Zachery R Belak- PhD
- Co-Founder at Proxima Research and Development Ltd.
Zachery R Belak
- PhD
- Co-Founder at Proxima Research and Development Ltd.
Check out my company Proxima Research and Development, www.proxima-rd.ca
About
24
Publications
31,833
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229
Citations
Introduction
Co-founder of Proxima Research and Development.
Proxima brings an evolved and inviting approach to the contract research and scientific services space with a focus on applied biotechnology, targeting the market for small to medium size projects. Through our values of people, collaboration, integrity, accessibility, and inclusion we provide perfectly executed and highly supported contract research and scientific services for academic and industrial clients.
www.proxima-rd.ca
Current institution
Proxima Research and Development Ltd.
Current position
- Co-Founder
Additional affiliations
September 2018 - December 2020
ZYUS LIfe Sciences
Position
- Researcher
Description
- Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Human Therapeutic Proteins Expressed in Plants
April 2016 - August 2018
January 2013 - March 2016
Shutout Solutions Inc.
Position
- Head of Research and Development
Education
September 2004 - April 2009
September 2000 - April 2004
Publications
Publications (24)
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a staple food in many developing countries where iron (Fe) deficiency often occurs in their population. The crop is a good source of protein, vitamins, and micronutrients. Fe biofortification in chickpea can be part of long-term strategy to enhance Fe intake in human diet to help to alleviate Fe deficiency. To devel...
Plasmid vectors are key to modern biological research but can be prone to misidentification and loss through a variety of laboratory mishaps. This post outlines some easy steps you can take to confidently recover lost or misidentified plasmid vectors.
Since their first sequencing 40 years ago, Dengue virus (DENV) genotypes have shown extreme coherence regarding the serotype class they encode. Considering that DENV is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus with a high mutation rate, this behavior is intriguing. Here, we explore the effect of various parameters on likelihood of new serotype emergence. In...
Since their first sequencing 40 years ago, Dengue virus (DENV) genotypes have shown extreme coherence regarding the serotype class they encode. Considering that DENV is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus with a high mutation rate, this behavior is intriguing. Here, we explore the effect of various parameters on likelihood of new serotype emergence. In...
We previously demonstrated that genome reorganization, through chromosome territory repositioning, occurs concurrently with significant changes in gene expression in normal primary human fibroblasts treated with the drug rapamycin, or stimulated into quiescence. Although these events occurred concomitantly, it is unclear how specific changes in gen...
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a major model system in the study of aging. Like metazoans, yeast lifespan is extended by caloric restriction and treatment with pharmacological agents which extend lifespan. A major workhorse of aging research in budding yeast is the chronological lifespan assay. Traditionally, chronological lifespan a...
Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) is a highly conserved transcription factor possessing RNA-binding activity. A putative YY1 homologue was previously identified in the developmental model organism Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (the purple sea urchin) by genomic sequencing. We identified a high degree of sequence similarity with YY1 homologues of vertebrate origin w...
The yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, like other higher eukaryotes, undergo a finite number of cell divisions before exiting the cell cycle due to the effects of aging. Here, we show that yeast aging begins with the nuclear exclusion of Hcm1 in young cells, resulting in loss of acidic vacuoles. Autophagy is required for healthy aging in yeast, with p...
The effect of fluoride treatment on the expression of a panel of osteogenic and stress markers in Stage 55 premetamorphic Xenopus larvae was examined at the precise onset of replacement of the larval cartilaginous skeleton with bone. A dosing regimen of 10 mmol/L sodium fluoride over 8 days was followed, during which time larvae developed to Stage...
Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is widely used for the production of recombinant proteins for a variety of applications; however, a number of challenges are typically encountered by researchers depending on the properties of the specific proteins in question. Here, we describe technical issues we have encountered in production of r...
Since Hsp90 is a known modulator of HSF1 activity, we examined the effects of two pharmacological inhibitors of Hsp90, novobiocin and geldanamycin, on HSF1 DNA-binding activity in the Xenopus oocyte model system. Novobiocin exhibits antiproliferative activity in culture cells and interacts with a C-terminal ATP-binding pocket on Hsp90, inhibiting H...
YY1 (Yin Yang 1) is present in the Xenopus oocyte cytoplasm as a constituent of messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes (mRNPs). Association of YY1 with mRNPs requires direct RNA-binding activity. Previously, we have shown YY1 has a high affinity for U-rich RNA; however, potential interactions with plausible in vivo targets have not been investigated...
The early stages of vertebrate development depend heavily on control of maternally transcribed mRNAs that are stored for long
periods in complexes termed messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) and utilized selectively following maturation and
fertilization. The transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is associated with cytoplasmic mRNPs in ver...
The asymmetric distribution of many components of the Xenopus oocyte, including RNA, proteins, and pigment, provides a framework for cellular specialization during development. During maturation, Xenopus oocytes also acquire metals needed for development, but apart from zinc, little is known about their distribution. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence...
Heat shock factors (HSFs) are the major transcription factors responsible for heat-induced upregulation of heat shock protein (Hsp) genes. All three mammalian HSFs (HSF1, HSF2, HSF4) have also been shown to be required for normal mammalian development. It is currently unknown if HSFs play similarly important roles during normal development of non-m...
Questions
Questions (2)
Has anyone successfully used newborn calf serum in place of fetal bovine serum for culture of HEK293T cells? The cells will be used to produce a recombinant protein in serum-free media later on, but for the expansion and maintenance of the cells would be nice to use the inexpensive NBCS instead of FBS. I've heard some people reporting success but if anyone can confirm this serum is OK for HEK's it would be much appreciated. Thanks.
