Microbiology graduate student awarded prestigious U.S. DOE educational award

Kelly Shannon, a Ph.D. student in the College of Science’s Department of Microbiology, was awarded a transformative educational award from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Shannon is one of 79 doctoral students from 56 universities and 29 states selected this year for the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. The program provides funding and access to DOE national laboratories, enabling them to conduct mission-critical research alongside leading scientists and develop into the next generation of science leaders.

Advised by microbiologist Rick Colwell and mentored by Chris Suffridge, Shannon will complete his dissertation research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with microbial ecologist Xavier Mayali.

“This award is such an honor to receive. It means the absolute world to conduct research in this type of world-renowned facility, and with such amazing mentorship,” Shannon said. “I’m ecstatic to begin my project at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and I hope that my research will make a difference in my field and in our ability to understand harmful algal blooms, which are so damaging to freshwater ecosystems and food webs.”

Kelly Shannon (left) and Chris Suffridge (right) filter water samples from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, as part of a project funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

His research focuses on harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, and how they acquire and share nitrogen, a key nutrient needed by all life. These freshwater HABs can produce toxins that threaten wildlife, drinking water and recreational areas worldwide.

Shannon is studying how cyanobacteria pull nitrogen from the atmosphere and make it available to other algae. Some cyanobacteria can “fix” atmospheric nitrogen, converting it into a form that can be used by living organisms. This process not only fuels their own growth but may also support other algal species in the bloom. Because HABs often consist of several interacting species, understanding how nitrogen moves between them may reveal new insights into how these blooms form and persist in nature.

He is also exploring the role of vitamin B1 and a natural toxin in this nutrient exchange. Vitamin B1, or thiamin, is essential for all microorganisms, including algae. He will test how the availability of thiamin, and a naturally occurring compound that interferes with thiamin use, affects nitrogen transfer between species. This could shed light on hidden chemical interactions that influence the development and toxicity of HABs.

Shannon earned both his bachelor's degree (2020) and master’s (2022) in microbiology from Oregon State. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. as a member of the Colwell Lab in the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.

In addition to the DOE award, Shannon was selected as Oregon’s young ambassador for the American Society for Microbiology in 2024.

Two men in water pants collect samples in a lake.

Kelly Shannon (left) and Chris Suffridge (right) collect water samples from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon.

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