Curriculum Vitae

 
 

Curriculum Vitae

Education

M.S. Biochemistry
Montana State University
August 2020 - December 2022
Characterizing and engineering enzymes involved in terephthalate catabolism for PET plastic upcycling applications

B.S. Biology Summa Cum Laude
Portland State University, September 2015 - March 2018
Focus on molecular biology & biochemistry; 2 years laboratory research experience

B.S. Product & Material Studies
Minor in History of Art & Modern Architecture
University of Oregon, September 2010 - June 2014
Focus on furniture, lighting, and textile design
Minor focus on modern, utopian, and bio-inspired architecture

 

Key Skills

  • Molecular Biology & Biochemistry: Cloning, PCR, strain engineering & characterization, protein expression and purification, activity assays, FPLC, HPLC

  • Soft Skills: Experimental design optimization, scientific writing and presentation, lab supply management and ordering, note keeping and spreadsheet cataloging, having fun

  • Design & illustration: Figure design, data plotting and visualization, 3D rendering, digital and traditional illustration, web and logo design

  • Programs & languages: PyMol, Geneious, SnapGene, Fusion 360, Microsoft Office, Blender, Adobe Suite, R, Python

Awards & Fellowships

  • Graduate Research Fellowship
    National Science Foundation, Awarded 2020

  • Director’s Award
    National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2019

Publications

 

Research Experience

  • NSF Graduate Research Fellow
    Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
    August 2020 - December 2022

    Characterization and engineering of enzymes involved in polyester ester hydrolysis and terephthalate metabolism for the biocatalysis and upcycling of PET plastic

With coworkers from NREL at A-1 Organics’ composting facility outside of Denver, CO. Plastic waste from A-1’s industrial composting piles was collected in order to hunt for new plastic-eating bacteria.

With coworkers from NREL at A-1 Organics’ composting facility outside of Denver, CO. Plastic waste from A-1’s industrial composting piles was collected in order to hunt for new plastic-eating bacteria.

  • Post-Baccalaureate Intern - Molecular Biology,
    National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado
    August 2018 - July 2020

    • Full-time position focusing on the metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas putida KT2440

    • Projects included: Engineering KT2440 for the bioconversion of solid PET plastic, PET monomers, and other plastic degradation products; Screening environmental samples for new plastic and terephthalate degraders; Engineering KT2440 for the production of branched-chain polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)

    • Member of NREL’s Working Sustainability Group managing sustainability efforts on NREL’s campus; Led a campaign to eliminate single-use plastics from all of NREL’s food service areas.

 
  • Undergraduate Researcher, Stedman Lab, Portland State University, Portland, OR
    June 2017 - August 2018
    Researching the genomes and capsid proteins of Sulfolobus Spindle-shaped Viruses (SSVs)

  • Volunteer Researcher, Cambronne Lab, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
    January 2017 - November 2017
    Researching ABC transporters in Legionella pneumophila

 
 

Skills: Plasmid design, SDS-PAGE, protein expression (E. coli) and purification via FPLC and SEC (analytical and preparative), high-throughput enzymatic assay development, enzyme kinetics determination, HPLC analysis and method development, protein structural analysis in PyMol, differential scanning fluorimetry, ICP-MS and atomic absorption spectroscopy for metals analysis; Microsoft office; lab management

 

Skills: Primer and plasmid design, cloning (Gibson) and chromosomal integration via SacB counter selection for heterologous and native gene expression in P. putida KT2440, colony PCR, DNA gels, and sequence verification; experimental design for strain characterization involving growth rate comparisons in both 96-well plate and shake-flask formats, use of HPLC to quantify metabolite conversion and yield; analysis of polymer mass loss and crystallinity using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); presentation of findings in regular meetings and writing quarterly reports for D.O.E. milestones; visual communication of research for publication, grant proposals, and journal covers.

 

Skills: Extremophile cell culture, viral halo assays, whole virus and viral protein expression and purification, SDS-PAGE & Western blot

 

Skills: E. coli cell culture, protein expression screening, SDS-PAGE & Western blot

Hunting for viruses in Boiling Springs Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park, N. California

Hunting for viruses in Boiling Springs Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park, N. California

Science Communication & Other Experience

  • Freelance Scientific Illustrator, Scivetica, November 2021 - Present

  • Poster presenter, SIMB Symposium on Biomaterials, Fuels, and Chemicals, New Orelans, LA, May 2022

  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, August 2020 - June 2021

  • Speaker & Activity Leader, STEMblazers, Denver, CO, September 2019 - February 2020

  • Install Volunteer, GRID Alternatives, CO, October 2019 - February 2020

  • Conference Speaker: “Kicking Plastic’s Butt: Engineering Pseudomonas putida KT440 for the consolidated bioprocessing of PET”, Symposium on Microbial Carbon Valorization, Golden, CO, 2019

  • Presenter: “Designing for Life - Synthetic Biology for a Sustainable Future”, Ladies’ Lab Night, Portland, OR, March 9, 2019

    1. Speaker: “The Biochemistry, Art, & History of Indigo”, SciArt: Earth, Portland, OR, April 20, 2018

  • Natural Dye Education Station, Buckman Elementary School STEAM Night, Portland, OR, April 12, 2018

  • Speaker: “Boiling Acid, Viruses, & the Architecture of Life”, Ladies' Lab Night, Portland, OR, March 8, 2018

  • Co-organizer & Co-Founder, Ladies' Lab Night, Portland, OR, March 8, 2018

    Helped organize a night inviting students from K-12 schools in the Portland community to meet the women & non-binary researchers in the Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics departments at PSU

Young women and their families get ready to go on a tour of chemistry labs at Ladies' Lab Night, photo credit Amelia Schley

Local K-12 students and their families get ready to go on a tour of chemistry labs at Ladies' Lab Night

 

References

 
 
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Thank you!