Jacqueline Nicolay
My journey into the world of science has been punctuated by a whimsical beginning – as my grand entrance began at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and often serves as a lighthearted reminder from my family of my potential destiny in the field. While I can’t deny the cosmic coincidence, it was through my experiences from childhood and throughout my adulthood that I discovered my true affinity for all organisms, micro- and macro. My dad’s Navy career as a pilot granted us the opportunity to travel often and relocate every few years to many places throughout the United States and beyond. From the enchanting landscapes of Reykjavik, Iceland, to the grounded charm of Corpus Christi, Texas, that of which I currently call home. Much of my upbringing was spent exploring the outdoors; venturing to geysers, hot springs, and waterfalls, hiking mountains and volcanoes, truly enjoying nature, while simultaneously cultivating in me a profound desire to ensure the preservation of these environments and the safety and well-being of all its tiny inhabitants. That love led me to pursue and complete a degree in Biotechnology at Del Mar College, where I accepted a laboratory assistant position working under Dr. Zhang. Through this I gained hands-on experience working with cell culture techniques, bacteriophage, GFP and RFP, and various types of bacteria. During my time at Del Mar, I completed an internship at Texas A&M Kingsville with the National Natural Toxins Research Center where I had the privilege of contributing to research endeavors centered on the purification and characterization of cysteine-rich secretory proteins (svCRiSPs) from the venom of Agkistrodon piscivorus, the Northern Cottonmouth snake, and its effect on vascular permeability. Subsequently, my path led me to Dr. Turner’s micro-omics lab, where I was invited to delve into one of my greatest fascinations: bacteriophages. More specifically, bacteriophage therapy aimed at reducing oyster larvae mortality and enhancing the productivity of Texas oyster aquaculture—a project that truly ignites my passion—and was most grateful to accept! I have since completed my Advanced Certificate in Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station in cooperation with The National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing, as well as recently completing my associate degree in both chemistry and biology from Del Mar College. I am currently pursuing a dual bachelor’s degree majoring in both biology —cell and molecular biology— and chemistry —biochemistry— as well as minoring in computer science. I hope to continue my education through the graduate program here at Texas A&M and continue working on research under the guidance of Dr. Turner in the micro-omics lab.
Education:
A.A.S. Biotechnology, Del Mar College, 2022.
Advanced Certificate in Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station in cooperation with The National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing, 2023.
A.S. Chemistry, Del Mar College, 2024. A.S. Biology, Del Mar College, 2024.
B.S., Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Spring 2025
Kamilla Anderson
Growing up in various locations from Iceland to different states in America has given me an appreciation for the diverse ecosystems of the world. What makes me especially curious is the microbial aspect of ecosystems, and microorganisms in general. Currently, I’m an honors undergraduate student majoring in biology with a concentration in microbiology. I am very excited to begin researching the Vibrio species in aerosols from the coast here in Corpus Christi. By contributing to this project, I am looking forward to furthering my skills in data processing and microbiology lab techniques. My goals after graduation are to apply to either pharmacy school or graduate school. I like to spend my free time embroidering, crocheting, and reading.
Education:
B.S., Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Spring 2025
Andrew Johnson
A natural wanderer I grew up in many different places, now I happily call the coastal bend home. I lived mostly distant from the marine environment but have always had a strong attention to it and a desire to return after each visit. While perusing my degree at TAMUCC I have been able to take a deeper dive into my interests. During this time, I also found my love for research and microbiology labs as well as the excitement of spending my spare time volunteering for marine wildlife rehabilitation. When I began my studies, I knew I had an interest in the genetics, genomics and the conservation of marine life and their environment. With an internship where I worked on the genomics side of project that focused on the microbiota of coral and a microbiology course, I knew I was hooked. This led me to focus my studies on cell/molecular biology and will continue my education with genetics and genomics. With all of my current and future endeavors I plan to continue research on marine microbial life and contribute to the knowledge we currently have.
Education:
Under Construction.
Elizabeth Longo
Born and raised here on the Gulf of Mexico, I have been exposed to the marine environment for my entire life. I am currently working on my Bachelor’s Degree here at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. I am majoring in Biomedical Sciences and have a minor in music. Growing up on Corpus Christi Bay has given me first –hand experience and knowledge about the marine environment and the organisms that live there. I have always loved the water and the organisms that live in it, and since I discovered microbiology, my interest in the small things that affect everything has grown. I am particularly interested in how these microorganisms impact the health of humans and the environment. I have been working on my Honors Program Project of Excellence in Dr. Turner’s lab since Fall 2019. My project has been related to participating in Hailey Wallgren’s project with Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from the Pacific Northwest. After earning my Bachelor’s Degree, I plan on continuing my education and attending a pharmacy school to earn my Pharm.D. and Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences. My experience in this lab has furthered my laboratory skills and knowledge about microbiology invaluably. It has encouraged me to pursue my Ph.D. after pharmacy school to expand my opportunities in research and drug development.
Education:
Under Construction
Ceejay Saenz
Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, I grew up enjoying the beach and wanting to learn more about our environment. I started attending Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2016, and a couple of years later, I got my first experience in microbiology through the Islander Stream Team. In the semester I joined, we collected water samples biweekly to assess the quality of Oso Bay through fecal indicator bacteria. I enjoyed the time I spent working with the Islander Stream Team, and I knew I wanted to do something similar for my Project of Excellence, a research project completed for the TAMUCC Honors Program. This experience led me to the Microbial and Environmental Genomics Lab, where I was first introduced to the genomics side by Nicole Powers and Hailey Wallgren. I was able to practice assembling Vibrio parahaemolyticus genomes using different genome assemblers, like SPAdes, Velvet, and ABySS. I plan to use this new knowledge to complete my Project of Excellence, which compares the genomes of clinical and environmental Vibrio vulnificus strains to better understand their varying ability to cause disease in humans. Genomics is a new and fast-changing area of study, and I am excited to be learning and researching in this field, along with understanding how it can impact the environment and us.
Education:
Under Construction
Reavelyn Pray
By age 16 I was independent and living transiently, I completed high school while working fulltime. I worked multiple jobs to put myself through community college knowing a higher education would be my path to a better future -not yet knowing what that would look like. It was at Del Mar Community College that I fell in love with research and bioinformatics. It was at this school I met my first research mentors that helped give me the tools and confidence to navigate the unfamiliar world of academia and put a name to the wonder I constantly experience at the world around me.I graduated Del Mar Community College with an Associate in Applied Science in Biotechnology having studied and presented research on bacteriophage. During my academics at Del Mar, I completed internships at Texas A&M Corpus Christi doing metagenomic analysis of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic zone, Berkeley Lawrence National Labs where I studied unknown proteins involved in biotin synthesis of anaerobic Desulfovibrio vulgaris, and at the USDA-ALARC in Maricopa Arizona studying plants for the productiom of biofuels. I transferred to TAMUCC to complete my undergraduate B.Sc in Biology with a concentration in Molecular/Cellular Biology with hopes to get to graduate school. I was over the moon to have the opportunity to work as a research student in the Micro-omics lab under mentorship of Dr. Turner studying Vibrio spp., Serratia marscens, and Vibrio infecting bacteriophage where I was involved in extractions and de novo genomic assembly of bacterial genomes. Having the opportunity to hone my skillsets while gaining experience was an invaluable tangible that has shaped my life since. I graduated May of 2020. I am currently a Senior Research Associate II doing product development at Natera, a biotechnology company involved in molecular diagnostics and screening. I am also currently going to school to complete my Masters of Science in Biomedical informatics where I hope to continue to hone my skills in health data, bioinformatics and statistics to have my own tools to answer the many questions I have about the world around us.
Education:
A.A.S. Biotechnology, Del Mar College, 2018
B.S. Molecular and Cellular Biology, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Spring 2020
Danial Nasr Azadani
I was born in Iran and grew up in east-coast Canada. After graduating from high school, I began my post-secondary education at the University of Ottawa in Canada. During a visit to Corpus Christi, Texas in the summer of 2016, I was presented with an opportunity to work on a project at the micro-omics laboratory. Following a productive summer working under the supervision of Dr. Turner, I decided to continue with the project at his lab. I permanently relocated to south Texas to pursue my bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. During my tenure at Dr. Turner’s lab, I had the opportunity to work on my own research project developing a unique protocol for isolating a novel Enterococcus faecalis bacteriophage from the environment. This was followed by further characterization of the isolated virus and publishing the work in a peer-reviewed journal. During my time at the micro-omics lab, I had the privilege of being involved in many other research projects. I also had the opportunity to present my research at several national and international scientific meetings. After graduating from TAMUCC in the fall of 2019, I moved to Austin, Texas to work at a biopharmaceutical company. In my current role, I have been part of the team discovering and developing several monoclonal antibodies as drug candidates for therapeutical use.
Education:
B.S. Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 2019
A.A.S. Biotechnology, Del Mar College, 2019