Congratulations to graduate student Jordan Gossett, who was a recipient of the Zoology Graduate Program’s Jessie D. Kay Memorial Research Grant!
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!
Newest member of the Chong Lab
Congrats on graduating and welcome Stefan Cranston to the lab as a post-bacc researcher!
Article featuring lava tube biodiversity in Geographical
Read more about “The weird creatures inhabiting the lava tubes of Hawaii” in the latest issue of Geographical Magazine.
Evolution 2022
The Chong Lab was represented by Jordan and Becky at Evolution 2022 in Cleveland, OH. Exciting to share our work on plant hoppers and Hawaiian lava tube biodiversity and already looking forward to Evolution 2023!
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
Congrats to PhD Candidate Jordan
Congrats to PhD Candidate Jordan Gossett for passing her Qualifying Exam! Let the science continue!

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
UHM 2021 Impact Innovation Showcase
Features Becky Chong for high impact teaching practices in SEA-PHAGES II Bioinformatics. Read more about the showcase.