Success stories! [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

One of our main objectives is to train students and expose them to the vast array of research opportunities in microbiology and related areas.  We have trained dozens of students in our Geomicrobiology Lab.  Where are they now? 

Ángel's undergraduate project involved using metagenomic libraries to find novel genes conferring antibiotic resistance (Search for antibiotic resistance genes in metagenomic libraries derived from microbial mats at the Cabo Rojo Salterns).  Angel will graduate this may with a bachelors degree in Microbiology.  He was awarded an NIH Training Grant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he will pursue his PhD in Microbiology starting next Fall.

In 2008, Lorraine obtained her bachelors degree in Microbiology.  During her undergraduate studies she worked on the "Molecular Identification of Cyanobacteria in Young and Mature Hypersaline Microbial Mats at the Cabo Rojo Salterns in Puerto Rico".  She is currently in her third year as a Food Microbiology PhD student at Cornell University. 

As an undergraduate student Dr. Villafañe studied the effects of pH in microbial mats (Effect of different pH's on the microbial diversity present in hypersaline microbial mats).  After finishing his bachelors degree in General Biology, in 2003, he continued studies as a Microbiology and Molecular Genetics PhD student at Rutgers University.  His dissertation project was  entitled "Regulation of expression of copper responsive genes in Sulfolobus solfaricus".  He is currently an assistant researcher and assistant professor for the Biology Department at the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao campus.

• Cyd Marie Castro

• Edgardo Ramirez

• Irvin Estremera

• Mariceny Surita

Ángel Casanova Torres

Lorraine Rodriguez

Dr. Aramis Villafañe