Mehran Dastmalchi, McGill University

Research

Synthetic Biology Biochemistry Catharanthus roseus Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids Plant metabolism Gene Discovery Isoflavonoids Legumes

Latest papers

At the roots of resistance.
Nature chemical biology · 2025 · senior author
Characterization of a vacuolar importer of secologanin in Catharanthus roseus.
Communications biology · 2024 · senior author
Characterization of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (CYP73A) and p-coumaroyl 3'-hydroxylase (CYP98A) from Leucojum aestivum, a source of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids.
Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB · 2024

All 10 publications

Latest funding

Evolution and mechanics of plant transporters moving medicinal cargo
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$25,000
Tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope for the Study of Biomaterials
NSERC · 2024 · Co-investigator
$150,000
MIMA : Mouvement Intercellulaire des Métabolites Alcaloïdes
NSERC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$90,000

All 7 grants and awards

10 publications.

01

At the roots of resistance.

Raytek LM, Dastmalchi M

Nature chemical biology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41589-025-01937-w PMID: 40571719

02

Characterization of a vacuolar importer of secologanin in Catharanthus roseus.

Li F, Shahsavarani M, Handy-Hart CJ, Côté A, Brasseur-Trottier X, Montgomery V, Beech RN, Liu L, Bayen S, Qu Y, De Luca V, Dastmalchi M

Communications biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06624-5 PMID: 39097635

03

Characterization of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (CYP73A) and p-coumaroyl 3'-hydroxylase (CYP98A) from Leucojum aestivum, a source of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids.

Karimzadegan V, Koirala M, Sobhanverdi S, Merindol N, Majhi BB, Gélinas SE, Timokhin VI, Ralph J, Dastmalchi M, Desgagné-Penix I

Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108612 PMID: 38598867

04

Editorial: Untapped metabolic diversity in legume-characteristic pathways.

Dastmalchi M, Dhaubhadel S

Frontiers in plant science2022First author

DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1117833 PMID: 36704153

05

Plant nutrition: An architect of nitrate-hunger cues.

Raytek LM, Dastmalchi M

Current biology : CB2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.055 PMID: 36473445

06

A lesion-mimic mutant of Catharanthus roseus accumulates the opioid agonist, akuammicine.

Li F, Bordeleau S, Kim KH, Turcotte J, Davis B, Liu L, Bayen S, De Luca V, Dastmalchi M

Phytochemistry2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113422 PMID: 36055422

07

Suicide prevention for enzymes using continuous directed evolution.

Dastmalchi M

Plant physiology2022First author

DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab526 PMID: 34791471

08

Elusive partners: a review of the auxiliary proteins guiding metabolic flux in flavonoid biosynthesis.

Dastmalchi M

The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology2021First author

DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15446 PMID: 34318549

09

Late-stage maturation erodes lipid content in soybean seeds.

Dastmalchi M

Plant physiology2021First author

DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab129 PMID: 33842956

10

A Role for Melatonin in the Defense of Sweet Oranges against Citrus Greening Disease.

Dastmalchi M

Plant physiology2020First author

DOI: 10.1104/pp.20.01463 PMID: 33277333

Evolution and mechanics of plant transporters moving medicinal cargo

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Dastmalchi, Mehran M

Keywords: apocynaceae; biochemistry; catharanthus roseus; cellular transport; liposomes; monoterpenoid indole alkaloids; multidrug & toxic compound extrusion; plant metabolism; secologanin; transporters

$25,000

Tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope for the Study of Biomaterials

Co-investigatorNSERC2024Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Geitmann, Anja

Keywords: Biomaterials; Biopolymers; Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS); Food packaging; Malaria; Plant development; Scanning electron microscope; Scanning-transmission electron microscopy (STEM); Viral infection

$150,000

MIMA : Mouvement Intercellulaire des Métabolites Alcaloïdes

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Dastmalchi, Mehran M

Keywords: alkaloids; biochemistry; catharanthus roseus; monoterpenoid indole alkaloids; plant metabolism; plant pathology; pseudomonas; synthetic biology; transport; yeast

$90,000

Plant-derived biosynergists to enhance pesticide efficacy

Principal investigatorSSHRC2022New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Principal investigators: Dastmalchi, Mehran

Keywords: biosynergist arthropod glutathione s-transferase detoxification mass spectrometry plant natural products pesticide nanodelivery enzymology intermolecular interactions

$125,000

Plant-derived biosynergists to enhance pesticide efficacy

Principal investigatorSSHRC2022New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Principal investigators: Dastmalchi, Mehran

Keywords: biosynergist; arthropod; glutathione s-transferase; detoxification; mass spectrometry; plant natural products; pesticide; nanodelivery; enzymology; intermolecular interactions

$125,000

Engineering isoflavonoid biosynthesis in the forage legume, red clover

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Dastmalchi, Mehran

Keywords: plant biochemistry; specialized metabolism; isoflavonoids; metabolomics; transcriptomics; gene discovery; protein-protein interactions; synthetic biology; metabolic engineering; legumes

$132,000

Engineering isoflavonoid biosynthesis in the forage legume, red clover

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Discovery Launch Supplement

Principal investigators: Dastmalchi, Mehran

$12,500

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of
Biological sciences
Science and Technology
Chemistry

Co-authors at McGill University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Vincenzo De Luca

Biological sciences

2 shared papers, latest 2024

Yang Qu

Chemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Sangeeta Dhaubhadel

Science and Technology

1 shared papers, latest 2022

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Synthetic Biology Dear Professor Dastmalchi, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "At the roots of resistance." (2025), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Evolution and mechanics of plant transporters moving medicinal cargo" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]