Category Archives: Research

Spring 2023 lab news updates!

As we settle into summer, we’re excited to share some lab news from spring semester!

The lab was awarded an NSF REPS supplement to support Stefan’s post-bacc research on planthopper symbionts.

Congrats to Jordan on publishing her first dissertation chapter on “Genomic comparisons reveal selection pressure and functional variation between endosymbionts of cave-adapted and epigean Hawaiian planthoppers” in Genome Biology Evolution.

Congrats to our undergraduate researchers, Cielo and Joe, on being awarded funding from the UHM Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program to expand on their independent research projects in the fall.

Cielo will also be participating in a NSF REU program on “Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio)” at Massachusetts General Hospital this summer to gain additional research experiences!

Congrats to Amir on being awarded an NSF GRFP fellowship to support his graduate studies!

With so much data in hand, Jordan is also attending the EMBO practical course on Computational Molecular Evolution in Greece this summer!

Lastly, we finished the semester with an exciting caving trip on Big Island with students and collaborators, which was supported by a UHM SEED IDEAS award to promote Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Success. (Photo Credit: M. Steck)

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

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:

Related post (3/30/22): Becky Chong and Megan Porter featured on Hawaii Public Radio