Biography

 I am an undergraduate research scientist with a passion for all things astro/synthetic/microbiology, currently trying to make discoveries at an intersection of the three disciplines. One of the coolest things I find about biology, is the capability to look at organisms as a computational machine, run on a hackable, programmable genetic code. This leads me to ask bigger questions; what is the criteria of life? Is there life in the universe run on a sort of syntax other than dna? What are the implications of sending life from earth, capable of terraforming other planets and surviving extreme conditions, out into space to find other life forms? Can we further engineer an ideal organism to do that exploration? 

Research Area

Currently, I am conducting chemotaxis/phototaxis assays on tardigrades, a micro-animal capable of surviving in extreme conditions (in space), to see if they can form associative memories and retain what they have learned after vitrification. This project will give insight as to whether or not the tardigrade will be an ideal "astronaut" for the interstellar project en route to alpha centauri alongside the C. elegans