Group Leader
Sabeeha Merchant: Principal Investigator
Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology
Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology
Faculty Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry, UCLA
Warren C. Eveland Chair in Biological Sciences
B.S. and Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Postdoctoral Scholar, Harvard University
Searle Scholar; National Institutes of Health Research Career Development Award; UCLA Faculty Career Development Awards; Guggenheim Foundation Fellow; Charles Albert Shull Award of ASPB; Herbert Newby McCoy Award; AAAS Fellow; ASPB Fellow; NAS Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal; ASPB Charles F. Kettering Award; Humboldt Forschungspreis (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation); Darbaker Prize from the Botanical Society of America; Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; External Member, Max Planck Institute – Molecular Plant Physiology, Elected to Germany Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
sabeeha [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Academic Professionals
Sean D. Gallaher: Research Scientist
B.S. and Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
I am interested in leveraging computational biology strategies (e.g. transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics etc.) to interrogate the inner workings of green algae.
gallaher [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Anne Glaesener: Research Scientist
B.Sc., M.Sc., Technical University Braunschweig, Germany (Biotechnology)
Ph.D., University of Kaiserslautern, Germany
My research focuses on trace metal nutrition, specifically Cu, Fe & Zn, in photosynthetic algae.
aglaesener [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Jeff Moseley: Research Scientist
B.Sc., University of California, San Diego (Biochemistry)
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles (Molecular Biology)
Postdoc, Carnegie Institution for Science
Algae nutrition, photosynthesis, fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis, biotechnology applications
jlmoseley [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Post-Doctoral Scholars
Usha Lingappa: Postdoctoral Scholar
Branco-Weiss Fellow
B.A., Hampshire College (Astrobiology)
Ph.D., Caltech (Geobiology)
For my postdoctoral research, I am using model algae to explore the disconnect between life in the natural environment and how we understand biology in the lab.
ufl [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Jon Lin: Postdoctoral Scholar
NIH Fellow
Ph.D., Michigan State University (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
My research is dedicated to the development of oleaginous green algae as a sustainable platform for producing valuable lipid feedstock essential for both food and renewable energy. In addition to my work at the Merchant Lab, I am affiliated with the Trent Northen group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where I conduct research on lipid metabolism.
linyt [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Maria Clara Avendaño Monsalve: Postdoctoral Scholar
B.S., Biological Engineering. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, UNAL Medellín
MS., Biochemistry. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM
PhD., Biochemistry. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM.
My research focuses on revealing the function of several CGL (Conserved in Green Lineage) genes that are codified as polycistrons in Auxenochlorella protothecoides. Furthermore, I am working on building a toolkit that facilitates studying the cell biology of A. protothecoides.
maclavendanomo [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Sunnyjoy Dupuis: Postdoctoral Scholar (Graduate Student Alumna)
UC Dissertation Year Fellow
B.S., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Microbiology, Minor of Environmental Studies)
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (Microbiology)
I study how diurnal cycles influence algal gene expression, metabolism, responses to light stress, and symbiosis with bacterial partners. I probe synchronized populations of Chlamydomonas with transcriptomics, proteomics, and physiological measurements over diurnal cycles to interrogate the alga’s ecophysiology: how it is shaped by its environment, and how it contributes to that environment in return.
sunnyjoy_dupuis [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Dimitrios Joseph Camacho: Postdoctoral Scholar (Graduate Student Alumna)
Chancellor’s Fellow
B.S., Dominican University of California, (Molecular Cell Biology)
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley (Molecular & Cell Biology)
I study how algae express different genes when they’re starved for C, N, Fe, Cu, and Zn. What tricks can they use to survive starvation? I’m also affiliated with Trent Northen’s group at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab where I’m developing automated tools to rapidly phenotype different algal strains under diverse conditions.
dimitrios_camacho [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Yuliia Lihanova: Postdoctoral Scholar
Ph.D., Leipzig University, Germany (Biochemistry)
My postdoctoral research focuses on deciphering the mechanisms of Cu signaling in the plant lineage. Towards this aim, I am using the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Auxenochlorella protothecoides as model organisms and employing cutting-edge molecular genetics techniques.
ylihanova [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Ph.D. Students
Marco Dueñas: Graduate Student (Plant Biology)
NIH Fellow, Chancellor’s Fellow, Newton Graduate Fellow, & Philomathia Fellow
B.S., University of California, Riverside (Biology, Summa Cum Laude)
My research focuses on developing green algae as platforms for both basic fundamental discovery and synthetic biology application. Some of my current projects include deciphering the mechanism behind polycistronic expression in green algae and piecing together lipid droplet formation in Auxenochlorella protothecoides.
marco.duenas [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Victor Zhong: Graduate Student (Molecular Cell Biology)
NSF-GRFP Fellow
B.S., University of Idaho, (Biochemistry and Biotechnology)
I am interested in studying the changes in the cellular structure of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during light transitions. How does the cellular structure adapt during these transitions? Are there any distinctive macro or micro-structural changes that occur during this process?
Victorzhong [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Liam Sheedy: Graduate Student (Plant Biology)
Arnon Fellow & NIH Trainee
B.S Univerisity of Massachusetts of Amherst (Biology)
I am broadly interested in transcriptional regulation and synthetic biology.
liam_sheedy [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Undergraduate Students
Lauren Chiang: Undergraduate
laurentchiang [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Elery Loggia: Undergraduate
I am a Microbial Biology student interested in bioengineering fungi and other atypical microbes for a regenerative future. Currently I am working with Dr. Jon Lin on developing green algae to produce specific lipids for food and energy.
eleryloggia [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Nathan Yu: Undergraduate
My research focuses on studying base pair deletion limits using homoligous recombination and implementing sugar or phosphate selective markers in the algae Auxenochlorella Prototheciodes.
rockquill [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Alumni
Charles Perrino: Research Scientist
B.A., University of California, Berkeley (Chemistry)
M.S., University of Florida (Environmental Engineering)
Current Researcher at California Department of Public Health
My research focuses on developing instrumental methods and validating quality control for analyzing diverse samples, with a particular emphasis on trace element detection using ICP-MS. Applying this analysis to biological and environmental samples, I explore the impact of trace metals on algal ecosystems.
pens [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Lauren Saucedo: Lab Technician Alumna
NIH PREP scholar
B.S., University of Idaho (Microbiology)
Current graduate student at UC Davis
My research focuses on the genetic engineering of electron transport proteins in the green alga, Auxenochlorella protothecoides. My goal is to reduce algal dependence on Cu in order to increase photosynthetic resilience and productivity.
Helen Liu: Graduate Student Alumna
NSF-GRFP Fellow
B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Crop Sciences, Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology)
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley (Plant and Microbial Biology)
Current Postdoc at University of Vienna
My research focuses on understanding iron homeostasis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. I am interested in how photosynthesis, and generally the chloroplast, acclimates to iron deficiency by leveraging both Chlamydomonas and the halotolerant micro algae, Dunaliella.
Jude Edwards: Lab Technician Alumna
B.S., University of California, Berkeley (Molecular Environmental Biology with Honors)
Current Graduate Student at UC Berkeley (Microbiology)
Radhika Mehta: Postdoctoral Scholar Alumna
B.S., St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi (Chemistry)
M.S., University of Oxford (Inorganic Chemistry)
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin (Chemistry)
Current Research Scientist at Pumpkinseed
My research interests broadly include studying metals in biology- especially the interplay between the labile and metalloprotein-bound metal pools. In my postdoctoral research, I am studying the copper transcription factor, copper response regulator-1 (CRR1), responsible for controlling copper sensing and nutrition in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. More specifically, I am employing molecular biology and genetics tools to delineate steps between copper sensing and CRR1 degradation.
Valle Ojeda Servian: Postdoctoral Scholar Alumna
B.S., M.S. and PhD, University of Seville, Spain
Current Associate Professor, University of Sevilla
The objective of my project is to go beyond inventories of redox modified proteins by monitoring the proteome-wide dynamics of disulphide-dithiol status in the context of a diurnal metabolic cycle in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The findings will be important for modelling diurnal metabolic flux, which is useful for developing biotechnological strategies, whether synthetic biology or pharmacological, for manipulating metabolism for production of biofuels and bioproducts, where Chlamydomonas is a key reference organism.
Stefan Schmollinger: Research Scientist Alumna
Ph.D., University of Kaiserslautern, Germany
Postdoctoral Scholar, UCLA
Current Research Assistant Professor, MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University
I am interested in acclimation responses to environmental cues in Chlamydomonas, and also elemental analysis in bulk or spatial distribution in eukaryotes. Currently searching for the point of intersection.
Daniela Strenkert: Research Scientist Alumna
Ph.D., University of Kaiserslautern, Germany
Postdoctoral Scholar, UCLA
Current Assistant Professor, MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University
I am studying how transcriptional changes are orchestrated with changes of the epigenetic landscape in the eukaryotic, single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas. Chlamydomonas is a superior reference system since it offers all advantages of a single celled, eukaryotic, microbial culture system that can be combined with genome wide profiling approaches.
Rory Craig: Research Scientist Alumna
Ph.D., University of Edinburgh
Postdoc at Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
Current Faculty at University of Melbourne
openings
Positions for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars may be available for all Merchant Lab projects.
Postdoctoral candidates with demonstrated research productivity (publication record) and expertise in biochemistry, cell biology, geochemistry, genetics, genomics, and microbiology are especially encouraged to apply. Please send the following to Sabeeha Merchant: a cover letter that describes your past research experience and motivation for applying to the Merchant Lab, a brief description of proposed research for your postdoctoral project, your most relevant published papers (for multi-author papers, please describe your contribution) as well as names and contact information for 3 or more potential references (letters are not needed during the initial stage).
Ph.D. candidates should apply to one of the following programs at UC Berkeley: Plant and Microbial Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Chemical Biology. All programs allow graduate students to rotate through multiple labs in the first year, providing a diversity of research experiences prior to selecting a lab.