Cristina Landeta

I am a microbiologist, basically interested in the unseen majority, organisms that account for ∼10³⁰ cells in our planet and that date back to the origin of life at least 3.8 billion years ago. I am fascinated by this invisible world and their role in supporting life in the biosphere as well as their role in human health and disease. Find my Google Scholar, Twitter, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, ORCID or Mendeley.

Dyotima

I am the Research Associate of the lab and my goal is to further the field of biological sciences. I graduated with Master's from the Biochemistry program at IU and hope to learn more there is to the microbes that dominate our world. When not in the laboratory, my most favourite thing to do is sleep, with the occasional watching anime, doodling and playing Pokemon video games.

Adrian Mejia-Santana

I am currently a graduate student, pursuing a PhD in Microbiology. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology with international distinction from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I have always been fascinated with biology at a young age and the continuous pursuit of knowledge it has to offer.

Gwendolyn Nita Amarquaye

I am interested in how microbes develop strategies to overcome conditions that are rather harmful to them. The DNA of an organism tells us a lot and tweaking it can change the identity of the organism. Part of my motivation as a student stems from the burden that I cannot give up because I have others, some I am yet to meet, looking up to me. In my free time, I like to read novels or watch movies.

Sally Abulaila

In my eyes, amongst all organisms, bacteria are the most interesting in terms of cell structure and function. Since BSc, the vast spread of antibiotic resistance around the world has made me more determined to study bacteria and not any other microorganism. By reading research articles, reviews or textbooks, one can sense how complex and smart bacteria are despite their micro-size. Utilising disulfide bond formation systems as new therapeutic targets is one of the most attractive research topics to my mind. Therefore, as a graduate student, I am looking forward to studying and understanding this system in the well-known pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and hopefully contribute to benefit mankind.

Dariana Chavez

Hannah Chung

I am junior majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. I was a part of the ASURE Chemistry Program at IU where I studied quorum sensing inhibitors as potential therapeutics to bacterial infections. I am interested in expanding my knowledge on microorganisms and applying it to medicine, as I hope to pursue a career in medicine. In my free time, I enjoy playing the violin and attending classical music concerts.

Rebecca Collins

I am currently a junior majoring in Biotechnology and minoring in Chemistry. I was part of the ASURE Genome Engineering Program and have also been part of the Medical Scientist Training Program at the IU School of Medicine. I'm looking forward to learning more lab techniques and how they can be used to gather information that we can apply to medicine. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends, hiking, and playing sports.

Lindsey Good

Jack Markus

I am currently a sophomore majoring in Human Biology. I was part of the ASURE Biotechnology Program, which is where I was first introduced to the world of microbiology. I find these tiny organisms to be very intersting and I want to better understand their role in human health. In my free time, I enjoy learning about real estate, listening to country music, and lifting weights.

Former lab members

Daisy Robles-Magallanes @ IU Baizabal lab

Kayley Ryan @ IU School of Medicine MD program

Ryley Aquilano @ Codelicious. 

Carolina Lopes @ IU Biotechnology Masters program

Jocelyne Mendoza @ Hines Medical Laboratory Science Program

Grace Mosley

Elijah Walker @ University of Cincinnati MD program