Students
Rizi Ai
B.S., Biology, Fudan University, China
Member of Chang Lab
My research focuses on computer-aided drug design and discovery. I developed a bioinformatics tool, termed T-Analyst, for protein conformation analysis. This program is very useful for drug screening. Next, I am going to work on developing and applying computational tools to design and discover new drugs that target against Cannabinoid receptors.
Publication: Fatmi, M., Ai, R., and Chang, C-E. A., Synergistic regulation and ligand-induced conformational changes of tryptophan synthase. Biochemistry, 2009, 48 (41), pp 9921-9931.
Award: Janet M. Boyce Memorial Award.
Hagop Atamian
B.S. and M.S., Plant Protection, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Member of Kaloshian Lab
My research interest is to elucidate the interaction between the tomato host and the aphid pest. My research seeks to identify the pest effector(s) recognized by the host plant, the host defense signaling pathway against the aphids, and the effect of this defense on the aphid pest.
Poster Presentation: "Identification and Cloning of Potato Aphid Mi-1 Effector Molecules." Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop, Princeton, NJ, July 2008.
Awards: IIGB Conference Travel Award, 2008; Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Consortium Conference Travel Award, 2008.
Eugene Bolotin
B.S., Genetics, University of California, Davis
Member of Sladek Lab
Predicting downstream target genes of a transcription factor is a challenging task. However, it is important to know these targets for complete understanding of cell biology and for intelligent drug design. I utilize combination of genomic, bioinformatic and traditional wet-bench techniques to identify target genes and binding sites of nuclear receptors. In particular, HNF4a a master regulator of the liver function.
Awards: PhARMA Foundation pre-doctoral award, 2009-2010. IIGB Conference Travel Awards, 2007 and 2008. Best Student Presentation Award, GGB Graduate Student Research Symposium, September 2007. NSF-IGERT Fellow.
Sean Boyle
B.S., Informatics and M.S., Bioinformatics, Indiana University
Member of Ray Lab
Through combination of computationally assisted compound ranking techniques and electrophysiology, we are classifying Odor Receptors and predicting activating/inhibiting compounds for Odor Receptors in important pest, pollinator, and disease vector species. Computational methods currently involve a large variety of molecular descriptors including physicochemical descriptors, Atom Pairs, and Maximum Common Substructures.
Awards: NSF-IGERT Fellow. Honorable Mention Presentation, GGB Graduate Student Research Symposium, September 2009.
Michelle Brown
B.S., Biological Sciences /Microbiology, University of California, Riverside
Member of Natasha Raikhel Lab
My research involves using chemical genomics to identify novel compounds that affect endocytosis and/or plasma membrane recycling in Arabidopsis.
Publication: Avila, E., Brown, M., Pan, S., Desikan, R., Neill, S., Girke, T., Surpin, M., and Raikhel, N. 2008. Expression analysis of Arabidopsis vacuolar sorting receptor 3 reveals a putative function in guard cells. Journal of Experimental Botany 59 (7): 1149-1161.
Awards: I am an NSF-IGERT fellow and was also awarded the Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship.
Ritu Chaudhary
B.S., Microbiology, University of Delhi; M.S., Bioinformatics, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, India
Member of Kaloshian Lab
My area of interest is to identify potato aphid effector molecules that are delivered into the tomato host during feeding.
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship.
Matthew Collin
B.S., Biology, University of California, Riverside
Member of Hayashi Lab
I am interested in the evolution of adaptive molecules and their importance to the organism. Silk protein is an adaptive molecule with impressive mechanical properties utilized by different groups of arthropods. One understudied group of arthropods that use silk throughout their lives is webspinners. I study the molecular and physical characteristics of webspinner silk.
Jennifer Crowley
B.S., Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Member of Roose Lab
I am currently studying the effects of gamma radiation causing seedlessness in citrus plants. I am looking for a mutation within the genome of the seedless mandarin "Tango" which is believed to have been generated as a result of several seconds of gamma radiation exposure.
Samer Elkashef
B.S., Genetics, University of California, Davis
Member of Ding Lab
Our lab studies how the RNA Silencing innate immunity pathway functions to inhibit and suppress virus infection through the use of 21-24nt long RNAs termed siRNAs. To this end a chemical screen was conducted to identify compounds that would be effective a inhibiting the RNA Silencing, or RNAi, pathway. Our goal for this work is to show that these molecules have a strong potential to be used as a means to control infectious diseases that are transmitted via insect vectors such as mosquitoes.
Awards: NSF-IGERT Fellow.
Meeting attended: American Society for Virology, 2006.
Robert Hannon
B.S., Biology, Northern Illinois University
Member of Garland Lab
Publication: Hannon, R.M., Kelly, S.A., Middleton, K.M., Kolb, E.M., Pomp, D., Garland, T. Jr. 2008. Phenotypic Effects of the "Mini-Muscle" Allele in a Large HR x C57BL/6J Mouse Backcross. Journal of Heredity 99 (4): 349-354.
Poster Presentation: "Phenotypic Effects of the "Mini-Muscle" Allele in a Large HR x C57BL/6J Mouse Backcross". International Mammalian Genome Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 2007.
Awards: National Academies of Sciences Conference Grant, 2007. International Mammalian Genome Travel Award, 2007. IIGB Conference Travel Award, 2007. GSA Conference Travel Award, 2006 and 2007.
Amanda Hollowell
B.S., Genetics, UC Davis
Awards: Graduate Division Fellowship, 2009.
Rotating
Augusta Jamin
B.S., Chemistry/Biochemistry, Cal State San Bernardino
Member of Yang Lab
I am working on Rop proteins which are small GTPases of Rho family in plants. Rops have various roles in pollen tube growth as well as development. My research project is currently focused on finding small chemicals that disrupt Rop protein-protein interaction using yeast-two-hybrid system.
Awards: NSF-IGERT Fellow. Best Student Presentation Award, Botany and Plant Sciences Student Retreat, June 2008. Best Student Presentation Award, GGB Graduate Student Research Symposium, September 2008.
Charles Jang
B.S., Biology, Cal State Fullerton
Member of Bailey-Serres Lab
Awards: NSF-IGERT Fellow.
Piyada Juntawong
B.S., Biology, Mahidol University, Thailand
Member of Bailey-Serres Lab
Translational regulation in response to environmental change in Arabidopsis.
Alice Kan
B.S., Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside
Member of Sauer Lab
Shruti Lal
B.S., Botany, Zoology, Chemistry and M.S., Botany, Kanpur University, India; M.S., Computational Biosciences, Arizona State University
Member of Smith Lab
My research goal is to identify and characterize the gene regulatory networks that control the flower formation and inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis. I am also trying to uncover the networks that specify stems or internodes during flowering and the reproductive patterns of growth on the main axis of flowering shoot in Arabidopsis. I am using molecular, genomics and bioinformatics approaches to understand these networks.
Awards: Graduate Division Fellowship Award, 2006-07. Phi Beta Kappa Alumni International Student Award, 2009. Best Student Presentation, GGB Graduate Student Research Symposium, 2009.
Samantha Lewis
B.S., Zoology, Oregon State University
Member of Hyman Lab
My research interests include molecular evolution, organelle genome architecture, the evolutionary origins of Phylum Nematoda, and the causes and effects of recombination in organelle genomes. I am currently studying gene order rearrangements in Plectid and Mermithid mitochondria with Dr. Brad Hyman of the Biology Department.
Awards: Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship and Eugene Cota Robles Award, 2008; Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Diversity Mentoring Award, 2007; AAAS/Science Magazine Program for Excellence in Science, 2009.
Publications: Lewis, SC, Dyal, LA, Hilburn, CF, Weitz, S, Liau, WS, Lamunyon, CW, Denver, DR. 2009. Molecular evolution in Panagrolaimus nematodes: origins of parthenogenesis, hermaphroditism and the Antarctic species P. davidi. BMC Evol Biol. 9(1):15
Denver DR, Dolan P, Wilhelm LJ, Sung W, Lucas-Lledó JI, Howe DK, Lewis SC, Okamoto K, Thomas WK, Lynch M, Baer CF. 2009. A genome-wide view of Caenorhabditis elegans base-substitution mutation processes. PNAS 2009 106:16310-16314
Shaofang Li
B.S., Biology, Northeast Normal University; M.S., Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Awards: Graduate Division Fellowship, 2009.
Rotating
Yifan Lii
B.S, Biochemistry/Cell Biology, UC San Diego
Awards: NSF-IGERT fellow.
Rotating
Alexander Michkov
B.S., Agrochemistry and Soil Science, Moscow Timiriazev Agricultural Academy; M.S., Agricultural Biotechnology, Moscow Timiriazev Agricultural Academy, Russia
Member of Borkovich Lab
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship.
Melanie Orin
B.S., Biological Sciences, SUNY, Binghamton NY
Awards: Graduate Division Fellowship, 2009.
Rotating
Sumana Pasala
B.S., Microbiology, Nagarjuna University; M.S., Applied Microbiology, Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidyalayam, India
Member of Sladek Lab
Nadia Qureshi
B.S., Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
Member of Schiller Lab
Awards: Best Student Presentation, GGB Graduate Student Research Symposium, September 2007.
Sourav Roy
B.S., Zoology, University of Calcutta, India; M.Sc., Zoology (Specialization Cytogenetics), University of Kalyani, India; M.S., Bioinformatics, Indiana University
Member of Judelson Lab
I am working on establishing a multidisciplinary approach for discovering motifs regulating spore-specific transcription in the potato pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Integrating bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques for rapid discovery and confirmation of functional motifs is the major goal of my project.
Publications: Haas BJ, Kamoun S, ..., Roy S, ..., Judelson HS, Nusbaum C. 2009. Genome sequence and analysis of the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Nature. 461(7262):393-8.
Xiang Q, Kim KS, Roy S, Judelson HS, 2009. A motif within a complex promoter from the oomycete Phytophthora infestans determines transcription during an intermediate stage of sporulation.Fungal Genet Biol. (5):400-9.
Awards: Best Student Oral Presentation Award, International Society of Biotechnology Conference, Rangpo, Sikkim, India, December 2008. Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2006. IIGB Conference Travel Award, 2008. GSA Conference Travel Award, 2008. Klotz Memorial Travel Fund Awards, 2009. Oomycete Molecular Genetics Workshop Travel Award (Funded by NSF), 2009.
Paul Ruegger
B.S., Agricultural Business, Cal Poly Pomona
Member of Borneman Lab
Tusar Saha
B.S., Botany and M.S,. Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, India
Member of Alexander Raikhel Lab
Divya Sain
B.S., Biotechnology, College of Engineering and Technology, India
Rotating
Patrick Schacht
B.S., Biochemistry, Biola University
Member of Borkovich Lab
Currently I am studying G protein signaling in the Borkovich lab. Using the model organism Neurospora crassa , I am examining proteins that regulate the G-protein signaling cascade through analysis of mutants and protein-protein interaction studies.
Awards: NSF-IGERT Fellow.
Sammy Sedky
B.S., Biological Sciences (Bioinformatics & Genomics), UC Riverside
Awards: Graduate Division Fellowship.
Rotating
Venkatesh Sivanandam
B.S., Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology, India
Member of Rao Lab
Analysis of molecular mechanisms regulating replication and packaging of satellite Tobacco Mosaic Virus.
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship.
James Starrett
B.S. and M.S., Biology, San Diego State University
Member of Hayashi Lab
My research focuses on adaptive evolution in gene families. Specifically I am studying silk gene family evolution in spiders.
Kai Tang
B.S., Biosciences,University of Science and Technology of China
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2009.
Rotating
Bo Zhao
B.S., Biology, Nankai University, China
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2009.
Rotating
Yi Zhou
B.S., Bioinformatics, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2009.
Rotating
