Background

Education

Ph.D., University of Hawaii, Manoa, Microbiology

M.S., University of Hawaii, Manoa, Microbiology

B.S., University of Hawaii, Manoa, Microbiology

Research

My research project focuses on understanding the interaction of SAR11 bacterial clade with dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the ocean. I am particularly interested in analyzing the evolutionary ‘hotspots’ within the genomes of divergent SAR11 strains in the ocean to understand how these genomic regions may play a role in shaping their metabolic capabilities and ultimately on how they break down DOM. I am also interested in evolutionary forces shaping these regions. We plan to carry out deep sequencing of single-cell genomic and metagenomic libraries that will be generated from an upcoming cruise to Bermuda as part of the BIOS-SCOPE research collaboration.