Rima Menassa Ph.D.

Research Scientist

London Research and Development Centre

Current research and/or projects

Mitigate development and Transmission of AMR across the farm to fork to clinic continuum (interdepartmental GRDI) (2022-2026)

Mitigating AMR (AAFC-GRDI) (2018-2024)

Development of an oral intervention method to eliminate shedding of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 by pigs. (Collaboration with PlantForm Corp.) (2020-2023)

Research and/or project statements

Plants as bioreactors for the production of veterinary vaccines and antibodies as alternatives to antibiotics

Transforming the chloroplast genome for the production of veterinary vaccines

Education and awards

PhD. in Molecular Genetics, McGill University
M.Sc. in Plant Pathology, American University of Beirut
B.Sc. in Agriculture, American University of Beirut

Additional links

Researchgate

Google Scholar

rima.menassa@agr.gc.ca

Key publications

Kolotilin, I., Topp, E., Cox, E., Devriendt, B., Conrad, U., Joensuu, J.J., Stöger, E., Warzecha, H., McAllister, T.A., McLean, M.D, Hall, J.C., and Menassa, R. (2015). "Plant-based solutions for veterinary immunotherapeutics and prophylactics.", BMC Veterinary Research, 45(1), pp. 375. (Abstract)
2015 - View publication details
Saberianfar, R., Joensuu, J.J., Conley, A.J., Menassa, R. (2015). Protein body formation in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana: A concentration-dependent mechanism influenced by the presence of fusion tags. Plant Biotechnology Journal, [online] 13(7), 927-937. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12329
2015 - View publication details
Sattarzadeh, A., Saberianfar, R., Zipfel, W.R., Menassa, R., Hanson, M.R. (2015). Green to red photoconversion of GFP for protein tracking in vivo. Scientific Reports, [online] 5 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep11771
2015 - View publication details
Duwadi, K., Chen, L., Menassa, R., Dhaubhadel, S. (2015). Identification, characterization and down-regulation of cysteine protease genes in tobacco for use in recombinant protein production. PLoS ONE, [online] 10(7), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130556
2015 - View publication details
MacDonald, J., Doshi, K., Dussault, M., Hall, J.C., Holbrook, L., Jones, G., Kaldis, A., Klima, C.L., MacDonald, P., McAllister, T.A., McLean, M.D, Potter, A., Richman, A.S., Shearer, H., Yarosh, O., Yoo, H.S., Topp, E., and Menassa, R. (2015). "Bringing plant-based veterinary vaccines to market: Managing regulatory and commercial hurdles.", Biotechnology Advances. doi : 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2015.07.007
2015 - View publication details
Menassa, R. (2014). "Transplastomic plants for high level production of pharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes.", 9th Canadian Plant Biotechnology Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada, May12-15, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Menassa, R. (2014). "Protein body inducing fusions for high level accumulation and purification of recombinant proteins in plants.", PepTalk, the Protein Science Peek, Palm Springs, California, USA.
2014 - View publication details
Gutiérrez, S.P. and Menassa, R. (2014). "Protein body-inducing fusions for recombinant protein production in plants.", in Hefferon, K. (ed.) - Plant-derived Pharmaceuticals: Principles and Applications for Developing Countries, CABI Publishing, pp. 9-19.
2014 - View publication details
Menassa, R. (2014). "The production and characterization of a new active lipase from Acremonium alcalophilum using a plant bioreactor.", PEGS Boston, Boston, USA.
2014 - View publication details
Saberianfar, R., Joensuu, J.J., and Menassa, R. (2014). "Role of elastin-like polypeptide and hydrophobin for protein body formation in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves.", 9th Canadian Plant Biotechnology Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada, May12-15, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Duwadi, K., Chen, L., Menassa, R., and Dhaubhadel, S. (2014). "Silencing of selected cysteine protease genes improves recombinant protein accumulation in transgenic tobacco plants.", 9th Canadian Plant Biotechnology Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada, May12-15, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Feeney, M., Menassa, R., and Frigerio, L. (2014). "On the Heels of the Elusive Protein Storage Vacuole: Developing Strategies to Study Vacuole Biogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.", 25th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 28-August 1, 2014. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Miletic, S., Kaldis, A., MacDonald, J.D., Leuthreau, A., and Menassa, R. (2014). "A plant-made vaccine to protect cattle against Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.", 9th Canadian Plant Biotechnology Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada, May12-15, 2014, Oral presentation.
2014 - View publication details
Leuthreau, A., Miletic, S., Kaldis, A., MacDonald, J.D., and Menassa, R. (2014). "Plant-made vaccines as an alternative to antibiotic treatments: Transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana and generation of stable transplastomic Nicotiana tabacum.", 9th Canadian Plant Biotechnology Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada, May12-15, 2014. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Tran, H.-H., Chen, H., Wang, H., Menassa, R., Hüner, N.P.A., and Wang, A.M. (2014). "Developing a Bean pod mottle virus-based expression system for the expression of proteins of interest in plants.", 33rd Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, Fort Collins, USA, June 21-25, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Pereira, E.O., Kolotilin, I., Conley, A.J., Menassa, R. (2014). Production and characterization of in planta transiently produced polygalacturanase from Aspergillus niger and its fusions with hydrophobin or ELP tags, 14 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6750-14-59
2014 - View publication details
Kolotilin, I., Topp, E., Cox, E., Devriendt, B., Conrad, U., Joensuu, J.J., Stöger, E., Warzecha, H., McAllister, T.A., Potter, A., McLean, M.D, Hall, J.C., and Menassa, R. (2014). "Plant-based solutions for veterinary immunotherapeutics and prophylactics.", Veterinary Research, 45(1: Article number 117), pp. 1-12. doi : 10.1186/s13567-014-0117-4
2014 - View publication details
Scott, I.M., Menassa, R., and Kolotilin, I. (2013). "Environment risk assessment of transgenic Nicotiana tabacum: Assessing non-target effects of bioreactor crops.", Entomological Society of America – Entomology 2013. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Menassa, R. (2013). "Fusion proteins and transplastomic plants for the production of vaccines in leaf biomass.", Plant-made vaccines as an alternative to antibiotics: countering antibiotic resistance and ensuring human food safety workshop, London, Ontario, Canada.
2013 - View publication details
Saberianfar, R., Joensuu, J.J., and Menassa, R. (2013). "Investigation of the role of elastin-like polypeptides, hydrophobin fusion tags and recombinant protein accumulation levels as critical elements of protein body biogenesis in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves.", Plant-Based Vaccines, Antibodies and Biologics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy, June 5-7, 2013, Oral presentation.
2013 - View publication details