Kenneth Ng

Our lab focuses on two different systems:

• RNA-dependent RNA Polymerases

RNA-dependent RNA polymerases are the central enzymes responsible for replicating the genomes of positive-stranded RNA viruses. Positive-stranded RNA viruses are the cause of many human diseases -- such as polio, the common cold, hepatitis A, hepatitis C, dengue fever, viral encephalitis (West Nile virus), viral gastroenteritis (Norwalk virus) and the recently discovered Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Positive-stranded RNA viruses also cause many serious diseases in other animals (for example, foot-and-mouth disease, rabbit hemorrhagic disease, feline calicivirus disease, porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome, and equine viral arteritis) and plants (for example, plum pox, barley yellow disease, potato virus Y).

• Caliciviruses

Carbohydrate-binding proteins

As a part of the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Sciences (AICCS), we interact extensively with five other labs at the University of Alberta and at the University of Calgary to pursue interdisciplinary research investigating the diverse functions of carbohydrates and carbohydrate-binding proteins

Here are some of the main systems that we are currently studying:

Clostridium difficile toxins -- We are characterizing carbohydrate-binding activities in these toxins to better understand their roles in the pathogenesis of antibiotic associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis
New England Journal of Medicine Editorial on highly toxigenic C. difficile strain causing recent outbreaks in Quebec and US
Canadian Medical Association Journal news item on C. difficile outbreak in Montreal and Calgary -- July 6, 2004
Canadian Medical Association Journal review on C. difficile pathogenesis & treatment -- July 6, 2004
Serum Amyloid Protein -- We are collaborating with Dave Bundle and other members of the AICCS to develop carbohydrate ligands of SAP for use in treating Alzheimer's disease
C-type lectins