Microbial Ecosystems Lab

Colorado State University

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People

Principal Investigators 

  • Kelly Wrighton
    Professor
    Kelly Wrighton
  • Mikayla Borton
    Research Professor
    Mikayla Borton
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Kelly Wrighton

Kelly Wrighton

Professor

In my laboratory, computational systems biology approaches result in predictions of metabolic potential in both individual microorganisms and microbial communities. These insights underpin laboratory investigations targeting physical, chemical, and biological controllers on biogeochemical processes. I couple holistic and reductionist approaches to interrogate the interactions between organismal bioenergetics, interconnected community metabolism, and chemical processes.

Post-doctoral training in Bioinformatics, University of California Berkeley [Dr. Jill Banfield]

PhD in Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley [Dr. John Coates]

Master of Science in Ecology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA

 

kelly.wrighton@colostate.edu

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Mikayla Borton

Mikayla Borton

Research Professor

Postdoctoral Research, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PhD  in Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, 2016-2020

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, The Ohio State University

 

Mikayla.Borton@colostate.edu

 

 

 

Research Staff 

  • Sophie Jurgensen
    Research Associate
    Sophie Jurgensen
  • Rich Wolfe
    Computer Scientist
    Rich Wolfe
  • Alexandra Wettengel
    Research Technician
    Alexandra Wettengel
Sophie Jurgensen

Sophie Jurgensen

Research Associate

sophie.jurgensen@colostate.edu

PhD in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University

Bachelor of Science in Biology, James Madison University

Bachelor of Arts in Modern Foreign Languages, James Madison University

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Rich Wolfe

Rich Wolfe

Computer Scientist

Master of Science, Computer Science, Ohio University

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, Ohio University

Alexandra Wettengel

Alexandra Wettengel

Research Technician
B.S. in Biological Science, CSU 2023
alex.wettengel@colostate.edu

Research Trainees 

  • Jared Ellenbogen
    Research Scientist
    Jared Ellenbogen
  • Lady Grant
    Graduate Student
    Lady Grant
  • Christopher Chorpenning
    Graduate Student
    Christopher Chorpenning
  • Laura Moore
    Graduate Student
    Laura Moore
  • Laura Mason
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Laura Mason
Jared Ellenbogen

Jared Ellenbogen

Research Scientist

PhD in Microbiology, Ohio State University

Master of Science in Microbiology, Ohio State University

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Otterbein University

 

Jared.Ellenbogen@colostate.edu

Lady Grant

Lady Grant

Graduate Student

PhD Student in Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University

Bachelor of Arts in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder

 

Eryn.Grant@colostate.edu

 

Christopher Chorpenning

Christopher Chorpenning

Graduate Student

MS Student at Colorado State University Majoring in Soil and Crop Sciences emphasis in Soil Ecology

chorp@colostate.edu

Laura Moore

Laura Moore

Graduate Student

Bachelor of Science in Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University

Laura Mason

Laura Mason

Postdoctoral Researcher

laura.mason@colostate.edu 

PhD Environment & Natural Resource, Ohio State University

MS Environmental & Plant Biology, Ohio University

BS Microbiology and Evolution & Ecology, Ohio State University

Former Lab Members and Previous Positions

  • Pengfei Liu
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Pengfei Liu
  • Maider Echeveste Medrano
    Visiting MS Student
    Maider Echeveste Medrano
  • Garrett Smith
    PhD 2020
    Garrett Smith
  • Bridget McGivern
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Bridget McGivern
  • Saniya Danbay
    Undergraduate Researcher
    Saniya Danbay
  • Adrienne Narrowe
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Adrienne Narrowe
  • Ikaia Leleiwi
    PhD
    Ikaia Leleiwi
  • Alex Hopkins
    Undergraduate Researcher
    Alex Hopkins
  • Mike Shaffer
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Mike Shaffer
  • Lindsey Solden
    PhD 2018
    Lindsey Solden
  • Angela Oliverio
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Angela Oliverio
  • Katherine Kokkinias
    Graduate Student
    Katherine Kokkinias
  • Greg Moss
    NSF REU Researcher
    Greg Moss
  • Meagan Allira
    Undergraduate Researcher
    Meagan Allira
  • Rebecca Daly
    Research Associate
    Rebecca Daly
  • Josue Rodriguez-Ramos
    PhD
    Josue Rodriguez-Ramos
  • Cole Goldman
    Research Associate
    Cole Goldman
  • Djennyfer Ferreira
    Graduate Student
    Djennyfer Ferreira
  • Richard Kevorkian
    Research Associate
    Richard Kevorkian
  • Bridget O’Banion
    Undergraduate Researcher
    Bridget O’Banion
  • Brooke Stemple
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Brooke Stemple
  • Hannah Lucero
    Research Associate
    Hannah Lucero
  • T.J. Beavers
    Undergraduate Researcher
    T.J. Beavers
  • Dmitri Svetlov
    Research software engineer
    Dmitri Svetlov
  • Rory Flynn
    Research software engineer
    Rory Flynn
  • Kevin Eberle
    Undergraduate Researcher
    Kevin Eberle
  • Laura Schaerer
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    Laura Schaerer
  • Reed Woyda
    Research Associate
    Reed Woyda
  • Levi Johnson
    Undergraduate Researcher
    Levi Johnson
  • LeAundra Schöpflin
    Graduate Student
    LeAundra Schöpflin
  • Ray McVeety
    Undergraduate Researcher
    Ray McVeety
  • Jordan Angle
    PhD 2018
    Jordan Angle
Pengfei Liu

Pengfei Liu

Postdoctoral Researcher

Lanzhou University

Postdoctoral Scholar, 2019-2020

PhD in Resources and Environmental Biotechnology, China Agricultural University

Bachelor of Science in Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University

 

 

 

Maider Echeveste Medrano

Maider Echeveste Medrano

Visiting MS Student

SIAM PhD Candidate, Radboud University

Visiting Masters Student, 2020

Bachelor in Biology, University of the Basque Country

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Garrett Smith

Garrett Smith

PhD 2020

PhD in Microbiology, The Ohio State University, 2014-2020

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Genetics, Iowa State University


 

 

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Bridget McGivern

Bridget McGivern

Postdoctoral Researcher

PhD in Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University

Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, University of St. Thomas

 

Bridget.McGivern@colostate.edu

 

Saniya Danbay

Saniya Danbay

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate student in Chemical Engineering, Colorado State University

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Adrienne Narrowe

Adrienne Narrowe

Postdoctoral Researcher

PhD in Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver

Master of Science in Biology, University of Colorado Denver

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Wright State University

Bachelor of Arts in Slavic Languages and Literatures, Northwestern University

 

Adrienne.Narrowe@colostate.edu

 

 

 

Ikaia Leleiwi

Ikaia Leleiwi

PhD

PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University

Master of Science in Microbiology, Colorado State University

Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa

 

Ikaia.Leleiwi@colostate.edu

Alex Hopkins

Alex Hopkins

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate student in Statistics, Colorado State University

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Mike Shaffer

Mike Shaffer

Postdoctoral Researcher
PhD in Computational Bioscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Loyola University Chicago
michael.t.shaffer@colostate.edu
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Lindsey Solden

Lindsey Solden

PhD 2018

PhD in Microbiology, The Ohio State University 2013-2018

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, The Ohio State University

 

 

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Angela Oliverio

Angela Oliverio

Postdoctoral Researcher

PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado

Bachelor of Arts in Biology & Philosophy, Smith College

 

Angela.Oliverio@colostate.edu

 

 

Katherine Kokkinias

Katherine Kokkinias

Graduate Student

PhD Candidate in Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University

Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

Katherine.Kokkinias@colostate.edu

Greg Moss

Greg Moss

NSF REU Researcher

Cell and Molecular Biology REU Student

Santa Monica College

Meagan Allira

Meagan Allira

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate student in Microbiology, Colorado State University

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Rebecca Daly

Rebecca Daly

Research Associate

Research Associate in Microbiology, The Ohio State University

Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Colorado College

 

Reb.Daly@colostate.edu

 

Josue Rodriguez-Ramos

Josue Rodriguez-Ramos

PhD

PhD in Ecology, Colorado State University

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico

 

Josue.Rodriguez_Ramos@colostate.edu

 

 

Cole Goldman

Cole Goldman

Research Associate

Bachelors of Science in Biology, Colorado State University

Cole.Goldman@colostate.edu

Djennyfer Ferreira

Djennyfer Ferreira

Graduate Student

Graduate Student in Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University

Master of Science in Soil Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil

Bachelor of Science in Agronomy, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil

 

Djennyfer.de_Melo_Ferreira@colostate.edu

Richard Kevorkian

Richard Kevorkian

Research Associate
PhD in Microbiology, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Master of Science in Microbiology, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Bachelors of Science in Biology, Virginia Tech
Richard.Kevorkian@colostate.edu

Bridget O’Banion

Undergraduate Researcher

The Ohio State University

Brooke Stemple

Brooke Stemple

Postdoctoral Researcher

PhD in Environmental Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Masters in Environmental Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Bachelors of Science in Environment Science and Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

 

Brooke.Stemple@colostate.edu

Hannah Lucero

Hannah Lucero

Research Associate

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, Colorado State University

T.J. Beavers

T.J. Beavers

Undergraduate Researcher

The Ohio State University

Dmitri Svetlov

Dmitri Svetlov

Research software engineer

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Rory Flynn

Rory Flynn

Research software engineer

Master of Science in Computer Science, University of Colorado-Denver

Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Kevin Eberle

Kevin Eberle

Undergraduate Researcher

The Ohio State University

Laura Schaerer

Laura Schaerer

Postdoctoral Researcher

BA, Biology Spring Arbor University 2015

MS, Biological Sciences Michigan Technological University 2019

Graduate Certificate, Data Science Michigan Technological University 2023

PhD, Biological Sciences Michigan Technological University 2023

Reed Woyda

Reed Woyda

Research Associate

PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University

Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Mathematics, Minnesota State University

Levi Johnson

Levi Johnson

Undergraduate Researcher

Bachelor’s Student at Colorado State University Majoring in Soil and Crop Sciences emphasis in Soil Ecology

levisoilguy@gmail.com

LeAundra Schöpflin

LeAundra Schöpflin

Graduate Student

PhD Student in Ecology, Colorado State University

Master of Science in Marine Studies, University of Delaware

Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Utah

 

LeAundra.Schopflin@colostate.edu

Ray McVeety

Ray McVeety

Undergraduate Researcher

The Ohio State University

Jordan Angle

Jordan Angle

PhD 2018

PhD in Microbiology, The Ohio State University, 2013-2018

Master of Science in Molecular Biology, Eastern Illinois University

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Eastern Illinois University

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