Congratulations to graduate student Jordan Gossett, who was a recipient of the Zoology Graduate Program’s Jessie D. Kay Memorial Research Grant!
Category Archives: Research
SEA-PHAGES undergrads co-author genome announcement
Congratulations to the Spring 2022 SEA-PHAGES cohort of undergraduate student for their hard work on their bacteriophage genome announcement in Microbial Resource Announcements. Access the article here: https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00940-22
Chong RA, Cosse CM*, Gaytan V*, Green DS*, Kane CJ*, Kasal KA*, Kon ZK*, Maxwell RE*, Olaru V*, Pham TD*, Precourt MF*, Romero JR*, Rothschild WJ*, Sales SN*, Sensano TD*, Simko WE*, Smith IJ*, Toor MA*, Wilson AR*, and Porter ML. (2022) Genome Sequence of Arthrobacter Phage NathanVaag. Microbial Resources Announcements
Welcome HawaiiBIO Undergraduate Research Interns
As a part of our NSF grant, we are kicking off the first year of the HawaiiBIO internship and are excited to welcome Cielo and Joseph to the lab! More cool cave science to come!
Becky Chong and Megan Porter featured on Hawaii Public Radio
Check out the March 29, 2022 edition of The Conversation on HPR to hear Becky Chong and Megan Porter discuss their work on Hawaiian lava tube biodiversity. Listen here.
Related post (3/20/22): NSF award to study lava tube biodiversity on Hawaiʻi Island

NSF award to study lava tube biodiversity on Hawaiʻi Island
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a four-year, $1.29-million grant to Assistant Professor Rebecca Chong (PI) and Associate Professor Megan Porter (Co-PI), and collaborator Professor Annette Engel (Co-PI) at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, to study of how island cave communities are formed and how subterranean ecosystems are maintained through time in Hawaiʻi. Find out more at NSF-DEB-2204670
In the News:
- UH News (3/20/22): $1.29M grant to study lava tube biodiversity on Hawaiʻi Island
- Hawaii Herald Tribune (3/20/22): Beneath the surface: $1.29M grant funding study of lava tube ecosystems
- EurekAlert AAAS (3/20/22): $1.29M grant to study lava tube biodiversity on Hawai’i Island
- Maui Now (3/20/22): $1.29M grant awarded to UH to study lava tube biodiversity in Hawaiʻi
- Big Island Now (3/21/22): $1.29M Grant to Study Lava Tube Biodiversity on Hawaiʻi Island (audio and video)
- West Hawaii Today (3/21/22): Beneath the surface: $1.29M grant funding study of lava tube ecosystems
- Hawaii Public Radio (3/23/22): UH Mānoa receives $1.29M grant to study lava tube biodiversity (audio)
Related post (3/30/22): Becky Chong and Megan Porter featured on Hawaii Public Radio
Congrats to Jordan on her recent funding
Congrats to Jordan for obtaining funding to support her research project. No fieldwork, but excited for the lab work to begin!
Paper on mitochondria genome evolution in cicadas in J. Heredity
A large collaborative paper looking at mitochondrial genome evolution across 100 cicadas in out in Journal of Heredity – see publications
Congrats to Mikaelah for her UROP funding
Congrats to undergraduate researcher Mikaelah Johnson-Griggs for obtaining an Undergraduate Research Opportunity award to support her research project. Excited for the lab work to begin!
New paper on Buchnera genome evolution in MBE
Our paper on Genome evolution of the obligate symbiont of aphids (Buchnera aphidicola) is now out in MBE – see publications
Congrats to Elissa for her UROP funding
Congrats to undergraduate researcher Elissa Ota for obtaining an Undergraduate Research Opportunity award to support her honors project. Time to collect some data!