Lab Members

     
Farooq Azam

Distinguished Professor of Oceanography
fazam@ucsd.edu




Google Scholar Page


Nirav Patel
PhD Candidate
nrp003@ucsd.edu


My research focuses on microbial interactions with colloidal proteins using high resolution AFM imaging.  I study the nanoscale structures and nanomechanical properties of natural bacterial assemblages within environmental samples.
Julie Dinasquet
Postdoctoral Researcher 
jdinasquet@ucsd.edu

I study the spatio-temporal variations of marine bacterial utilization of volatile organic compounds in coastal and polar ecosystems. My research interest lies in bridging marine microbial biogeochemistry with atmospheric chemistry to better understand the role of marine microorganisms in key processes impacting air-sea fluxes of trace gases which will affect the atmospheric radiative budget and climate.


Google Scholar Page
    
Yosuke Yamada
Postdoctoral Researcher 


My research focuses on particle dynamics and microbial activities in the ocean and investigates the impacts on marine biogeochemistry and ecology. Current projects focus on the interaction among diatoms, bacteria and viruses.




Gerrit Wienhausen
Postdoctoral Researcher 


My current research interest focuses on microbial interactions. The large majority of marine microbes depends on the availability of nutrients. Metabolite cross feeding allows microbes to overcome their nutrient dependencies in the marine environment. My current project focuses on the exchange of vitamin precursor metabolites among bacteria to overcome their auxotrophies. 





Gowtham Subbarao 
My interest in the Earth sciences led me to Scripps wherein I was attracted by the exciting multidisciplinary nature of marine science and potential opportunities to apply my training from graduate school and beyond in structural biology, enzymes and membrane proteins to aspects of marine microbial ecology.

I am a staff member in Prof Farooq Azam's group wherein I have developed projects in the broad area of the subsurface biosphere as also applicable to its pool of viable microbial communities. I am working towards characterizing underlying microbial diversity in niche subsurface settings of the marine subsurface (including via an IODP cruise to the Indian Ocean) as well as in high organic matter bearing strata in the terrestrial subsurface. This theme is closely linked to exploring potential microbial metabolic pathways in such settings via geochemical strategies. The broad objective of my efforts is to link subsurface microbial identity to biogeochemical functionality via culture independent (OMICs), culturing and select geochemical approaches.



 
Caroline Petersen
Undergraduate student 

 I am currently a senior year undergraduate student in Marine Biology from the University of Copenhagen. In the Azam lab I am working on strains of Arctic Bacteria, using techniques such as Flow Cytometry, culturing and sequencing. My interest in research lies in the arctic climate and its                                                                              microbial life, their phylogenetic relationships and adaption/influence on climate change.

Tyler Price
Undergraduate student 

I am a third year Biochemistry and Cell Biology major here at UCSD, and am interested in studying global climate change and its effects on the evolution of marine organisms. I love working at the Scripps Institute, and am hoping to use the many opportunities the institute offers to soon learn to surf or scuba dive. 
In the lab I work on fish larvae microbiome and on the effects of material toxicity on marine bacteria. 




   
Ahmed Alsaggaf 
Undergraduate student 
aalsagga@ucsd.edu

I am Ahmed Alsaggaf, an undergraduate student at UCSD studying biology and marine science! I really enjoy the field of marine science and I only enjoyed it more in lab. I have learned various things in the lab like dyeing, filtering bacteria, using microscopes, and many other really interesting stuff! I currently work on bacteria relationship with the microscopic sea life; phytoplankton. We are finding a lot of interesting interactions between both and we hope to understand what they are doing and how they are doing it!



Harshitha Sai Viswanathan 
Undergraduate student - Resume

I am currently a third year at UCSD majoring in Biochemistry and Cell Biology with a minor in Marine Sciences from Abudhabi, U.A.E. I achieved an Advanced Scuba diving certificate which enabled me to study marine responses to changing temperatures. As an active member of ecological organizations, I also take part in scuba diving expeditions to clean beaches and seas. 

In the Azam lab I do imaging of marine bacteria and viruses.


 





 

Azam Lab
(August 2018)














Farooq Azam (prof), Josie Rivera (undegrad.), Caroline Ren (undergrad.), Julie Dinasquet (postdoc), Yosuke Yamada (postdoc), Ryan Guillemette (PhD student), Ahmed Alsaggaf (undergrad.), Nirav Patel (PhD student).

Former lab members
Ryan Guillemette
PhD Candidate

Ryan graduated in September 2018.