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Elan T

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley)

Expertise

Microbiology, Immunology, Biology, Ecology, Botany, Metabolism

Bio

Hi I'm Elan! I am a second year PhD Student at UC Berkeley studying plant-microbe interactions. I am most interested in using molecular approaches to learn about host and microbial signaling pathways involved in health and disease. I work most closely with bacteria but also have an interest in fungi. My personal interests include getting outside - hiking, climbing and slack lining. I also enjoy a good book and petting my cat Toast. I look forward to learning about your hobbies and research interests as well!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Science Communication: How do Bacteria Talk?

Quorum sensing is a type of bacterial communication that can be used to regulate a variety of important activities such as biofilm formation and sporulation. Quorum sensing can occur between and within species - what do species have to gain by using this type of signaling? This project would involve finding a variety of primary research articles that investigate quorum sensing in bacteria and writing a report. This report should explain the importance of the articles findings and be understandable and engaging to the general public. Leaving this project you should feel more comfortable finding and reading scientific papers! It will also help you gain skills in science communication and practice turning technical information into something that can inspire the masses.

Teaching experience

I was a teaching assistant for an Intro to Bacteriology lab for undergraduates that was run virtually during the pandemic. I was also a tutor in math for Lean to Be. Lastly, I helped run the Students 4 Science program at my undergraduate institution to help connect high school students interested in microbiology to college mentors, professors and clubs!

Credentials

Education

University of Miami
BS Bachelor of Science (2021)
Microbiology and Immunology
University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Microbiology

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