Past Research Projects
Random shear shuttle Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) libraries for antimicrobial discovery from soil metagenomes
During my time as a Cellular and Molecular Biosciences Research Fellow at Auburn University, I worked with Dr. Mark Liles and Dr. Kavita Kakirde to screen a soil metagenomic library for antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Physiological ecology of tree swallows
While an undergraduate student at Iowa State University, I worked on diverse projects related to avian physiological ecology under the guidance of Dr. Carol Vleck. More specifically, I worked on a longitudinal study examining senescence in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Over the course of three field seasons, I captured, banded, and collected blood samples from tree swallows at field sites in both Ithaca, NY, USA, and Ames, IA, USA. As part of this work, I learned to perform diverse techniques in ecological immunology including phytahaemagglutinin (PHA) wing web injections, bacterial killing assays, and assays for measuring oxidative stress using plasma samples. Concurrently, I completed my senior honors project examining testosterone profiles of both male and female tree swallows.
Arbovirus surveillance
As a undergraduate research assistant Dr. Brad Blitvich's lab, I facilitated arbovirus surveillance and characterization studies, particularly emphasizing mosquito-borne flaviviruses. This research incorporated a diverse array of molecular techniques including cell culture, RNA extractions, primer design, and reverse-transcription PCR. Additionally, I had the opportunity to shadow in the lab of our collaborator, Dr. Lyric Bartholomay, and learn about mosquito colony maintenance, assist with experimental inoculations of mosquitos with insect-specific viruses, and try my hand at mosquito dissections. My experiences working for Dr. Blitvich helped me discover my passion for scientific discovery and provided me with a solid foundation for pursuing my doctoral degree.