Hi, I’m Jaden! I recently graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (CA), with a B.S. in Microbiology and a minor in Environmental Studies. I’m excited to join the Ruff lab through the Marine Biological Laboratory’s ENGAGE-Bio Postbaccalaureate Program.

My research interests focus on understanding how microbial interactions and metabolisms contribute to ecosystem processes. Over the next year, I will investigate how viral infections modulate bacterial metabolism through the expression of auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs). Specifically, I plan to characterize the diversity and temporal expression of AMGs related to carbon metabolism in Little Sippewissett, a phototrophic microbial mat local to MBL. I hope to contribute to our understanding of how viruses influence carbon cycling within this ecosystem.