Xi Chen (Claire)
BS Wuhan University

Xi’s research interests are centered on microbial genetics and microbial ecology. She is interested in understanding environmental microorganisms that are living in well-organized communities.

Xi’s 1st Lab Rotation will be in the Garza Lab.

Sudipta Dutta
MS University of Calcutta

Sudipta took part in a couple of research projects, one was based on cloning a hemoglobin receptor of Leishmania donovani and then expressing the recombinant protein in a strain of E. coli and its subsequent purification. The other was to investigate the cytotoxic effects caused by the oxidizing effects of a quinone , p-benzoquinone (p-BQ). Mainly p-BQ influenced programmed cell death of a mammalian cell line, A549 cells has been studied in her project. Sudipta’s research interests are cell biology and molecular genetics.
Sudipta’s 1st rotation will be in the Calvi Lab.

Jessica Ellis
BS Western Washington University

Jessica most recently worked as a research assistant under two professors at Western Washington.  She worked on project involving gas transfer rates in marine sediments and a USGS funded project invloving the integration of ecological risk assessment and the GAP Anaylsis Project.  Jessica’s current research will likely involve invasive plants. 

Jessica  joins the Ritchie Lab

Xinzhu Gu
BS China Pharmaceutical

Xinzhu took part in a college research project about high-level bacterial expression and purification of human stellate cell activation-associated protein. Her general research interests are genetics and cell biology.

Xinzhu’s 1st rotation will be in the Erdman Lab.

Nicole Jacobs
BS SUNY Buffalo

Nicole worked in Dr. Kiong Ho's lab at the University at Buffalo. Her main project was to clone two mutations into a strand of DNA and grow bacteria containing the mutated DNA. Nicole is interested in doing research in molecular biology or genetics.

Nicole joins the Maine Lab for her 1st Rotation.

Madhura Kadaba
BS Bangalore University

In her final year of Undergraduate study, Madhura presented a paper about using Single Walled Carbon Nano tubes to detect and measure cytoplasmic flow between two adherent cells by bundling them in connexons. She used a recent paper by the Physics department at the  Indian Institute of Science as a basis. Madhura is interested in Molecular Biology or Genetics.

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Rebecca Ruppel
BS University of Arizona, Tucson

Becky is interested in mutualistic interactions and how they are affected by community diversity and structure.  One area she would like to investigate is how competition and predation influence the relationship of the two organisms involved in a mutualistic interaction.

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Fangjie Tang (Jessie)
BS Fudan University

Fangjie majored in basic medical science at Fudan University as an undergraduate. Her research work there is helping to test a Chinese medicine. Fangjie's research interest is cell signalling.

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Ai Tian
BS Fudan University
Ai’s research interest is in the mechanisms behind the key events in development. During her final year, Ai led a Chromatin Remodeling Group in Gene Expression Class and explored the epigenetic regulation of mouse BDNF gene exon IV with regard to Rett Syndrome.

Ai’s 1st rotation will be in the Pepling Lab.

Wei Xiao
BS Nanjing University

Wei took part in two major projects during his undergraduate studies. The first involved examining the interaction between a special kind of fungus and the plant Spartina alterniflora. The second involved examining Barley's NA+ transportation under salt stress using the patch-clamp method.
Wei is interested in understanding plant-insect interaction and biodiversity.
Wei joins the Segraves lab.