Events will be hosted January – December in 2026, on the last Wednesday of every month, 11:00 – 13:00 pm ET. Presented over Zoom.
After each talk, we will continue the discussions in an informal social meeting with MSE. All speakers and members of the audience are welcome to join the social meeting.
New this year: the live session will be available free, but the on-demand video-recording will only be available to MSE members for the first year (and available to the public afterwards).
Summary:
Microorganisms are critical to many aspects of biological life, including human health. The human body is a veritable universe for microorganisms: some pass through but once, some are frequent tourists, and some spend their entire existence in the confines of our body tissues. The collective microbial community, our microbiome, can be impacted by the details of our lifestyle, including diet, hygiene, health status, and more, but many are driven by social, economic we, medical, or political constraints that restrict available choices that may impact our health. Access to resources is the basis for creating and resolving social equity—access to healthcare, healthy foods, a suitable living environment, and to beneficial microorganisms, but also access to personal and occupational protection to avoid exposure to infectious disease. This speaker series explores the way that microbes connect public policy, social disparities, and human health, as well as the ongoing research, education, policy, and innovation in this field.
Dr Naupaka Zimmerman is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Kansas (KU). He was previously an Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the MS Biology Program at the University of San Francisco. His research explores microbial ecology, with a focus on the communities of fungi that live inside plant leaves without causing disease, known as endophytes. His work investigates how environmental conditions, host species, and geography influence the diversity and function of these microbes.
Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, Dr Zimmerman has studied the microbial ecology of native Hawaiian plants, particularly Metrosideros polymorpha. At USF, his lab worked on plant–microbe interactions in urban environments and sustainable agricultural systems, including research across San Francisco and at Star Route Farms in Marin County. He plans to extend that work to agricultural and grassland systems in the midwest in his new role at KU. His team uses fieldwork, microscopy, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics to understand how plant-associated microbes contribute to ecosystem processes such as decomposition, plant health, and resilience to pathogens. His lab website is here.
Whether we are interested in the way coastal wetlands sequester carbon, how diet affects us differently, or how public and environmental health are inextricably linked – research on the microbiome can reveal how systems connect. Join us for two days to learn about how microbial communities impact ecosystems, food production, health, and more; to hear from experts researching these issues in New England and beyond; and discuss the technology and data analysis which can boost your own research.
UMaine Buchanan Alumni House, 160 College Ave, Orono, ME 04473
If you would like to help sponsor this event, please contact sue.ishaq@maine.edu.
Agenda for June 11, 2026
8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast, provided
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Opening Remarks
Dr. Sue Ishaq, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiomes, Associate Director of Special Projects in the School of Food and Agriculture at the UMaine; member of the Board of Directors at ASM; Founder and Lead of the Microbes and Social Equity working group.
9:15 – 10:15 Plenary Presentation
“The second messenger c-di-GMP in Bordetella”
Dr. Federico Sisti, Ph.D., Investigator, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology (IBBM) of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Dr. Sisti is incoming President-Elect at the American Society of Microbiology, and the first ASM President representing its global membership.
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 12:00 Session 1: Microbial mayhem or tiny partners in health?
“Leveraging organ-on-chip technology to study gut microbiome effects on human health and disease“, Dr. Dani Brassino, PhD, Assistant Professor of Gut Microbiome and Cancer Interactions, The University of Vermont College of Medicine.
Following a B.S. in Nutrition Science and at the University of Texas, Dani Brasino acquired a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado. At CU, she developed synthetic phospholipids as part of an artificial cell project and acquired experience in microfluidics fabrication. Combining these experiences, she led development of a novel polycarbonate-based organ-on-chip platform as a postdoc at Oregon Health and Science University. Now her lab, the μMicrobiome Lab, aims to further develop and apply gut microbiome-on-chips to study the relationship between the human gut microbiome, distal disease progression, and therapeutic efficacy.
“Genetic and Microbiome Control of Addiction-like Behaviors in Mice”, Dr. Jason Bubier, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Center for Addiction Biology, The Jackson Laboratory
Jason A. Bubier, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory, where he leads research at the intersection of genetics, behavior, and addiction biology. His work focuses on uncovering the genetic and physiological factors that shape vulnerability to addictive substances, with current projects examining the microbiome’s influence on behavior, the genetic architecture of opioid‑induced respiratory depression, and systems‑level pathways involved in addiction.
Dr. Bubier has spent more than two decades at The Jackson Laboratory, advancing through multiple research roles and contributing to major initiatives in functional genomics and behavioral genetics. He has authored more than 80 scientific publications, and his work is widely cited across fields including immunology, bioinformatics, and addiction science.
“Food insecurity, gut microbiome, health”, Dr. Maria Carlota Dao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Human Nutrition, University of New Hampshire.
Dr. Maria Carlota Dao is an Assistant Professor of Human Nutrition in the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems at the University of New Hampshire. As an interdisciplinary scientist focused on obesity research, she investigates the interplay of cardiometabolic risks, dietary and psychosocial factors, and the gut microbiota. Through this work she seeks to address obesity in health disparity populations. Prior to becoming a faculty member at UNH, Dr. Dao worked as a scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Her training includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the Sorbonne University and INSERM (Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition) in France, and a PhD in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
“Gut Anthro“, Dr. Amber Benezra, Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Stevens Institute of Technology
Dr. Benezra is a sociocultural anthropologist researching how studies of the human microbiome intersect with biomedical ethics, public health/technological infrastructures, and care. In partnership with human microbial ecologists, she has been developing an “anthropology of microbes” to address global health problems across disciplines. Her book, Gut Anthro (published by University of Minnesota Press in 2023) is the first ethnography of the microbiome.
“One Codex in Action“, Christopher Smith, One Codex.
12:00 – 1:15 Lunch, provided
1:15 – 2:45 Session 2: Biochemical geniuses: microbes from soil to sea
“How to build a microbiome to “breed” better plant-inoculants.” Dr. Anna O’Brien, PhD., Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire.
She is originally from the Pacific Northwest. She received her B.S. in Plant Biology from the University of Washington, her PhD from the University of California Davis, where she worked with Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra and Sharon Strauss on the impacts of rhizosphere biota on trait divergence and adaptation in the wild relatives of maize. Anna Post-doc’ed at the University of Toronto, primarily with Megan Frederickson, but also with Chelsea Rochman, David Sinton and unofficially, Stephen Wright, in everything to do with duckweeds and duckweed microbiomes (from mutualisms, to ecotoxicology, to engineering better tools, and experimental “evolution” and epigenetics).
“Salt marsh microbiomes are impacted by waterway restrictions in coastal Maine.” Heather Richard, M.S., PhD. Candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, UMaine.
Heather joined the University of Maine in 2021 as a PhD student with the Maine eDNA program and studies the impacts of bridges and roads on microbial communities in salt marsh habitats. Her background in Ecology led her to pursue a career in informal environmental education for several years before getting a Master’s degree in Marine Biology from San Francisco State University studying biofilms on microplastics pollution. Upon returning to Maine in 2016 she led local research for a coastal non-profit organization and has since been dedicated to studying coastal environmental issues relevant to Maine. She has found a true passion in bioinformatic analysis and is eager to learn new tools for data analysis of all kinds.
“Genomic Strategies for Discovering Microbial Dark Matter using Metagenomics“ Scott Tighe, M.S., Senior Research Associate, Environmental Microbiome Engineering Research Group, Dept of Civil Engineering, University of Vermont. Scott Tighe is currently Senior Research Associate in the Environmental Microbiome Engineering Research Group in the Dept of Civil Engineering at the University of Vermont and past technical director of the UVM Genomics Facility. He has expertise in all areas of genomics, microbiology, and mycology with a specific focus on advancing the methods used for microbiome and metagenomic analysis. He specializes performing metagenomic analysis in global extreme sites such Greenland, Antarctica, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Crete, Tahiti, and the International Space Station to name a few and is currently the science lead of the Extreme Microbiome Project (XMP). Short Abstract: The ability to perform advanced genomic techniques on samples collected from extreme environments demands high performance reagents and techniques not commonly used in most labs today. For the past15 years, our projects have developed novel sampling and DNA sequencing protocols for profiling a variety of environments, including snow, glaciers, Antarctic lakes, Romanian caves, thermophilic ecosystems, halophilic, acidic, alkaline lakes, anaerobic digestors as well as organisms from bioaerosols and the International Space Station. Technical approaches include novel liquid concentrating devices, sample disruptors, biopulverizers, and field use of the Oxford Nanopore DNA sequencer. Whole Genome sequencing results indicate that for many unique sights, 5-30% of all organisms are not classified beyond Genus with a large number being new species.
“A Sample-to-results Workflow for Sequencing from Wastewater“, Dr. Siva Chavadi, PhD. Senior FAS, NEBNext Products, NEB
Speaker Bio: Siva Chavadi (he/him) is a Senior FAS (NEBNext NGS sample prep reagents) at New England Biolabs, working with academic and core facilities as well as industrial collaborators to implement scalable NGS workflows. Previously at GENEWIZ/Azenta, he supported NGS service operations and customer applications. He holds a PhD in Animal Sciences from University of Hyderabad, India with research focused on TB diagnostics and vaccine development using functional genomics tools.
2:45 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 4:00 Session 3: Practical Applications
“Antibiotic-Free Liquid Surface Coatings for the Tunable Control of Protein and Microorganism Adhesion: The rise of antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest global public health challenges of our time”, Dr. Caitlin Howell, PhD, Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine
Caitlin Howell is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Maine. She received her MS in Biology from UMaine, her PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, then completed a postdoc at the Wyss Institute for Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard University before returning to UMaine to found the Biointerface Engineering Lab in 2016. Her research group is focused on designing surfaces to leverage the power of living systems to address human problems.
“From Lab to Tap: Microbial Management in the Craft Beverage Industry”, Sam White, M.S., Quality Control Collaboratory (QC2), University of Southern Maine
Samantha White is a dedicated researcher and educator with extensive experience in analytical chemistry and the craft beverage industry. Sam manages the Quality Control Collaboratory at USM where she leads lab operations, quality control initiatives, research projects, and industry outreach programs.
“From Bugs to Breakthroughs: Sequence the Invisible Majority with QIAseq.”, Dr. Kevin W. Joseph, PhD, Genomics Field Application Scientist
Kevin graduated from University of Maine in 2012 with a BS in Microbiology and later acquired his PhD in Infectious Disease and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh. During his graduate work, he focused on HIV-1 single genome sequencing and integration site analysis of clonally-expanded, replication competent, HIV-1 proviruses in patients with long-term viral suppression. He developed the Individual Proviral Sequencing Assay (IPSA) to study these rare targets, which enables sequencing of full-length HIV-1 single-genome proviruses and their integration sites with high sequencing efficiency. Kevin has brought his knowledge and expertise to QIAGEN where he assists researchers with NGS, PCR assay and oligonucleotide design, and in-lab training/support.
“Illumina innovation roadmap“, Jennifer Mosher, Senior Sequencing Specialist, Illumina
Jennifer Mosher is a Senior Sequencing Specialist at Illumina, with deep expertise spanning field applications, marketing, and NGS-based proteomics. With over a decade in academia, she previously led operations for NGS at the Cornell Genomics Core before transitioning to industry, where she partners with both academic and commercial leaders to drive adoption of advanced sequencing technologies and assays.
4:00 – 5:00 pm Posters and networking
Agenda for June 12, 2026
This workshop broadly includes combining microbiome data with other data types, combining qualitative and quantitative data, learning to evaluate microbiome data using demographic data, dealing with unbalanced groups especially in human microbiomes, and how to choose statistical tests for microbiome projects.
8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast, provided
9 – 10- ish am Case Study Presentations, 20 min each, hosted by Sue Ishaq
“Human data pitfalls” by Kevin Roberge, M.S. UMaine: Lecturer, Mathematics and Adjunct Professor, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies.
“Statstical decisions” by Laura Jackson, Ph.D., UMaine: Bioinformatics Program Coordinator & Graduate FacultyGraduate School of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Bioinformatician – CORE Strategic Operational Services.
“A case study in human microbiomes”, by Lola Holcomb, Ph.D., University of New England, Bioinformatics Postdoc
10 – 10:15 Break, snacks and coffee provided
10:15 – 11 Panel discussion, symposium speakers are welcome to join
11 – 12 Open working time for data wrangling advice and analysis workflow storyboarding as a group
Kevin Roberge, can help with analysis storyboarding, identifying assumptions, math
Laura Jackson, can help with coding, statistics and deciding which to use, RNAseq data, 16S data, meta-analyses
Lola Holcomb, can help with coding, metagenomics data, 16S data, meta-analyses
Sue Ishaq, can help with some 16S, but will be helping to coordinate the workshop
12 – 1:30 lunch, provided
We are grateful to our financial supporters, who helped make this symposium possible and accessible!
Future Microbiome Researcher Sponsors
These incredible sponsors not only helped support this symposium, but their generous donation helped to create several hands-on laboratory workshops to support training in microbiome technology!
Events will be hosted January – December in 2026, on the last Wednesday of every month, 11:00 – 13:00 pm ET. Presented over Zoom.
After each talk, we will continue the discussions in an informal social meeting with MSE. All speakers and members of the audience are welcome to join the social meeting.
New this year: the live session will be available free, but the on-demand video-recording will only be available to MSE members for the first year (and available to the public afterwards).
Summary:
Microorganisms are critical to many aspects of biological life, including human health. The human body is a veritable universe for microorganisms: some pass through but once, some are frequent tourists, and some spend their entire existence in the confines of our body tissues. The collective microbial community, our microbiome, can be impacted by the details of our lifestyle, including diet, hygiene, health status, and more, but many are driven by social, economic we, medical, or political constraints that restrict available choices that may impact our health. Access to resources is the basis for creating and resolving social equity—access to healthcare, healthy foods, a suitable living environment, and to beneficial microorganisms, but also access to personal and occupational protection to avoid exposure to infectious disease. This speaker series explores the way that microbes connect public policy, social disparities, and human health, as well as the ongoing research, education, policy, and innovation in this field.
Dr Naupaka Zimmerman is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Kansas (KU). He was previously an Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the MS Biology Program at the University of San Francisco. His research explores microbial ecology, with a focus on the communities of fungi that live inside plant leaves without causing disease, known as endophytes. His work investigates how environmental conditions, host species, and geography influence the diversity and function of these microbes.
Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, Dr Zimmerman has studied the microbial ecology of native Hawaiian plants, particularly Metrosideros polymorpha. At USF, his lab worked on plant–microbe interactions in urban environments and sustainable agricultural systems, including research across San Francisco and at Star Route Farms in Marin County. He plans to extend that work to agricultural and grassland systems in the midwest in his new role at KU. His team uses fieldwork, microscopy, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics to understand how plant-associated microbes contribute to ecosystem processes such as decomposition, plant health, and resilience to pathogens. His lab website is here.
Today was a blast at the Microbiome Workshop on Amplicon Library Generation, which was generously sponsored by QIAGEN!!! Their sponsorship provided the opportunity for 7 students to learn how to prepare their samples for sequencing.
We are grateful to Kevin Joseph, Chao Jie Zhen, and Karen Rodland from QIAGEN for their time, expertise, and support!
Brigit Humphreys, Fernanda Amaral Della Rosa, and Chao Jie ZhenKevin Joseph, Miranda Seixas and Alexandra Ruff
We are also grateful to Alex Sacco, Genomics Facility Manager at UMaine, as well as UMaine CORE, for helping to organize the workshop and ensure that students had access to specialized equipment and supplies. Alex and I have been co-organizing a series of workshops, and we hope to make these a regular part of genomics education at UMaine.
Miranda Seixas and Alexandra Ruff
Miranda Seixas and Alexandra Ruff
Brigit Humphreys and Fernanda Amaral Della Rosa
Carly Coughlin
Brigit Humphreys, Chao Jie Zhen, and Georgia Hynes
Brigit Humphreys, Chao Jie Zhen, Lydia Teng
During today’s workshop, students investigated the diversity of microbial communities by preparing sequencing libraries targeting bacterial, archaeal, and fungal marker genes. Using extracted microbial DNA, students amplified regions of the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene as well as the fungal ITS region, which are widely used for taxonomic classification of microbial species.
Students used the QIAseq 16S/ITS Pro Screening Panel, which targets multiple variable regions of the 16S gene and the fungal ITS region across three primer pools. Students learned how to use the DNA from their samples to generate copies of the gene they are interested in using PCR. Unlike other kits, this one calls for three reactions for each sample sample for different regions of the genes. These are combined later, allowing for screening of the full 16S gene and the ITS region rather than a fragment that might only be 1/4 to 1/3 of the whole gene (some sequncing is limited to certain lengths of DNA).
Following targeted amplification, students performed bead‑based cleanup steps and completed a second PCR to add unique sample indices and Illumina sequencing adapters. The resulting libraries were purified, quality‑controlled using fragment analysis concepts discussed during the workshop, and prepared for downstream sequencing on Illumina platforms.
By amplifying and sequencing these variable regions, students generated data that can be used to compare microbial community composition across different sample types. QIAGEN will be joining us on campus in June, too, for the Microbiome Symposium at UMaine. We will be hosting a data workshop there, and I also teach a class on data analysis in the fall.
Whether we are interested in the way coastal wetlands sequester carbon, how diet affects us differently, or how public and environmental health are inextricably linked – research on the microbiome can reveal how systems connect. Join us for two days to learn about how microbial communities impact ecosystems, food production, health, and more; to hear from experts researching these issues in New England and beyond; and discuss the technology and data analysis which can boost your own research.
UMaine Buchanan Alumni House, 160 College Ave, Orono, ME 04473
If you would like to help sponsor this event, please contact sue.ishaq@maine.edu.
Agenda for June 11, 2026
8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast, provided
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Opening Remarks
Dr. Sue Ishaq, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiomes, Associate Director of Special Projects in the School of Food and Agriculture at the UMaine; member of the Board of Directors at ASM; Founder and Lead of the Microbes and Social Equity working group.
9:15 – 10:15 Plenary Presentation
“The second messenger c-di-GMP in Bordetella”
Dr. Federico Sisti, Ph.D., Investigator, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology (IBBM) of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Dr. Sisti is incoming President-Elect at the American Society of Microbiology, and the first ASM President representing its global membership.
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 12:00 Session 1: Microbial mayhem or tiny partners in health?
“Leveraging organ-on-chip technology to study gut microbiome effects on human health and disease“, Dr. Dani Brassino, PhD, Assistant Professor of Gut Microbiome and Cancer Interactions, The University of Vermont College of Medicine.
Following a B.S. in Nutrition Science and at the University of Texas, Dani Brasino acquired a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado. At CU, she developed synthetic phospholipids as part of an artificial cell project and acquired experience in microfluidics fabrication. Combining these experiences, she led development of a novel polycarbonate-based organ-on-chip platform as a postdoc at Oregon Health and Science University. Now her lab, the μMicrobiome Lab, aims to further develop and apply gut microbiome-on-chips to study the relationship between the human gut microbiome, distal disease progression, and therapeutic efficacy.
“Genetic and Microbiome Control of Addiction-like Behaviors in Mice”, Dr. Jason Bubier, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Center for Addiction Biology, The Jackson Laboratory
Jason A. Bubier, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory, where he leads research at the intersection of genetics, behavior, and addiction biology. His work focuses on uncovering the genetic and physiological factors that shape vulnerability to addictive substances, with current projects examining the microbiome’s influence on behavior, the genetic architecture of opioid‑induced respiratory depression, and systems‑level pathways involved in addiction.
Dr. Bubier has spent more than two decades at The Jackson Laboratory, advancing through multiple research roles and contributing to major initiatives in functional genomics and behavioral genetics. He has authored more than 80 scientific publications, and his work is widely cited across fields including immunology, bioinformatics, and addiction science.
“Food insecurity, gut microbiome, health”, Dr. Maria Carlota Dao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Human Nutrition, University of New Hampshire.
Dr. Maria Carlota Dao is an Assistant Professor of Human Nutrition in the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems at the University of New Hampshire. As an interdisciplinary scientist focused on obesity research, she investigates the interplay of cardiometabolic risks, dietary and psychosocial factors, and the gut microbiota. Through this work she seeks to address obesity in health disparity populations. Prior to becoming a faculty member at UNH, Dr. Dao worked as a scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Her training includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the Sorbonne University and INSERM (Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition) in France, and a PhD in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
“Gut Anthro“, Dr. Amber Benezra, Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Stevens Institute of Technology
Dr. Benezra is a sociocultural anthropologist researching how studies of the human microbiome intersect with biomedical ethics, public health/technological infrastructures, and care. In partnership with human microbial ecologists, she has been developing an “anthropology of microbes” to address global health problems across disciplines. Her book, Gut Anthro (published by University of Minnesota Press in 2023) is the first ethnography of the microbiome.
“One Codex in Action“, Christopher Smith, One Codex.
12:00 – 1:15 Lunch, provided
1:15 – 2:45 Session 2: Biochemical geniuses: microbes from soil to sea
“How to build a microbiome to “breed” better plant-inoculants.” Dr. Anna O’Brien, PhD., Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire.
She is originally from the Pacific Northwest. She received her B.S. in Plant Biology from the University of Washington, her PhD from the University of California Davis, where she worked with Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra and Sharon Strauss on the impacts of rhizosphere biota on trait divergence and adaptation in the wild relatives of maize. Anna Post-doc’ed at the University of Toronto, primarily with Megan Frederickson, but also with Chelsea Rochman, David Sinton and unofficially, Stephen Wright, in everything to do with duckweeds and duckweed microbiomes (from mutualisms, to ecotoxicology, to engineering better tools, and experimental “evolution” and epigenetics).
“Salt marsh microbiomes are impacted by waterway restrictions in coastal Maine.” Heather Richard, M.S., PhD. Candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, UMaine.
Heather joined the University of Maine in 2021 as a PhD student with the Maine eDNA program and studies the impacts of bridges and roads on microbial communities in salt marsh habitats. Her background in Ecology led her to pursue a career in informal environmental education for several years before getting a Master’s degree in Marine Biology from San Francisco State University studying biofilms on microplastics pollution. Upon returning to Maine in 2016 she led local research for a coastal non-profit organization and has since been dedicated to studying coastal environmental issues relevant to Maine. She has found a true passion in bioinformatic analysis and is eager to learn new tools for data analysis of all kinds.
“Genomic Strategies for Discovering Microbial Dark Matter using Metagenomics“ Scott Tighe, M.S., Senior Research Associate, Environmental Microbiome Engineering Research Group, Dept of Civil Engineering, University of Vermont. Scott Tighe is currently Senior Research Associate in the Environmental Microbiome Engineering Research Group in the Dept of Civil Engineering at the University of Vermont and past technical director of the UVM Genomics Facility. He has expertise in all areas of genomics, microbiology, and mycology with a specific focus on advancing the methods used for microbiome and metagenomic analysis. He specializes performing metagenomic analysis in global extreme sites such Greenland, Antarctica, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Crete, Tahiti, and the International Space Station to name a few and is currently the science lead of the Extreme Microbiome Project (XMP). Short Abstract: The ability to perform advanced genomic techniques on samples collected from extreme environments demands high performance reagents and techniques not commonly used in most labs today. For the past15 years, our projects have developed novel sampling and DNA sequencing protocols for profiling a variety of environments, including snow, glaciers, Antarctic lakes, Romanian caves, thermophilic ecosystems, halophilic, acidic, alkaline lakes, anaerobic digestors as well as organisms from bioaerosols and the International Space Station. Technical approaches include novel liquid concentrating devices, sample disruptors, biopulverizers, and field use of the Oxford Nanopore DNA sequencer. Whole Genome sequencing results indicate that for many unique sights, 5-30% of all organisms are not classified beyond Genus with a large number being new species.
“A Sample-to-results Workflow for Sequencing from Wastewater“, Dr. Siva Chavadi, PhD. Senior FAS, NEBNext Products, NEB
Speaker Bio: Siva Chavadi (he/him) is a Senior FAS (NEBNext NGS sample prep reagents) at New England Biolabs, working with academic and core facilities as well as industrial collaborators to implement scalable NGS workflows. Previously at GENEWIZ/Azenta, he supported NGS service operations and customer applications. He holds a PhD in Animal Sciences from University of Hyderabad, India with research focused on TB diagnostics and vaccine development using functional genomics tools.
2:45 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 4:00 Session 3: Practical Applications
“Antibiotic-Free Liquid Surface Coatings for the Tunable Control of Protein and Microorganism Adhesion: The rise of antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest global public health challenges of our time”, Dr. Caitlin Howell, PhD, Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine
Caitlin Howell is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Maine. She received her MS in Biology from UMaine, her PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, then completed a postdoc at the Wyss Institute for Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard University before returning to UMaine to found the Biointerface Engineering Lab in 2016. Her research group is focused on designing surfaces to leverage the power of living systems to address human problems.
“From Lab to Tap: Microbial Management in the Craft Beverage Industry”, Sam White, M.S., Quality Control Collaboratory (QC2), University of Southern Maine
Samantha White is a dedicated researcher and educator with extensive experience in analytical chemistry and the craft beverage industry. Sam manages the Quality Control Collaboratory at USM where she leads lab operations, quality control initiatives, research projects, and industry outreach programs.
“From Bugs to Breakthroughs: Sequence the Invisible Majority with QIAseq.”, Dr. Kevin W. Joseph, PhD, Genomics Field Application Scientist
Kevin graduated from University of Maine in 2012 with a BS in Microbiology and later acquired his PhD in Infectious Disease and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh. During his graduate work, he focused on HIV-1 single genome sequencing and integration site analysis of clonally-expanded, replication competent, HIV-1 proviruses in patients with long-term viral suppression. He developed the Individual Proviral Sequencing Assay (IPSA) to study these rare targets, which enables sequencing of full-length HIV-1 single-genome proviruses and their integration sites with high sequencing efficiency. Kevin has brought his knowledge and expertise to QIAGEN where he assists researchers with NGS, PCR assay and oligonucleotide design, and in-lab training/support.
“Illumina innovation roadmap“, Jennifer Mosher, Senior Sequencing Specialist, Illumina
Jennifer Mosher is a Senior Sequencing Specialist at Illumina, with deep expertise spanning field applications, marketing, and NGS-based proteomics. With over a decade in academia, she previously led operations for NGS at the Cornell Genomics Core before transitioning to industry, where she partners with both academic and commercial leaders to drive adoption of advanced sequencing technologies and assays.
4:00 – 5:00 pm Posters and networking
Agenda for June 12, 2026
This workshop broadly includes combining microbiome data with other data types, combining qualitative and quantitative data, learning to evaluate microbiome data using demographic data, dealing with unbalanced groups especially in human microbiomes, and how to choose statistical tests for microbiome projects.
8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast, provided
9 – 10- ish am Case Study Presentations, 20 min each, hosted by Sue Ishaq
“Human data pitfalls” by Kevin Roberge, M.S. UMaine: Lecturer, Mathematics and Adjunct Professor, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies.
“Statstical decisions” by Laura Jackson, Ph.D., UMaine: Bioinformatics Program Coordinator & Graduate FacultyGraduate School of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Bioinformatician – CORE Strategic Operational Services.
“A case study in human microbiomes” by Lola Holcomb, Ph.D., University of New England, Bioinformatics Postdoc
10 – 10:15 Break, snacks and coffee provided
10:15 – 11 Panel discussion, symposium speakers are welcome to join
11 – 12 Open working time for data wrangling advice and analysis workflow storyboarding as a group
Kevin Roberge, can help with analysis storyboarding, identifying assumptions, math
Laura Jackson, can help with coding, statistics and deciding which to use, RNAseq data, 16S data, meta-analyses
Lola Holcomb, can help with coding, metagenomics data, 16S data, meta-analyses
Sue Ishaq, can help with some 16S, but will be helping to coordinate the workshop
12 – 1:30 lunch, provided
We are grateful to our financial supporters, who helped make this symposium possible and accessible!
Future Microbiome Researcher Sponsors
These incredible sponsors not only helped support this symposium, but their generous donation helped to create several hands-on laboratory workshops to support training in microbiome technology!
I’ll be on the road and in the air frequently this spring, as I was graciously invited on two international trips, I am participating in an international conference here in the US, and I am fostering microbiome events in Maine!
Ghent, Beligum
In May, I’ll be visiting Belgium for my first time, as I present my research at a seminar at Ghent University, and meet with health researchers and students!
Ghent is brimming with art, history, and science, and I’m looking forward to being steeped in these as I tour the canals a bit.
Where: MS Teams and Auditorium A – Campus Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent
Language: English
Organizer: The Interdisciplinary Medical and Health Seminar of May 2026 is co-organized by the Department of Public Health and Primary Care and the Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.
Immediately after my trip to Ghent, I’ll travel to Venice, Italy, to speak at a workshop titled: “Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data in Microbiome Research and Postgenomics: Toward an Interdisciplinary Dialogue”. The talks and discussion will focus on combining qualitative and quantitative data.
The University sits in the heart of Venice! I’ll finally get to spend time with Dr. Roberta Rafetta in person, as we’ve been colleagues for several years through MSE but only online.
Scope of the workshop: While always challenging to combine data with very different types, scopes, and timeframes, being able to combine complex (and often qualitative) social science data with quantitative microbial data is key to understanding the human microbiome. The workshop is led by my colleague Roberta, as well as the Segata Lab, who are leading a collaboration on the microbiome of people living in Antarctica.
“Reconciling time-averaged diet history, time-specific microbiome data, and time-independent feelings about diet and health.”
Presented by: Sue Ishaq, University of Maine
Abstract: Cruciferous vegetables, and the microbial metabolites that they stimulate in the gut, are sources of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. For example, broccoli sprouts contain inactive glucosinolates (GSL), especially glucoraphanin (GLR), which some bacteria convert into bioactive sulforaphane (SFN) (i.e., GSL conversion). Broccoli sprout diets robustly reduce gut inflammation and other symptoms in mouse models of colitis, and GSL conversion is achieved in people using diet or GLR supplementation, with some evidence that regular consumption trains bacteria for GSL conversion over time. However, conversion efficiency is variable and unpredictable in people, and little is known about the specific bacteria, genes, or metabolic pathways responsible for GSL conversion. This study evaluated the impact of a 4- week steamed broccoli sprout dietary intervention, which is rich in GLR, on gut microbiome entrainment for GLR conversion (qPCR, metagenomics), gut microbial community structure or function (16S rRNA and metagenomics), gut metabolites (LC/MS-MS metabolite and untargeted metabolomics), and how diet made people feel (open-ended survey), as well as the correlation of GLR conversion and gut microbiota with self-reported diet (survey) and healthy eating index via the 2023 daily guidelines for Americans (diet history). While each data set provides results, the combination of datasets should yield information on why we saw these results. This presentation will focus on the conceptual and statistical challenges of combining radically distinct types of data to understand objective and subjective health information.
Washington, DC
In June, I’ll be heading back to D.C. for the ASM Microbe conference, to present my work as well as to engage in strategic planning and science advocacy as part of responsibilities as a member of the board.
“Making Microbial Anti-Inflammatories from Plant Secondary Compounds in Broccoli Sprouts, from Culture to Gut“
Authors: S. Ishaq, J. Holman, A. Kirkendall, L. Holcomb, A. Reynolds; University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States.
Inactive glucoraphanin (GLR) is found in broccoli, broccoli sprouts, and supplements, and specific gut bacteria are critical to biosynthesizing it into antioxidant and anti-inflammatory sulforaphane (SFN) in the colon, where it directly resolves colitis. GLR conversion in people is highly variable, and certain people lack some/all high-performing GLR-converting bacteria. Little is known about which gut bacteria/gene pathways are competent; if conversion can be induced/increased by introducing a probiotic; and if a probiotic would persist and remain active during acute gut inflammation when many taxa perish.
We previously identified that different preparations of broccoli sprouts fine-tunes the dispersal of dietary and microbially mediated metabolites in the gut, and induces gut-location-specific changes in bacterial communities. Using different parts of the intestines in broccoli sprout-fed mice, we isolated ~330 bacterial strains from 9 distinct morphologies using selective media and anaerobic culturing. We identified 16 bacterial candidates which grew better with GLR and metabolized it (confirmed with LC-MS/MS), which included pure-strain isolates, especially Enterobacter asburiae, and multi-species communities, especially Enterobacter asburiae, Bacillus sp., Paenibacillus sp., Clostridium farciminis, Enterococcus faecalis, that were stable across a dozen culturing passages.
While our isolated bacteria and our mixed colony strains all possess glycoside hydrolases CAZyme families which are implicated in GLR-conversion, only some strains used them. We performed RNA transcriptomics analysis on our probiotics with and without GLR in nutritious broth. In the mixed bacterial culture samples grown with GLR, all strains are active, but Clostridium and Bacillus dominate. But, with GLR, the Enterobacter asburiae in the mixed community dominates the transcriptome at the 12-hour and 24-hour time point when literature confirms that similar species have peak GLR-metabolizing activity. This matches our growth trial data, in which our GLR-metabolizing bacteria show a second bump in growth at 12 or 16 hours when cultured with GLR compared to media alone.
Finally, we piloted the use of our isolated strain, Enterobacter asburiae, and our mixed community as probiotics, with or without a 10% steamed broccoli sprout diet, as a means of abrogating the effects of chemically induced ulcerative colitis in a mouse model.
Funder: This work was supported by the NIH NIDDK, Biomedical Association of Maine, and the University of Maine Small Animal Research Facility.
Orono, Maine
Scattered across April, May, and June, are several workshops and a symposium at the University of Maine that I am co-organizing.
Sequencing Workshops for UMaine students and postdocs
Alex Sacco, CORE Genetics Facility Manager, and Sue Ishaq, Assoc. Prof. of Microbiomes, are organizing a series of hands-on workshops for graduate and undergraduate students to learn how to generate sequencing libraries for microbial communities or host genomes!
Microbiome Workshop 1: 16S and ITS Amplicon Library Generation with QIAGEN, April 15, 2026. Students will prepare amplicon sequencing libraries using QIAGEN kits for the 16S rRNA gene from bacteria and archaea, and the ITS region of fungi. This includes attaching barcodes/indexes and sequencing adapters, and quality control checks. Then, students will set up a sequencing run using Illumina chemistry. The sequencing reagents, and lunch, are generously provided by Qiagen, one of our Future Microbiome Researcher Sponsors for the Northen New England Microbiome Symposium.
Microbiome Workshop 2: Long-read amplicon analysis with New England Biolabs and Oxford Nanopore, May 1. Students will prepare amplicon sequencing libraries using NEB for whole-length 16S rRNA gene from bacteria and archaea, and the ITS region of fungi. This includes attaching barcodes/indexes and sequencing adapters, and quality control checks. Then, students will set up a sequencing run using Oxford nanopore chemistry. The sequencing reagents, and lunch, are generously provided by New England Biolabs, one of our Future Microbiome Researcher Sponsors for the Northen New England Microbiome Symposium.
Microbiome Workshop 3: RNA-Seq with Illumina, May 11-15, 2026. Students will prepare RNA sequencing libraries (for microbial or host RNA) using Illumina kits and workflows. This includes attaching barcodes/indexes and sequencing adapters, and quality control checks. Student will also set up a sequencing run using samples from the group using Illumina chemistry. The sequencing reagents, and lunch, are generously provided by Illumina, one of our Future Microbiome Researcher Sponsors for the Northen New England Microbiome Symposium.
The 2nd Northern New England Microbiome Symposium
Whether we are interested in the way coastal wetlands sequester carbon, how diet affects us differently, or how public and environmental health are inextricably linked – research on the microbiome can reveal how systems connect. Join us for two days to learn about how microbial communities impact ecosystems, food production, health, and more; to hear from experts researching these issues in New England and beyond; and discuss the technology and data analysis which can boost your own research.
UMaine Buchanan Alumni House, 160 College Ave, Orono, ME 04473
Events will be hosted January – December in 2026, on the last Wednesday of every month, 11:00 – 13:00 pm ET. Presented over Zoom.
After each talk, we will continue the discussions in an informal social meeting with MSE. All speakers and members of the audience are welcome to join the social meeting.
New this year: the live session will be available free, but the on-demand video-recording will only be available to MSE members for the first year (and available to the public afterwards).
Summary:
Microorganisms are critical to many aspects of biological life, including human health. The human body is a veritable universe for microorganisms: some pass through but once, some are frequent tourists, and some spend their entire existence in the confines of our body tissues. The collective microbial community, our microbiome, can be impacted by the details of our lifestyle, including diet, hygiene, health status, and more, but many are driven by social, economic we, medical, or political constraints that restrict available choices that may impact our health. Access to resources is the basis for creating and resolving social equity—access to healthcare, healthy foods, a suitable living environment, and to beneficial microorganisms, but also access to personal and occupational protection to avoid exposure to infectious disease. This speaker series explores the way that microbes connect public policy, social disparities, and human health, as well as the ongoing research, education, policy, and innovation in this field.
Dr. Robin Patel is the Elizabeth P. and Robert E. Allen Professor of Individualized Medicine, Director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Co-Director of the Clinical Bacteriology Laboratory, Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, and former Chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology, at the Mayo Clinic. Professor Patel’s research focuses on understanding the inherent biology of periprosthetic infection. She has over 635 peer-reviewed publications, is supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the Director of the Laboratory Center of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group of the National Institutes of Health, and is the Past President of the American Society for Microbiology. Her faculty page is here.
Events will be hosted January – December in 2026, on the last Wednesday of every month, 11:00 – 13:00 pm ET. Presented over Zoom.
After each talk, we will continue the discussions in an informal social meeting with MSE. All speakers and members of the audience are welcome to join the social meeting.
New this year: the live session will be available free, but the on-demand video-recording will only be available to MSE members for the first year (and available to the public afterwards).
Summary:
Microorganisms are critical to many aspects of biological life, including human health. The human body is a veritable universe for microorganisms: some pass through but once, some are frequent tourists, and some spend their entire existence in the confines of our body tissues. The collective microbial community, our microbiome, can be impacted by the details of our lifestyle, including diet, hygiene, health status, and more, but many are driven by social, economic we, medical, or political constraints that restrict available choices that may impact our health. Access to resources is the basis for creating and resolving social equity—access to healthcare, healthy foods, a suitable living environment, and to beneficial microorganisms, but also access to personal and occupational protection to avoid exposure to infectious disease. This speaker series explores the way that microbes connect public policy, social disparities, and human health, as well as the ongoing research, education, policy, and innovation in this field.
Dr. Robin Patel is the Elizabeth P. and Robert E. Allen Professor of Individualized Medicine, Director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Co-Director of the Clinical Bacteriology Laboratory, Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, and former Chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology, at the Mayo Clinic. Professor Patel’s research focuses on understanding the inherent biology of periprosthetic infection. She has over 635 peer-reviewed publications, is supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the Director of the Laboratory Center of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group of the National Institutes of Health, and is the Past President of the American Society for Microbiology. Her faculty page is here.
This paper was a collaborative effort by several members of the Microbiome Stewardship team, Panuya Athithan (grad student working with Emma), Kieran O’Doherty (fearless leader of the MiSt group), Emma Allen-Vercoe (maven of the human microbiome), and myself. Panuya and I led the paper, weaving our favorite stories of microbial symbioses together with existing studies that support the need for stewardship. Panuya is currently a PhD student working with Emma on a variety of projects, including a gut microbiome and early life project she was interviewed about here. She’s also a Young Director at the non-profit Fora: Network for Change, and was previously an undergraduate researcher while at the University of Waterloo.
A little over a year ago, the author team was discussing the need for papers which outline examples of critical host-microbial or ecosystem-microbial partnerships which are irreplaceable (unless you have several million years of free time to wait for evolution), as a means of supporting calls for taking action now to preserve life and ecosystems on what is currently the only planet we call home.
Over a series of conversations with the MiSt group, as well as during the first public meeting to create the IUCN Microbe Specialist Group, our author team honed our paper to address the concerns of researchers over the ability and practicality of stewardship microbes.
Left to right in the photo are some of the MiSt group; front: Zhongzhi (Michael) Sun, Emma Allen-Vercoe, Sue Ishaq; middle: Mikaela Beijbom, Mallory Choudoir, Sarah Elton, Kieran O’Doherty, Panuya Athithan; back: Grace Gabber, Andreas Heyland, Rob Beiko.
This paper is one of the first in a forthcoming special issue (announcement coming soon!), which will feature several invited papers from my microbiome stewardship colleagues (both original team and expansion pack researchers). These papers will expand upon the concept of what it means to share microbes between individuals, communities, and ecosystems; what it would mean to consider microbes as shared natural resources to which everyone had an innate right to; and how it would look for public and planetary health to reduce the harm of human industry and consumerism to live more sustainably and regain all the benefits that the microbial world can provide us.
Microbes first into the life rafts: preserving microbiomes to secure health in degrading ecosystems
Authors: Panuya Athithan 1,2*, Suzanne L. Ishaq 2,3,4*, Emma Allen-Vercoe 1,2 Kieran C. O’Doherty 2,4,5
1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
2 The Microbiome Stewardship research group
3 School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469
4 The Microbes and Social Equity working group, Orono, Maine, 04469
5 Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Abstract
All organisms on the planet intrinsically rely on microbial ecosystems, and there are increasing calls from research communities to consider microbiota when administering personal or public health, ecosystem health, and the use of microbiota in personal or environmental health remediation, such as reducing the impacts of climate change, or protecting at-risk habitats which host rare microbiota. Through our collective work on the integral nature of microbiomes to host and environmental health, on health policy, and on the development of research and policy agendas, we have previously developed the concept of ‘microbiome stewardship’ and guidelines to promote consideration of microbial communities broadly or in specific scenarios. The practicality of stewarding one versus many microbiota is highly contextual, and will require different strategies for different scales of conservation. Here, we provide scientific arguments for the need for microbial stewardship, examples of possible solutions scaled to different ecological challenges or conservation goals, discourse on the logistical challenges which have been cited by research communities, and opportunities to use cutting-edge microbiome concepts and technology to implement large-scale interventions.
Sustainability Statement
Microorganisms are responsible for environmental and organismal health, and the stewardship of microbiota has applications for human, plant, animal, and environmental health on local and global scales. The concepts described here are pertinent, in particular, to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3) good health and wellbeing. Additionally, our paper is relevant to goals 6) clean water and sanitation, 9) industry, innovation, and infrastructure, 11) sustainable cities and communities, 12) responsible consumption and production, 13) climate action, 14) life below water, 15) life on land, and 17) partnerships for the goals.
Graphical abstract: The concept of microbiome stewardship can be applied at multiple scales to provide guidance on both specific or general microbial interactions. Graphic made in Biorender under licence.
I was on a team led by Senior Federal Affairs Officer Nicole Zimmerman from the ASM Policy Team, along with incoming ASM President-Elect Dr. Federico Sisti, and current ASM President Dr. Alexander McAdam.
ASM is always looking for members who would like to learn how to advocate for science, share their stories with lawmakers, and help shape the future of science policy. You can find out more about recent advocacy from the ASM Policy Action Center, and specifically hear about ways to get involved iin the Action Network. Earlier in my career, I never thought I would be interested in getting involved in policy, or confident enough to advocate on behalf of 38,000 microbiologists, but the ASM Policy Training made it really easy for me to identify needs or concerns from my colleagues and students, collect data to demonstrate the impact of policies on our industry, and specify steps that legislators could take to seize opportunities or provide resolutions. With the global social, political, and economic turmoil we have all been facing for years– to put it mildly – having the opportunity to be a small part of building the future has been a meaningful part of my career. I highly recommend it!
Offering expertise and building trust
One of the messages that we were keen to share with US (and all) policymakers, articulated by incoming ASM President-Elect Dr. Federico Sisti, is that ASM members around the world have an incredible breadth and depth of expertise in all topics related to microbiology, and that we are here to help. ASM has always had a strong initiative for providing scientific information and policy support, including ASM policy staff and our thousands of members.
But, to create the collaborations between scientists and policy makers requires time to build trust and establish regular communication. Here, I had an advantage in that 3 of my meetings were with Maine lawmakers (Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, and Representative Jared Golden), and being a voting constituent lends weight to my voice as I spoke about how reduction in funding for education, and disruptions to research funding which also impacted student research opportunities, impacted students and communities in Maine.
From the classroom to Congress
Serendipitously, I know one of the staff members in Senator Susan Collins’ office, and it was a delightful surprise to run into Michael DeLorge, co-Valedictorian at UMaine in 2024 and student in my Intro to Animal Microbiomes class. My microbiomes class talks about the need for science in policymaking, as well as the need for diverse and far-reaching collaborations in order to solve global challenges, such as those set out by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
I got even further into the connection between research and public policy, as well as federal funding, in my Capstone In Animal Science course, nicknamed “How To Be A Researcher”. I have a whole lecture about the federal funding process in the US, historic funding levels, and how agencies had been trying to improve equity in the distribution of funds (including to rural areas, primarily undergraduate institutions, and other universities which had received less research and education funding).
I also teach my students about designing impactful research by identifying problems to solve and the relevant impacted communities (humans, animals, plants, other organisms, ecosystems). Over the semester, students design research projects and detail them in funding proposals, but we write them backwards by first identifying who/what the students want to help, then identifying the problem or what they could help with, and then outlining the strategy for finding information so we could make a positive change.
And, I’m sure my Capstone students will be happy to hear that I put into practice what I make them do in the classroom: all of my meetings on Capitol Hill were essentially “Elevator Speeches”, short pitches which identify a problem and a possible solution in a succinct format that allows the listener to engage in a discussion with you. I’m happy to report that I kept all my speeches under the meeting time limit 😊
The views expressed in this post and in my meetings were my own and did not represent the institutions I am affiliated with.
The Ishaq Lab 