Events – MIT Microbiology Program

Microbiology Ph.D Thesis Defense: Erika Wirachman (Grossman Lab)

Friday April 18, 2025, 11 AM, Room 76-156

Title: Transcription termination and antitermination in integrative and conjugative element

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense: Joshua Bromley (Shalek lab)

Date and Time: January 22, 2025. 10:30 AM EST.

Location (in-person): Ragon Institute Auditorium, First Floor Auditorium. 600 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139 Thesis Title: “Deciphering Features of Protective or Maladaptive Cellular Immunity in the Airways Following Primary and Repeated Pathogen Exposure”

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Rey Edison (Esvelt Lab)

Monday Dec. 23, 2024 9:00 AM Room E15-341

PhD Candidate: Rey Edison Advisor: Prof. Kevin Esvelt Monday December 23, 2024 Time: 9:00 AM Room: E15-341 Title: Designing for Resilience: Evaluating DNA Screening Vulnerabilities and Designing Mice for Improved Well-being

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Cassandra Vondrak (Lamason Lab)

Monday July 29, 2024 12:30 PM Room 68-181

PhD Candidate: Cassandra Vondrak Advisor: Prof. Becky Lamason ( Biology) Monday July 29, 2024 Time: 12:30PM Room: 68-181 Title: The rickettsial effector Sca4 has a conserved interaction with host clathrin and a tick cell specific role in infection

MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar May 06, 2024

Monday May 6, 2024 Room 68-181 4:00-5:00 PM

Please join us for the MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar! Friday May 06, 2024, 4:00 - 5:00 Pm 68-181 Pizza and drinks provided Professor Sunny Shin University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Veda Khadka (Lieberman Lab)

Monday April 22, 2024 11:00AM Room E25-119/121

PhD Candidate: Veda Khadka Advisor: Prof. Tami Lieberman (CEE/IMES) Monday April 22, 2024 Time: 11:00 AM Room: E25-119/121 Title: Staphylococci of the skin: consequences for host health

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Jacob Baker (Lieberman Lab)

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 11:00AM Room 68-181

PhD Candidate: Jacob Baker Advisor: Prof. Tami Lieberman (CEE/IMES) Wednesday, April 17, 2024 Time: 11:00 AM Room: 68-181 Title: Highly-resolved within-species dynamics in the human facial skin microbiome

MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar Apr. 05, 2024

Friday April 5, 2024 Room 68-180 4:00-5:00 PM

Please join us for the MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar! Monday, April 05, 2024, 4:00 - 5:00 Pm 68-180 Pizza and drinks provided Harmit Malik, Ph.D. Professor and Associate Director, Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Jade Bath (Ribbeck Lab)

Tuesday, April 2, 2024 2PM Room 68-181

PhD candidate: Jade Bath Advisors: Prof. Katarina Ribbeck Tuesday, April 2, 2024 Time: 2 PM Room: 68-181 Title: "Mucin glycans regulate virulence and colonization factors in Streptococcus pneumoniae"

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Linda Zhong-Johnson (Sinskey& Voigt Labs)

Monday, April 1, 2024 2PM Room 68-181

PhD candidate: Linda Zhong-Johnson Advisors: Prof. Anthony Sinskey & Prof. Chris Voigt Monday, April 1, 2024 Time: 2PM Room: 68-181 Title: Biochemical Analysis of PET Degradation Kinetics of Engineered IsPETase Variants

MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar Mar. 11, 2024

Monday March 11, 2024 Room 68-121 12:30-1:30PM

Please join us for the MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar! Monday, March 11, 2024, 12:30-1:30 pm 68-121 Pizza and drinks provided Professor Joe Bondy-Denomy University of California, San Francisco

MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar Feb 05, 2024

Monday Feb 05, 2024 Room 68-180 4:00 PM

Please join us for the MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar! Monday, February 5, 2024, 4-5 pm 68-180 Pizza and drinks provided Nicholas Bergman, PhD Director, National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC)

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Annika Gomez (Cordero/Polz Labs)

Tuesday, January 16th, 2024 Room 48-316

PhD candidate: Annika Gomez Advisors: Prof. Otto Cordero & Prof. Martin Poliz, University of Vienna Tuesday, Janaury 16, 2024 Time: 11 AM Room: 48-316 Title: Ecological forces affecting microbial eukaryotes in the coastal ocean

MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar December 11, 2023

Monday Dec. 11, 2023 Room 68-180 4:00 PM

Please join us for the MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar! Monday December 11, 2023, 4-5 pm 68-180 Pizza and drinks provided Professor Jesse Bloom Fred Hutch Cancer Center Title: Interpreting the Evolution of SARS-CoV-2

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Mandy Levine ( Laub/Li Labs)

Friday, November 17, 2023 10AM Room 1-190

PhD candidate: Mandy Levine Advisors: Prof. Michael Laub & Prof. Gene-Wei Li Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 Time: 10 AM-11 AM Room: 1-190 Title: Temporal gene expression and regulation in T4 phage

2023 MIT Virtual Graduate Fair November 15, 2023

The MIT Microbiology PhD program will be live at the 2023 MIT Virtual Graduate Fair on Wednesday, November 15th, 12-2 PM EST. Register today and join us to receive answers to your application questions!

MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar November 15, 2023

Wednesday Nov. 15, 2023 Room 68-180 4:00 PM

Please join us for the MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar! Wednesday, November 15th, 4-5 pm 68-180 Pizza and drinks provided Professor Lin Chao University of California San Diego Title: The Unicellular Origin of Immortality, Mortality, and Biological Aging in Bacteria

MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar November 13, 2023

Monday, Nov. 13, 2023 Room 68-180 4:00 PM

Please join us for the MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative Seminar! Monday November 13, 2023 4-5pm Room: 68-180 Pizza and drinks provided Professor Luis Zaman The University of Michigan Title: Coevolution, Creativity, and Complexity in Digital and Microbial Organisms

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense – Rachel Szabo ( Cordero Lab)

Title: The ecology of prophages at the microscale

Date: Monday, August 7, 2023 Time: 9:30 AM- 10:30 AM ET Location: Building 48-316

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense – Irene Zhang ( Babbin Lab)

Title: Ecology and adaptation of denitrifiers across genomes and environments

Date: Thursday June 22, 2023 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Location: Building 54-915

MESS (Microbial Engineering & Sciences Seminar)

May 8, 2023 Time: 5:00 PM Location. Building 68-180

MESS is a seminar series for students and postdocs to present their work to the larger microbial sciences community at MIT.

Microbiology Ph.D. Thesis Defense- Jai Padmakumar ( Voigt Lab)

Title: Genomically encoded logic gates and cell-cell communication devices for the implementation of a cryptographic encryption algorithm living cells

Date: April 25, 2023 Time: 12:00 PM Location: Building 47 Room 189