Nicole Zhao
“Identification of Carbamazepine Degraders”
Markville S.S., Markham, ON
The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) is the most frequently detected pharmaceutical pollutant in the Great Lakes Basin. CBZ can trigger allergic reactions that may lead to severe skin and organ damage. Bioremediation uses biological organisms to biodegrade pollutants. This project aims to find naturally occurring bacteria in the Great Lakes Basin that could biodegrade CBZ. Microbacterium oxydan was identified as a putative degrader.