential for addressing pivotal questions in biology which can't be effectively tackled by separate disciplines in isolation. Thus my background has made me both interested and equipped to tackle collaborative projects in a wide range of biological systems and contexts, both at the level of applied research and discovery based investigation.

My current position with AAFC focuses on investigating the composition and dynamics of agriculturally related microbiomes in diverse systems (soil, waterways, air, roots, animal gut, etc.), and how these systems dynamically respond to perturbation and external influences to enable improved agricultural production, prevent disease, and identify potential novel targets for optimal agricultural intervention with minimal negative ecological consequence. My post doc with the University of Guelph focused on understanding the ruminant microbiome and its response to metabolic diseases. 

My post doc with AAFC focused on novel applications of computational biology and bacteriophage systems to understand and combat food borne pathogens. My PhD research characterized the structural and evolutionary relationships between bacteriophage and the encapsulin families of prokaryotic compartments, and the functions these families of compartments serve across the breadth of prokaryotic life.