Dr. Cullen Myers

I grew up in the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia and became fascinated with the biological sciences from a young age. This passion led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Toronto. Then, after a brief stint in Fisheries biology, I continued my academic journey and obtained a master’s degree from the University of Nottingham (Nottingham, UK) before returning to Canada to embark on Ph.D. studies at the University of Waterloo. Under the guidance of Professor John Honek, my doctoral research delved into the biological chemistry underlying antibacterial activity and resistance mechanisms for thiopeptide antibiotics. I subsequently joined Professor Eric Brown’s laboratory at McMaster University as a postdoctoral fellow and shifted my focus to studying enzymes that break down bacterial cell wall glycopolymers. During this time, I also gained exposure to chemical genetics and chemical biology approaches to unravel antimicrobial modes of action and elucidate the mechanisms of complex bacterial cellular processes. Following my PDF, I transitioned to the biotech industry and leveraged my broadened skill set to lead biochemistry research at Venatorx Pharmaceuticals (Malvern, PA, USA). Here, I directed efforts in support of pre-clinical antibiotic discovery and development programs focused on novel inhibitors of penicillin-binding proteins and β-lactamases.

I joined the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph in the summer of 2024. In my laboratory, we take a multidisciplinary approach to investigate poorly understood aspects of bacterial envelope biology, particularly within the contexts of antimicrobial resistance, and bacterial virulence and pathogenicity.

B.Sc. – University of Toronto, Biochemistry, Molecular biology and genetics
M.Sc. – University of Nottingham, Applied Biomolecular Technology
Ph.D. – University of Waterloo, Chemistry
Post-doctoral fellow – IIDR, McMaster University

1. Cassandra L. Chatwin, Jodie C. Hamrick, Robert E. L. Trout, Cullen L. Myers, Susan M. Cusick, William J. Weiss, Mark E. Pulse, Luigi Xerri, Christopher J. Burns, Gregory Moeck, Denis M. Daigle, Kaitlyn John, Tsuyoshi Uehara, Daniel C. Pevear. (2021). Microbiological Characterization of VNRX-5236, a Broad Spectrum β-Lactamase Inhibitor for Rescue of the Orally Bioavailable Cephalosporin Ceftibuten as a Carbapenem Sparing Agent against Strains of Enterobacterales Expressing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases and Serine Carbapenemases. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 65 (8), e00552-21.
2. Cullen L. Myers, Franco K.K. Li, Byoung-Mo Koo, Omar M. El-Halfawy, Shawn French, Carol A. Gross, Natalie C.J. Strynadka and Eric D. Brown. (2016). Identification of Two Phosphate Starvation-induced Wall Teichoic Acid Hydrolases Provides First Insights into the Degradative Pathway of a Key Bacterial Cell Wall Component. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 291 (50), 26066-26082.
3. Cullen L. Myers, Ronald G. Ireland, Teresa A. Garrett and Eric D. Brown (2015). Characterization of Wall Teichoic Acid Degradation by the Bacteriophage ϕ29 Appendage Protein GP12 Using Synthetic Substrate Analogs. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 290(31), 19133-19145.
4. Maya A. Farha, Tomasz L. Czarny, Cullen L. Myers, Liam J. Worrall, Shawn French, Deborah G. Conrady, Yang Wang, Eric Oldfield, Natalie C. J. Strynadka, and Eric D. Brown (2015). Antagonism screen for inhibitors of bacterial cell wall biogenesis uncovers an inhibitor of undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 112 (35), 11048-11053.
5. Cullen L Myers, Pei C Hang, Grace Ng, Joshua Yeun and John F Honek. (2010). Semi-synthetic analogues of thiostrepton delimit the critical nature of tail region modifications in the control of protein biosynthesis and antibacterial activity. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry. 18(12), 4231-4237.

Bacteria are encapsulated by a multi-layered envelope that protects the cell from the environment and performs vital functions crucial for survival. Enzymes involved in cell envelope biogenesis are important antibiotic targets, a prime example being β-lactam antibiotics, which inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis enzymes (penicillin-binding-proteins). However, our understanding of the dynamics of the bacterial cell envelope is incomplete. In the Myers Lab, we employ a diverse array of approaches – biochemical, biophysical, structural, molecular and genetic – to address gaps in the knowledge regarding the biological chemistry of the bacterial cell envelope. Specifically, we are interested in:

1. The genetics and enzymology of cell wall glycopolymer degradation and roles in cellular processes including cell division, morphogenesis and the expression of virulence properties.
2. The enzymology, structural biology and associated bacterial physiology of lesser-known penicillin-binding proteins, and penicillin-binding protein variants associated with β-lactam resistance.
3. The development of activity-independent in vitro platforms to interrogate the flux of xenobiotics across the bacterial cell envelope.

Given the rising challenge of antibiotic resistance and the scarcity of new drugs entering the clinic, the overarching goal of our research is to provide novel insights that can inform antimicrobial development and highlight novel strategies to circumvent antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens.

Interested undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to contact me about available opportunities.