Contact Information
1206 West Gregory Drive
MC-195
Urbana, IL 61801
Research Interests
Research Topics
Archaea, Biofuels, Enzymology, Genomics, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Molecular Evolution, Protein Structure, Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions
Research Description
Molecular biology and biochemistry of archaeal DNA replication; host-microbiome interactions; enzymes of plant cell wall hydrolysis
The research of the Cann lab focuses on three areas:
- DNA replication in the archaeal domain of life
- Host-microbiome interactions and their effects on health and disease
- Enzymes of importance to biofuel production
Isaac Cann is a member of two themes at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB), and his research is carried out at the space shared by his affiliated themes [Microbiome Metabolic Engineering (MME) and Biocomplexity (BCXT)] with others at the IGB.
Education
B.Sc (Hons) Animal Sciences, University of Ghana 1986
M.S. (Rumen Microbiology), Mie University, Japan, 1991
Ph.D. (Rumen Microbiology), Mie University, Japan, 1994
Postdoctoral (Anaerobic Microbiology), Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, 1994-1997
Awards and Honors
National Science Foundation CAREER Award 2003
Fellow, Center for Advanced Study 2005
Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research Award (UIUC) 2012
Paul A. Funk Award, College of ACES 2014
Additional Campus Affiliations
Professor, Animal Sciences
Professor, Nutritional Sciences
Professor, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
Professor, Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies
Honors & Awards
National Science Foundation CAREER Award 2003
Fellow, Center for Advanced Study 2005
Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research Award (UIUC) 2012
Paul A. Funk Award, College of ACES 2014
Recent Publications
Abdel-Hamid, A. M., Putman, T., Furukawa, M., Palivos, W., Walden, K. K. O., Fields, C. J., Schimmel, P., Mackie, R. I., & Cann, I. (2025). Complete genome sequence of Methylocystis echinoides strain RIM isolated from soil. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.01155-24
Cann, I., Cheng, Y., Alhawsawi, M. A. B., Moran, M., Li, Y., Gong, T., Zhu, W., & Mackie, R. I. (2025). Rumen-Targeted Mining of Enzymes for Bioenergy Production. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, 13(1), 343-369. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-Animal-021022-030040
Shi, Q., Ma, J., Abdel-Hamid, A. M., Li, Y., Zhong, P., Wang, D., Sun, Z., Tu, T., Zhu, W., Cheng, Y., & Cann, I. (2025). Mining of latent feruloyl esterase resources in rumen and insight into dual-functional feruloyl esterase-xylanase from Pecoramyces ruminantium F1. Bioresource Technology, 418, Article 131854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131854
Couturier, M., De Rose, S. A., Cann, I., & Kerou, M. (2024). Editorial: 13th international congress on extremophiles: from extremophilic biomolecules and microorganisms to biotechnological and sustainable applications. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15, Article 1414760. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1414760
Kachi, K., Sato, T., Nagasawa, M., Cann, I., & Atomi, H. (2024). The Lreu1276 protein from Limosilactobacillus reuteri represents a third family of dihydroneopterin triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolases in bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 90(7), e0081424. Article e00814-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00814-24