My journey into research started when I got accepted to the M.S. in Biology program at Cal State Fullerton. I joined Dr. Hope Johnson’s lab and conducted research on a novel manganese-oxidizing heme protein, MopA, from a marine bacterium, Erythrobacter sp. SD-21. My project was bombarded with many problems from defective cells to inconclusive results. Nonetheless, I am grateful that I did not had an easy research experience; with the challenges, I developed a greater sense of determination, patience, and humility crucial for research. Overall, my experience at Cal State Fullerton cemented my decision to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in microbiology. I was meticulous in my selection of a graduate program and the Microbiology and Plant Biology (MPB) Department at OU offered a diverse collection of research. Therefore, I decided to join the MPB department in Fall 2016 and rotated between Drs. Anne Dunn and Liz Karr’s lab. At the end of my rotation, I joined the Karr Lab, because of my interest in microbial physiology and enzymology. I will be investigating an AMP-forming, acetyl-CoA synthetase (Acs1) from Syntrophus aciditrophicus. This project is in collaboration with the McInerney Lab at OU MPB.
