Robert Jinkerson

Associate Professor, Principle Investigator
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
University of California, Riverside

Simons Fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation, Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford University (Jonikas Lab)
Ph.D Applied Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (Posewitz Lab)
B.S. Biological Engineering, University of Missouri (Forgacs Lab)

Jess Axmaker

Graduate Student
Department of Microbiology
University of California, Riverside
Project: Coral Symbiosis

B.S. Botany, Oregon State University
B.A. Japanese, Wellesley College

Marcus Harland-Dunaway

Postdoctoral Associate
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Riverside
Project: Space Plants

Ph.D. Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside
B.S.  Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of Washington

As a graduate student at UCR, I study engineering plants for growth in confined environments such as vertical farms or the International Space Station.

Dang Le

Graduate Student
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Riverside
Project: Algal Biofuels, Heterotrophic growth of algae

B.S.  Chemical Engineering, University of California, Riverside

Haley Larsen

Graduate Student
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
University of California, Riverside
Project: Plant Acetate Utilization

B.S. Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside

Claire Mauss

Graduate Student
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
University of California, Riverside
Project: Engineering plants for vertical agriculture

B.S.  Environmental Science and Health, University of Southern California

Jonathan Meuser

Assistant Researcher, Principle Investigator
Director, Botanical Vivarium
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Riverside

CEO and co-founder, Chi Botanic
Scientist, Algenol
Scientist, Synthetic Genomics
Ph.D Environmental Science and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines (Posewitz Lab)
B.S. Plant Biology, University of California, Davis (Harada Lab)

Andrés Narvaez

Associate Specialist
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Riverside
Project: SPACE tomatoes

Senior Software Applications Engineer  Yahoo!
B.S.  Entrepreneurship, Washington State University

Victor Rossi

Graduate Student
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
University of California, Riverside
Project: Engineering plants for vertical agriculture

B.S. Santa Clara University

Mark Szenteczki

Postdoctoral Associate
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Riverside
Project: Enhancing the pollination efficiency of greenhouse tomatoes, SPACE tomatoes

Ph.D. Université de Neuchâtel
M.Sc. University of Lausanne (Switzerland)
BScH, Biology, Queen’s University

Other members:

Andre Young (Arcadia High School, current: Stanford University)
Beatriz Velazquez Benitez (UCR CEE undergraduate)
Katie Garwood (UCR Bioengineering undergraduate)
Annie Shelton (UCR Neuroscience undergraduate)
Malia Freese (Moreno Valley College High School Student)
William Hsu (UCR Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology undergraduate)
Ameerah Karim (UCR Biology undergraduate)
Rutva Doshi (UCR Bioengineering undergraduate)
Kayla Tran (UCR biochemistry undergraduate)
Connor Nieh (UCR Bioengineering undergraduate)
Ann Leon (UCR CEE undergraduate)
Isabelle Fisher (UCR CEE undergraduate)
Jennifer Zheng (UCR Biology undergraduate)
Arman Saadatkhah (UCR Botany and Plant Sciences undergraduate)

Alumni

Elizabeth Hann

Ph.D. Graduate
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR
Current: Harvard University, Wyss Institute

Project: Lipid Accumulation in Chlamydomonas and
Endosymbiotic Gene Transfer

Ph.D. Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside
B.S. Environmental Systems, University of California, San Diego

While at UCSD, I worked at the Salk Institute in the lab of Joe Ecker. I also had the opportunity to work in the lab of Bianca Brahamsha at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Before starting graduate school at UCR, I worked at Synthetic Genomics on the algal biofuels program funded by ExxonMobil.

Joseph Russo

Ph.D. Graduate
Department of Microbiology, UCR

Project: Coral Symbiosis

Ph.D. Microbiology, University of California, Riverside
B.S. Molecular Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Former UCSB molecular biology major turned to UCR microbiologist. I am investigating the genetic circuitry responsible for the initiation, regulation/maintenence, and degradation of coral symbiosis using the model cnidarian host Aiptasia and the microalgae Symbiodinium minitum.

Justin Hoover

M.S. Graduate
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, UCR

Project: Plant cell cultures

M.S.  Chemical Engineering, University of California, Riverside
B.S.  Chemical Engineering, University of California, Riverside