Jonathan Van Hamme is Professor of Microbiology and founding Director of the TRUGen Applied Genomics Laboratory at Thompson Rivers University, the only high-throughput sequencing facility in central British Columbia, Canada. He is an applied environmental microbiologist with over 25 years of experience in petroleum microbiology, industrial waste treatment, contaminant biotransformation, phytoremediation, analytical chemistry, proteomics and genomics, including bacterial genome sequencing, microbial community characterization, and eDNA detection of insects, plants and animals. He received an Honours B.Sc. in Biology with a Chemistry Minor from the University of Waterloo in 1996, and a Ph.D. in petroleum microbiology from the University of Waterloo in 2000. After three years with the National Resources Canada at their National Centre for Upgrading Technology, where he was leading work on microbial biotechnologies for heavy oil upgrading, he joined Thompson Rivers University and established his own research program. Since that time, he has built a world-class molecular microbiology laboratory that includes equipment for aerobic and anaerobic microbiology, fermentations up to 40 liters, proteomics, high-throughput sequencing (Ion S5, Oxford Nanopore, Sanger), and stable isotope probing. With a major focus on environmental remediation of both organic and inorganic pollutants, he has a long history of academic and industrial collaborations in a wide range of fields (petroleum, agriculture, food, brewing, chemical). He is currently focused on uncovering the biochemical basis of bacterial per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) metabolism, as well as tracking SARS-CoV-2 in sewage. He served for ten years as an editor for Biodegradation, and is currently an editor for the Canadian Journal of Microbiology.
Past Important Activities / Projects
2021 Liu J, Ghosal S, Sauvé S, Van Hamme JD, Weber K. Upgrading highresolution mass spectrometry system for advancing research in emerging environmental pollutants. NSERC Research Tools and Instruments. $150,000. Role: Co-applicant.
2020 – 2025 Van Hamme JD, Jin L, Bottos E. The TRUbI/O Network, a hub for genomics and bioinformatics innovation in the British Columbia interior. Canada Foundation for Innovation, Innovation Fund 2020. $2,152,126. Role: Team Leader.
2020 – 2021 Van Hamme JD, Bottos EM, Cameron ADS. Modelling SARS-CoV-2 movement through a city via municipal sewage networks: Kamloops, British Columbia COVID-19 reemergence warning system pilot project. NSERC Alliance COVID-19. $49,982. Role: co-P.I.
2021 – 2022 Perreault N, Bottos EM, Van Hamme JD. Mechanistic Understanding of Acidophilic Electroactive Biofilms. National Research Council New Beginnings Initiative. $50,000. Role: co-P.I.
2020 – 2023 Liu J, Van Hamme JD, et al. Microbially-Mediated Defluorination of High-Priority Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Microorganisms, Genetics, and Biochemistry. Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). US$1,300,000. Role: Co-P.I.
2019 – 2024 Van Hamme JD. Mechanisms of fluorinated organic chemical metabolism in bacteria. NSERC Discovery. $250,000. Role: PI. Will be extended for one year at $50,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2017 – 2022 Van Hamme JD. Applied Genomics Laboratory: TRUgen. Canadian Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund & British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund. Total project: $741,902. Role: PI.
Prof. Van Hamme has co-authored 64 referred journal publications, with more than 5900 citations. He has been an invited speaker and presented his research work across Canada and overseas.