D. Wade Abbott, Ph. D.

Research Scientist

Agricultural Glycomics

Functional Genomics of Carbohydrate Utilization

Intestinal Microbiomes

Carbohydrate Active Enzymes

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

Principle Investigator. Abbott, DW (PI), Title: “New value streams for Canadian pea proteins and co-products.” SCAP Agriscience Clusters - Bioproducts (AAFC)
Principal Investigator. Abbott DW (PI). Title: “Workshop and Relationship building with the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.” AAFC-Indigenous Agriculture Science Partnership Program
Co-Applicant. Master, E (PI), Brumer, H, Abbott, DW, Title: “Enzymatic upgrading of biorefinery side-streams.” SCAP Agriscience Clusters - Bioproducts (AAFC)
Principle Investigator. Abbott, DW (PI), Terry, S (Co-PI), Alexander, TW, Challis, J. Title: “Impact of indigenous plants on bovine-associated microbial communities and climate performance of cattle.” Annual Call (AAFC)
Co-Applicant. Gruninger, RJ (PI), Petri, R (Co-PI), Abbott, DW, McAllister, TA, Ortega Polo, R, Terry, S. Title: “Application of culturomics and in-silico inhibitor design to identify next-generation methane inhibitors that will reduce the environmental footprint of beef and dairy production in Canada.” Annual Call (AAFC)
Co-Applicant. Bainard, J (PI), Bainard, L (Co-PI), Abbott, DW, Alemu, A., Elsigner, M, Ensing, D., Fressanges, S, Gagne, D, Gorzelak, M., Hannam, K, Hannam, K, Iwaasa, A, Leewis, M-C, Messiga, A, Riendeau, G, Royer, I, Savard, T, Thomas, B, Wallace, R. Title: “SCAP-ASC-01 Beef Cluster Activity 10: Grazing management across western Canada: uncovering the role of the microbiome and implications for forage productivity, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions.” Beef and Cattle Research Council Agriscience Cluster Projects (AAFC)
Co-Applicant. Terry, S (PI), Abbott, DW, Coates, T, Gruninger, R, McAllister, T. Title: “SCAP-ASC-01 Beef Cluster Activity 14A: Potential for the up-cycling and reduction of food waste in feedlot cattle.” Beef and Cattle Research Council Agriscience Cluster Projects (AAFC)
Co-Principle Investigator. Alexander, TW (PI), Abbott DW (Co-PI), Malmuthuge, N. Title: “SCAP-ASC-01 Beef Cluster Activity 9A - Application of glycomics to enhance resilience against bovine respiratory disease.’ Beef and Cattle Research Council Agriscience Cluster Projects (AAFC)
Co-Applicant. Mupondwa, E (PI), Soolanayakanahally, R (Co-PI), Dumonceaux, T, Abbott, DW. Title: “Biomass and thermochemical conversion technologies for renewable fuels and value-added pathways with potential application in Northern, Indigenous, and remote communities of Canada.” Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD)
Co-Applicant. McAllister, TA (PI), Guan, LL (Co-PI), Abbott, DW. Title: “Meta-transcriptomics to better understand and enhance the digestion of forages in the diets of dairy cows.” Agriculture Funding Consortium, Alberta Milk
Principal Investigator. Abbott DW (PI). Title: “Spatial and structural characterization of Canadian seaweeds cultivated by Indigenous communities for cattle health.” 2022 Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Science, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Co-PI. Singer, S (PI), Abbott DW (Co-PI) , Poudel, H. “Characterization of abiotic stress tolerant alfalfa genotypes for beef and dairy production in a changing climate.” RDAR-Agricultural Funding Consortium
Co-Applicant. Gorzelak, M (PI), Yanni, S (Co-PI), Pacheco, A, Theriault, G, Krobel, R, Pogue, S, St. Luce, M, McAllister, TA, Zhang, H, Abbott, DW, Phillips, B, McComb, M, Stephens, E, Donohue, M, Chau, H. Title: “Maximizing agricultural climate solutions through integration of beneficial management practices.” Partner Organizations include: Food Water Wellness Foundation and The Resilience Institute. AAFC-Agricultural Climate Solutions, “Living Labs”

Research and/or project statements

Agricultural Glycomics: Developing methods to study carbohdyrate structure in complex samples, including: animal gut, plants, fungi, seaweeds, and environment.

Carbohydrate active enzyme discovery from sequence datasets and functional characterization of enzyme activity using MultiOMICs and bioinformatics (SACCHARIS).

Fluorescent Polysaccharides (FLA-PS): a glyco-enabling tool to visualize carbohdyrate interactions, study selective metabolism, and sort cells into enriched metagenomes for functional analysis.

Indigenous partnships and student training; weaving traditional and scientific knowledges to explore solutions for the impacts of climate change in agriculture.

Professional activities / interests

Education and awards

PhD, Biochemistry University of Victoria (2005). PhD thesis awarded the University of Victoria Governor General’s Gold Medal (2006) and Nominated for NSERC Silver Medal (2006)

BSc (Great Distinction), BIology (Major), Geography (Concentration), Trinity Western University (2000).

Additional links

https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=ZuZ0rZoAAAAJ&hl=en

Key publications

McLean, R., Hobbs, J.K., Suits, M.D., Tuomivaara, S.T., Jones, D.R., Boraston, A.B., Abbott, D.W. (2015). Functional analyses of resurrected and contemporary enzymes illuminate an evolutionary path for the emergence of exolysis in polysaccharide lyase family. Journal of Biological Chemistry, [online] 290(35), 21231-21243. http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.664847
2015 - View publication details
Cuskin, F., Lowe, E.C., Temple, M.J., Zhu, Y., Cameron, E.A., Pudlo, N.A., Porter, N.T., Urs, K., Thompson, A.J., Cartmell, A., Rogowski, A., Hamilton, B.S., Chen, R., Tolbert, T.J., Piens, K., Bracke, D., Vervecken, W., Hakki, Z., Speciale, G., Munoz-Munoz, J.L., Day, A., Peña, M.J., McLean, R., Suits, M.D., Boraston, A.B., Atherly, T., Ziemer, C.J., Williams, S.J., Davies, G.J., Abbott, W.D., Martens, E.C., Gilbert, H.J. (2015). Human gut Bacteroidetes can utilize yeast mannan through a selfish mechanism. Nature, [online] 517(7533), 165-169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature13995
2015 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W., Martens, E.C., Gilbert, H.J., Cuskin, F., Lowe, E.C. (2015). Coevolution of yeast mannan digestion: Convergence of the civilized human diet, distal gut microbiome, and host immunity. Gut Microbes, [online] 6(5), 334-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2015.1091913
2015 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W., Farnell, B.J., and Yamashita, J.W. (2014). "Pectins: structure, function, and the human distal gut microbiota.", - Pectin: Chemical Properties, Uses and Health Benefits, Nova Publishers.
2014 - View publication details
Thomas, D.K., Lone, A.G., Brent Selinger, L., Taboada, E.N., Uwiera, R.R.E., Wade Abbott, D., Douglas Inglis, G. (2014). Comparative variation within the genome of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168 in human and murine hosts, 9(2), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088229
2014 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W. and Lammerts van Bueren, A. (2014). "Using structure to inform carbohydrate binding module function.", Current Opinion in Structural Biology, 28, pp. 32-40. doi : 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.07.004
2014 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W., Thomas, D., Pluvinage, B., Boraston, A.B. (2013). An ancestral member of the polysaccharide lyase family 2 displays endolytic activity and magnesium dependence, 171(7), 1911-1923. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12010-013-0483-9
2013 - View publication details
Pluvinage, B., Chitayat, S., Ficko-Blean, E., Abbott, D.W., Kunjachen, J.M., Grondin, J., Spencer, H.L., Smith, S.P., Boraston, A.B. (2013). Conformational analysis of StrH, the surface-attached exo-β-d-N- acetylglucosaminidase from streptococcus pneumoniae. Journal of Molecular Biology, [online] 425(2), 334-349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2012.11.005
2013 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W. and Boraston, A.B. (2012). "Quantitative approaches to the analysis of carbohydrate-binding module function in “Cellulases (Glycoside Hydrolases).", in Gilbert, H.J. (ed.) - Methods in Enzymology, Elsevier, pp. 211-231.
2012 - View publication details
Boraston, A.B., Abbott, D.W. (2012). Structure of a pectin methylesterase from Yersinia enterocolitica, 68(2), 129-133. http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S1744309111055400
2012 - View publication details
Martens, E.C., Lowe, E.C., Chiang, H., Pudlo, N.P., Wu, M., McNulty, N.P., Abbott, D.W., Henrissat, B., Gilbert, H.J., Bolam, D.N., and Gordon, J.I. (2011). "Recognition and degradation of plant cell wall polysaccharides by two human gut symbionts.", PLoS Biology, 9(12, Article No. e1001221). doi : 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001221
2011 - View publication details
Pluvinage, B., Lowe, E.C., Higgins, M.A., Abbott, D.W., Robb, C., Dalia, A.B., Deng, L., Weiser, J.N., Parsons, T.B., Fairbanks, A.J., Vocadlo, D.J., Boraston, A.B. (2011). "Inhibition of the pneumococcal virulence factor StrH and molecular insights into N-glycan recognition and hydrolysis.", Structure, 19(11), pp. 1603-1614. doi : 10.1016/j.str.2011.08.011
2011 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W. and Boraston, A.B. (2011). "Structural analysis of a putative family 32 carbohydrate-binding module from the Streptococcus pneumoniae enzyme, EndoD.", Acta Crystallographica Section F, 67(4), pp. 429-433. doi : 10.1107/S1744309111001874
2011 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W., Gilbert, H.J., and Boraston, A.B. (2010). "The Active Site of Oligogalacturonate Lyase Provides Unique Insights into Cytoplasmic Oligogalacturonate β-Elimination.", Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285(50), pp. 39029-39038. doi : 10.1074/jbc.M110.153981
2010 - View publication details
Correia, M.A.S., Abbott, D.W., Gloster, T.M., Fernandes, V.O., Prates, J.A.M., Montanier, C., Dumon, C., Williamson, M.P., Tunnicliffe, R.B., Liu, Z., Flint, J.E., Davies, G.J., Henrissat, B., Coutinho, P.M., Fontes, C.M.G.A., and Gilbert, H.J. (2010). "Signature active site architectures illuminate the molecular basis for ligand specificity in family 35 carbohydrate binding modules.", Biochemistry, 49(29), pp. 6193-6205. doi : 10.1021/bi1006139
2010 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W., Higgins, M.A., Hyrnuik, S., Pluvinage, B., Lammerts van Bueren, A., and Boraston, A.B. (2010). "The molecular basis of glycogen breakdown and transport in Streptococcus pneumonia.", Molecular Microbiology, 77(1), pp. 183-199. doi : 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07199.x
2010 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W. and Boraston, A.B. (2009). "Interactions between proteins and (1,3)-beta-glucans and related polysaccharides.", in Bacic, A., Fincher, G., and Stone, B. (eds.) - Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biology of 1-3 Beta Glucans and Related Polysaccharides, Academic Press, Chapter 5, pp. 179-207.
2009 - View publication details
Ishibashi, T., Li, A., Eirín-López, J.M., Zhao, M., Missiaen, K., Abbott, D.W., Meistrich, M., Hendzel, M.J., and Ausió, J. (2010). "H2A.Bbd: an X-chromosome-encoded histone involved in mammalian spermiogenesis.", Nucleic Acids Research, 38(6), pp. 1780-1789. doi : 10.1093/nar/gkp1129
2009 - View publication details
Abbott, D.W., Ficko-Blean, E., Lammerts van Bueren, A., Rogowski, A., Cartmell, A., Coutinho, P.M., Henrissat, B., Gilbert, H.J., and Boraston, A.B. (2009). "Analysis of the structural and functional diversity of plant cell wall specific family 6 carbohydrate binding modules.", Biochemistry, 48(43), pp. 10395-10404. doi : 10.1021/bi9013424
2009 - View publication details
Higgins, M.A., Abbott, D.W., Boulanger, M.J., and Boraston, A.B. (2009). "Blood group antigen recognition by a solute-binding protein from a serotype 3 strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae.", Journal of Molecular Biology, 388(2), pp. 299-309. doi : 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.03.012
2009 - View publication details