NMSU Molecular Biology Program

05/10/2024

Congratulations to our research and teaching Assistance winners! Great job Jacob on research and Fatima on teaching!

05/10/2024

👏Please join us in celebrating Stephanie Getto, another exceptional graduate of the 23-24 academic year, for earning her Masters degree in Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences in December 2023.
Her thesis, titled “Effects of Bleach Treatment on the Algal Microbiome: Insights from a Metagenomic Study,” was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Alina Corcoran. 🔬🧬 In addition to her academic work, Stephanie served as the Social Media Officer for the program’s Graduate Student Organization, collaborating closely with other members to shed light on the works of MBIL students.
🎉Congratulations, Stephanie! We’re so proud of you and we’re excited to see the incredible things you do next!

05/10/2024

As we approach Spring Commencement, let’s take a moment to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our graduates from the 23-24 academic year!
🎉Join us in congratulating Dr. Batool Al-Khatib for earning her doctorate in Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences in December 2023. This milestone is a testament to her years of relentless effort and unwavering dedication.
🥼During her time at NMSU, Batool conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Rebecca Creamer, resulting in her dissertation titled “Immunolocalization and Cytopathic Effect of Beet Curly Top Virus and Groel Chaperon Protein of Endosymbionts in Vector Tissues and Hosts.” She also played a pivotal role as the primary technician for the MBIL program’s Sequencing Facility. 🥽
🎓Congratulations, Batool! We’re so proud of you, and we wish you nothing but continued success in your future endeavors! 👏

04/30/2024

This week we introduce Fatima Muhammad, a PhD student in Molecular Biology and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences and a member of the Mol. Bio GSO.
She has her first and second degrees in Biochemistry and is currently carrying out her research in Dr Yukl’s Lab. Her research focuses on the “Expression, Isolation, and Purification of Proteins” to determine their function. Her career goal is to become a Professor in the field of Protein Biochemistry by integrating traditional and molecular techniques.
She loves challenges - she sees failed experiments as a way to learn new approaches via troubleshooting. She also loves traveling, cooking, and hanging out with friends.
Find her on LinkedIn:https://lnkd.in/g-hwY4wA

04/22/2024

Happy Graduate Student Appreciation Week 2024! 🎉

We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the amazing graduate students who have been part of our program over the past (almost) 35 years. We wouldn’t be here today without every one of you. 🌟

To our past students: Thank you for your contributions, your achievements, and the impact you continue to make in your respective fields. Your legacy lives on through the knowledge you've shared and the trails you've blazed.

To our current students: You are the heart and soul of our program. Your hard work, creativity, and enthusiasm inspire us every single day. We're so proud to have you as part of our community, and we can't wait to see the incredible things you'll accomplish.

Here's to each and every one of you, past and present. Your dedication and passion fuel our program's success, and for that, we are endlessly grateful. Let's continue to learn, grow, and celebrate together! 👏

A special shoutout to our current graduate students: Anna, Alexa, Josiah, Jacob, Grace, Paul, Sahithi, Taylor, Timothy, Alicia, Adebisi, Fatima, and Naga!

04/22/2024

Introducing Adebisi Olabisi Omowumi, a Ph.D. student in the Molecular Biology and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program.
Olabisi Adebisi is currently working in Dr. Rebecca Creamer’s Lab. Her work focuses on "unraveling the genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of mycotoxin production in Slafractonia leguminicola". Slafractonia leguminicola is a distinctive endophyte found in clover plants and certain other legumes. It stands out due to its transmission method, pathogenicity, mycotoxin production, and effects on grazing animals. "Many mysteries surround this microorganism which I intend to explore further during my PhD research".
She received her first degree in Microbiology in Nigeria and her Master’s degree in Biological Science and Biotechnology in South Korea. She is deeply devoted to Jesus Christ, has a keen interest in fashion design, loves science fiction films, longs to travel, has a desire to explore new places learn new languages, and get her own dog.
Get to meet her more:
Research gate ID: https://lnkd.in/gBKWH9WT
Academia ID: https://lnkd.in/g7iiDgP2
LinkedIn ID: https://lnkd.in/gUJWdZWw
Google Scholar ID: https://lnkd.in/gJ_Y6W5user=aDO1V9YAAAAJ&hl=en
X ID: https://lnkd.in/gpKHqZ_u

04/15/2024

Today's Member Monday profiles Alicia Marmolejo! She currently works in Dr. Sara Fuentes-Soriano’s lab on "The Invasion of Heterotheca subaxillaris (camphorweed) in the Middle East".

She is currently interested in the invasion genomics in the widespread putatively diploid North American camphorweed introduced in Israel.

She enjoys going to sporting events and gardening.

04/09/2024

Meet Dr. Timothy Loomis, Ph.D., our Member Monday! Timothy is pursuing his second Ph.D. In the Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program here at NMSU. He completed his first Ph.D. at Auburn University in 1998 in the field of Exercise Physiology.
His current work, which is in the Holguin lab group, focuses on the effect of fatty acid esterification on the bio-accessibility of carotenoids in human digestion.
Before his studies at NMSU, Timothy was an officer in the United States Air Force where he trained aircrew about the physiological effects of flights. He retired in 2019 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Timothy has been an avid distance runner for over 30 years, completing over 50 marathons and ultramarathons. He has now shifted his focus to cycling.
Meet him on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gUBfV3BS

04/02/2024

Member Monday: Meet Sahithi Reddy Pulicherla, a PhD student in the MBIL program.
She is a part of Dr. Randall's lab where she works on "The Genetics behind Abiotic Stress Responses in Pecan"🌿☘.
Sahithi is passionate about plants. "I love working on plant research, and intend to keep working with improving plants. I love traveling too".
Meet her on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gcZSwMB6

03/26/2024

Check out this post from the NMSU Graduate School about our GSO’s President, Anna Harmon! Congratulations, Anna!

🌟 Celebrating Anna Harmon for Women's History Month! 🌟

Hey, fam! In honor of Women's History Month, let's give a huge shoutout to Anna Harmon, an absolute Rockstar in Molecular Biology & Life Sciences at New Mexico State University (NMSU).
🧬 Anna's journey started with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry, and now she's crushing it pursuing her Ph.D. in the Randall Lab at NMSU. Talk about goals, right?!

But wait, there's more! Despite the craziness of the pandemic, Anna's heart led her to join the Graduate Student Council (GSC) at NMSU, where she's currently serving as Secretary. She's all about making sure every grad student feels seen, heard, and supported on campus. 🙌

Outside of the lab, Anna's all about that work-life balance. She loves whipping up tasty treats in the kitchen, hanging out with her church fam, and getting crafty with some cross-stitch/embroidery. Seriously, is there anything she can't do?!

Join us in giving Anna a massive round of applause for her academic hustle and her dedication to building inclusive communities. 🎉 Let's show her some love in the comments! 💖

03/25/2024

Meet Taylor Landfair, this week's MBIL Member Monday. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at NMSU and is currently enrolled in NMSU's Ph.D. program in Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences.
She works in Dr. Shuster's lab where she observes how the motor protein myosin II assembles in the contractile ring during cytokinesis in mammalian tissue culture cells, and how myosin II interacts with other protein complexes that are involved during cytokinesis to understand how myosin II assembly in tissue culture cells, can contribute to the greater understanding of cell division and function in cancer metastasis.
Taylor’s research interests reside in the discovery of effective cancer therapeutics for cancer patients to continue to stay in remission and lower the long-term effects therapies can cause.
In addition to being a part of the MBIL GSO, she is also a member of the Asian and Pacific Islander Program.
She loves to bake and cook (She once had a baking stand, “Baking Made Vegan”, at the Farmer’s Market where she sold gluten-free and vegan baked goods!) and trying new things in the kitchen.
Taylor is excited about running "I’ve recently begun running, the picture of me is when I ran a 10K that crossed through El Paso, Texas to Juarez, Mexico!"
Meet her on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/dVguRqmx

03/18/2024

This week’s member Monday features Paul Oladimeji Gabriel.
A PhD student and a graduate assistant in Dr. Jennifer Randall’s lab. He once served as the vice president of the GSO.
His research currently focuses on the 'Gene expressions of pecans nutrient channels'. Likewise, he is investigating the microbiome diversity of pecan trees over time. He has a keen interest in advancing his career within the field of plant genetics and breeding. He enjoys spending his free time on the piano and listening to music.
To know more about Paul, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gVGNb7kt