Graduate Lab Members
Charles O'Brien
Ph.D. student, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Rutgers University
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Biotechnology, Rutgers University, 2002
Reserch Interests: Mechanisms of biofilm formation in natural microbial communities at deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Ramaydalis Keddis
Ph.D. student, Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Rutgers University
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, 2006
Reserch Interests: Hydrocarbon oxidation in deep-sea geothermal environments
Former Graduate Students
Marie Bolognini (At Loreal USA as of January 2012)
MS student, Masters of Business and Science in Biotechnology and Genomics, Rutgers University
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Microbial Biotechnology, Minor in Biochemistry, Rutgers University, 2009
Ileana Perez-Rodriguez (Barbara McClintock Fellow at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC, as of November 1st, 2011)
Recipient of the P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Scholar Award and of a NSF K-12 Fellowship
Ph.D. student, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources Graduate Program, Rutgers University
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, 2005
Reserch Interests:
Anaerobic chemosynthetic bacteria in deep-sea geothermal environments
e-mail: ilemilagros@yahoo.com
Melitza Crespo-Medina (left) and Ileana Perez (right) in the lab on board the R/V Atlantis
Ileana's PhD defense - September 30, 2011
Melitza Crespo-Medina (At the University of Georgia as of January 12th, 2009)
Recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) Award 2005
Ph.D. student, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Rutgers University
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology & Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B.S. in Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, 2002
Reserch Interests: Thiosulfate oxidizing bacteria from deep-sea vents; Microbial resistance to mercury in geothermal environments
Melitza's PhD defense - December 2, 2008
Melitza earned her Mercury wings! - December 13, 2008
Andrew Reed (At the University of Minnesota as of December 2009)
Ph.D. student, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources Graduate Program, Rutgers University
Affiliation: Institute
of Marine and Coastal Sciences
M.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee
B.S. Organismal and Systems Biology, University of Tennessee
Drew's PhD defense - September 19, 2008
James Voordeckers (Currently at the Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman)
Ph.D. student, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Rutgers University
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology & Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
B.S. Biotechnology, minor in Biochemistry
Research Interests: Thermophilic nitrate-reducing bacteria from hydrothermal vents
James' PhD defense - June 29th, 2007