Zach Mitchell

Zach is a microbiologist passionate about bacteriophage biology and promoting the general understanding and application of these viruses in health, agriculture and food production. He joined the Gregory Lab in November 2025.

He obtained his B.Sc. in Translational Molecular Medicine from the University of Ottawa, followed by an M.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology under the supervision of Dr. Adam Rudner where he worked to characterize a novel mechanism for the formation and maintenance of phage lysogens in Arthrobacter. His research interests include using phages as a model to study evolution, exploring novel biology from the massive reservoir of uncharacterized phage proteins, and understanding phage-phage and phage-host interactions in the environment.

His work in the Gregory lab involves isolating a collection of bacteriophages that infect clinically relevant bacteria from the human gut, with an additional focus on training new lab members in phage related, and other lab techniques.

Outside the lab, Zach enjoys rock climbing, backcountry skiing, and baking various breads and pastries.