Let's talk
about bacteria.
Research projects
Microbial response to ocean deoxygenation
Current project
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR
I conducted experiments to examine hypotheses regarding microbial physiology and enzyme kinetics in marine oxygen minimum zones. Using mesocosms to simulate low oxygen regions in the lab, I measured changes in bacterial respiration rate, carbon signatures, and microbial community composition. This research aims to enhance our ability to predict the formation and expansion of oxygen minimum zones, thereby increasing the resilience of coastal communities.
Read more about our Hypoxic Barrier Hypothesis.
Methods development + novel species classification
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA
This project involved testing and implementing a custom MALDI-TOF database for rapid identification of environmental bacterial samples from NASA cleanroom facilities.
We also classified two novel species, Bacillus glennii and Bacillus saganii, originally isolated from Kennedy Space Center during the Viking mission.
The Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group team ensures that spacecraft meet stringent cleanliness requirements to prevent forward contamination (microbial contamination of the solar system by spacecraft that we launch from Earth) and backward contamination (extraterrestrial contamination of the Earth and Moon by way of sample return missions).
Water quality assessment in response to storm events
University of the Virgin Islands
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
This project involved GIS and sampling Caribbean watersheds to determine the effects of storm events on coastal water quality. We worked to identify if fecal coliforms were detectable at levels to pose a public health risk and if so, determine the timeline for recovery.