Mark W Sumarah, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Analytical and Natural Products Chemistry
Metabolomics
Mass Spectrometry
NMR

London Research and Development Centre

Current research and/or projects

Dr. Sumarah is an analytical and natural products chemist with expertise in the isolation, structural elucidation and analysis of small organic molecules from complex biological matrices using LC-MS and NMR. This includes extensive experience on the characterization and analysis of fungal secondary metabolites. The majority of his current research is focused on the development and implementation of better tools using mass spectrometry for the detection and monitoring of mycotoxins in the food production system and agricultural contaminants such as pharmaceuticals in the environment. These tools are being used for discovery of new emerging mycotoxins and to provide data on the fate and occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment to regulators.

Research and/or project statements

Emerging mycotoxins in Canada
Fungal endophytes of blueberry plants and grapevines
Fungal culture collection chemical screening
LC-MS/MS analysis of micropollutants

Professional activities / interests

Discussion leader for the 2015 and 2017 Gordon Research Conferences on mycotoxins and phycotoxins held in Easton, MA

Session co-chair at the MycoRed North American Workshop, June 2012, Ottawa, ON

Member of the international advising committee and session chair for the 2016 World Mycotoxin Forum meeting held in Winnipeg, MB, June 2016

Education and awards

Ph.D. Chemistry - Specialization in Chemical Toxicology (2009) Carleton University, Ottawa, ON

M.Sc. Chemistry - Specialization in Chemical Toxicology (2002) Carleton University, Ottawa, ON

Award - Received the Arthur C. Neish Young Investigator Award from the Phytochemical Society of North America “for excellence in research in phytochemistry” (2012)

International experience and/or work

Joint (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) expert roster (2017-2021)

Additional links

https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=JPLjt1YAAAAJ&hl=en

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Sumarah

Key publications

S. Sura, M.A. Henriquez, S. Walkowiak, D.A. Kaminski, A. Kirk, M.W. Sumarah, N. Kepeshchuk, J. Carlson, P. de Rocquigny and H. Derksen, “NX-Toxins from Fusarium graminearum isolates in western Canada”, Poster Presentation, World Mycotoxin Forum, 14th Conference, Antwerp, Belgium, Oct 9-11, 2023.
2023 - View publication details
S. Sura, M.A. Henriquez, S. Walkowiak, D.A. Kaminski, A. Kirk, M.W. Sumarah, N. Kepeshchuk, J. Carlson, P. de Rocquigny and H. Derksen, “NX-Toxins from Fusarium graminearum isolates in western Canada”, Poster Presentation, World Mycotoxin Forum, 14th Conference, Antwerp, Belgium, Oct 9-11, 2023.
2023 - View publication details
Renaud, J.B., Desrochers, N., Hoogstra, S., Garnham, C.P., Sumarah, M.W. (2021). Structure Activity Relationship for Fumonisin Phytotoxicity. Chemical Research in Toxicology, [online] 34(6), 1604-1611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00057
2021 - View publication details
McDonald, K., Renaud, J.B., Pick, F.R., Miller, J.D., Sumarah, M.W., McMullin, D.R. (2021). Diagnostic Fragmentation Filtering for Cyanopeptolin Detection. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, [online] 40(4), 1087-1097. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.4941
2021 - View publication details
Renaud, J.B., Hoogstra, S., Quilliam, M.A., Sumarah, M.W. (2021). Normalization of LC-MS mycotoxin determination using the N-alkylpyridinium-3-sulfonates (NAPS) retention index system. Journal of Chromatography A, [online] 1639 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2021.461901
2021 - View publication details
Li, J., Sabourin, L., Renaud, J., Halloran, S., Singh, A., Sumarah, M., Dagnew, M., Ray, M.B. (2021). Simultaneous quantification of five pharmaceuticals and personal care products in biosolids and their fate in thermo-alkaline treatment. Journal of Environmental Management, [online] 278 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111404
2021 - View publication details
Walsh, J.P., DesRochers, N., Renaud, J.B., Seifert, K.A., Yeung, K.K.C., Sumarah, M.W. (2021). Identification of N,N′,N″-triacetylfusarinine C as a key metabolite for root rot disease virulence in American ginseng. Journal of Ginseng Research, [online] 45(1), 156-162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jgr.2019.08.008
2021 - View publication details
Collins, S.L., Walsh, J.P., Renaud, J.B., McMillan, A., Rulisa, S., Miller, J.D., Reid, G., Sumarah, M.W. (2021). Improved methods for biomarker analysis of the big five mycotoxins enables reliable exposure characterization in a population of childbearing age women in Rwanda. Food and Chemical Toxicology, [online] 147 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2020.111854
2021 - View publication details
Chakraborty, T., Balusani, D., Sabourin, L., Renaud, J., Sumarah, M., Nakhla, G., Ray, M.B. (2020). Fate of micropollutants in chemically enhanced primary treatment using recovered coagulants. Journal of Environmental Management, [online] 269 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110815
2020 - View publication details
Loi, M., Renaud, J.B., Rosini, E., Pollegioni, L., Vignali, E., Haidukowski, M., Sumarah, M.W., Logrieco, A.F., Mulè, G. (2020). Enzymatic transformation of aflatoxin B1 by Rh_DypB peroxidase and characterization of the reaction products. Chemosphere, [online] 250 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126296
2020 - View publication details
Kelman, M.J., Renaud, J.B., Seifert, K.A., Mack, J., Yeung, K.K.C., Sumarah, M.W. (2020). Chemotaxonomic profiling of canadian alternaria populations using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Metabolites, [online] 10(6), http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/metabo10060238
2020 - View publication details
Des Rochers, N., Walsh, J.P., Renaud, J.B., Seifert, K.A., Yeung, K.K.C., Sumarah, M.W. (2020). Metabolomic profiling of fungal pathogens responsible for root rot in American ginseng. Metabolites, [online] 10(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/metabo10010035
2020 - View publication details
Crippin, T., Limay-Rio, V., Renaud, J.B., Schaafsma, A.W., Sumarah, M.W., Miller, J.D. (2020). Fusarium graminearum populations from maize and wheat in Ontario, Canada. World Mycotoxin Journal, [online] 13(3), 355-366. http://dx.doi.org/10.3920/WMJ2019.2532
2020 - View publication details
Joshi, J., Renaud, J.B., Sumarah, M.W., Marsolais, F. (2019). Deciphering S-methylcysteine biosynthesis in common bean by isotopic tracking with mass spectrometry. Plant Journal, [online] 100(1), 176-186. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14438
2019 - View publication details
McMullin, D.R., Hoogstra, S., McDonald, K.P., Sumarah, M.W., Renaud, J.B. (2019). Natural Product Discovery with LC-MS/MS Diagnostic Fragmentation Filtering: Application for Microcystin Analysis. Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), [online] 2019(147), http://dx.doi.org/10.3791/59712
2019 - View publication details
Walsh, J.P., Renaud, J.B., Hoogstra, S., McMullin, D.R., Ibrahim, A., Visagie, C.M., Tanney, J.B., Yeung, K.K.C., Sumarah, M.W. (2019). Diagnostic fragmentation filtering for the discovery of new chaetoglobosins and cytochalasins. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (RCM), [online] 33(1), 133-139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8306
2019 - View publication details
Manoli, K., Morrison, L.M., Sumarah, M.W., Nakhla, G., Ray, A.K., Sharma, V.K. (2019). Pharmaceuticals and pesticides in secondary effluent wastewater: Identification and enhanced removal by acid-activated ferrate(VI). Water Research, [online] 148 272-280. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.10.056
2019 - View publication details
Morrison, L.M., Renaud, J.B., Sabourin, L., Sumarah, M.W., Yeung, K.K.C., Lapen, D.R. (2018). High-throughput quantitation of neonicotinoids in lyophilized surface water by LC-APCI-MS/MS. Journal of AOAC International, [online] 101(6), 1940-1947. http://dx.doi.org/10.5740/jaoacint.17-0486
2018 - View publication details
Park, S.H., Li, F., Renaud, J., Shen, W., Li, Y., Guo, L., Cui, H., Sumarah, M., Wang, A. (2017). NbEXPA1, an α-expansin, is plasmodesmata-specific and a novel host factor for potyviral infection. Plant Journal, [online] 92(5), 846-861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13723
2017 - View publication details
Daisley, B.A., Trinder, M., McDowell, T.W., Welle, H., Dube, J.S., Ali, S.N., Leong, H.S., Sumarah, M.W., Reid, G. (2017). Neonicotinoid-induced pathogen susceptibility is mitigated by Lactobacillus plantarum immune stimulation in a Drosophila melanogaster model. Scientific Reports, [online] 7(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-02806-w
2017 - View publication details