Christophe LeMoine

Dr. Christophe LeMoine is a Professor in the Department of Comparative Animal Physiology at Brandon University. His research focuses on metabolic regulation and physiological adaptations in animals facing environmental and physiological challenges. He leads a lab investigating metabolic pathways at cellular and organismal levels, with a particular emphasis on plastic biodegradation (e.g., in waxworms), microplastic impacts, and climbing goby physiology. His work integrates biochemical, molecular, and evolutionary approaches. He teaches courses including Human Anatomy and Physiology, Animal Physiology, and Environmental Animal Physiology. Recent lab news highlights collaborations on plastic-eating insects and student achievements, such as NSERC scholarships and thesis defenses.

Research interests include metabolic plasticity, microbiome roles in plastic digestion, and evolutionary adaptations. His lab uses zebrafish, Galleria mellonella, and climbing gobies as models. Collaborations with Bryan Cassone and others have yielded studies on polyethylene metabolism and microplastic effects. He supervises graduate and undergraduate students in projects addressing metabolic consequences of environmental stressors and gene knockdown techniques.

Lab members have published on topics like waxworm microbiomes, microplastic transcriptional effects, and climbing goby locomotion. Teaching responsibilities include advanced courses in biomedical techniques and environmental physiology. Current opportunities exist for undergraduate research assistants in zebrafish and waxworm projects.