Email: khakhar@colostate.edu

Bio: I am passionate about fighting global hunger and malnutrition. My major hobbies are cooking, making art, and reading. Science fiction is my favorite genre and I love that my job gives me the opportunity to bring some of the things I have read about closer to reality. I grew up in Mumbai, India and have been working in the field of synthetic biology since 2015. 

Email: tawni.bull@colostate.edu

Bio: I was born and raised on the Western Slope in Colorado where I helped with our family farm. Seeing the difficulties of farming first-hand, I became passionate about improving agricultural crops and practices to help benefit farmers. I received my PhD from UC Davis in Horticulture and Agronomy studying the genetic loci important for in vitro regeneration and developing methods for improved regeneration in lettuce. I love to read thriller/suspense novels and to go on weekend adventures with my husband and our two corgis, Kya and Luna.

Email: madison.furnish@colostate.edu

Bio: I received my PhD from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Pharmacology where I examined how mitochondrial signaling drives aggressive prostate cancer. After working in biotech and pharma, I decided that I wanted to research climate change solutions. I’m excited to apply high throughput screening techniques to optimize control systems and discover mechanisms that regulate nuclear receptors. My hobbies include seeing live music, painting, sewing, and collecting plants. 

Email: vadthya.lokya@colostate.edu

Bio: I hold a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry, proteomics, and molecular biology from the University of Hyderabad, India, where my research highlighted the potential of Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitors (BBIs) from groundnuts as anti-coagulant and insecticidal agents, employing advanced biochemical and proteomic techniques. My postdoctoral research at National Agri-Food Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Institute, Mohali, India focused on enhancing pro-vitamin A content in Grand Naine banana through biotechnological interventions, addressing vitamin A deficiency and contributing to combating hidden hunger. I have played a key role in the molecular analysis of transgenic banana events, regulatory approvals, and field trials for agronomic characterization. At Colorado State University, my research goal is to develop high-throughput screens to identify variants of plant signalling proteins, advancing our understanding of plant biology and its application to sustainable agriculture.

Email: heather.forster@colostate.edu

Bio: I received my PhD in Genetics from Kansas State University, where I studied the roles of N-acetylglucosamine and amino acids in nitrogen metabolism of Aspergillus fungi. Prior to that, I worked on use of small interfering RNAs in control of charcoal rot disease in plants and taught high school science in Korea. In the Khakhar lab, I am working on development of a synthetic lichen. Outside of lab, I enjoy outdoor activities, music, and raising my cat. 

Email: lauren.farina@colostate.edu

Bio: I am interested in the improvement of agricultural crops and systems. After working in plant breeding for agriculture, I look forward to approaching such topics from a synthetic biology perspective. I grew up in the Midwest in Wisconsin and Minnesota and am excited to be close to the mountains because I love skiing and hiking. 

Email: max.combest@colostate.edu

Bio: I am fascinated by all things in biology, but my curiosity has led me to focus on plants and their viruses. I want to learn how to use viruses as tools to study plant biology and develop technologies that can be used to address pressing issues facing humanity, particularly malnutrition. My undergraduate studies were in biochemistry at the University of Kansas, and I received a Master’s in botany and plant pathology from Oregon State. I believe that synthetic biology has the transformative potential to bring novel developments to biotechnology and agriculture, and I’m more than excited to be involved with this lab. 

Email: Dylan.Moss2@colostate.edu

Bio: I became interested in synthetic biology while taking a seminar course with Professor Jennifer Doudna at the University of California, Berkeley, where I completed my undergrad in Integrative Biology. This seminar made me very excited about the potential of CRISPR-Cas-based tools, and I subsequently became involved at Steven Jacobsen's Lab at UCLA where I worked on developing tools to manipulate DNA methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Prior to this experience I worked at UCSF's Children's Hospital of Oakland Research Institute with UCB Emeritus Bruce Ames where I studied the epigenetic effects of Vitamin D. I am very excited about the unique opportunities that synthetic biology provides for us to manipulate genomes and gene expression, and am thrilled to be working at Arjun's Lab. 

Email: noah.hoglund@colostate.edu

Bio: After working in the military for the better part of a decade, I pursued a career change focused on synthetic biology. My research is oriented around becoming an expert in studying how to engineer living organisms to achieve a targeted outcome. My intent is to encourage others to go after what may be perceived as impossible, while simultaneously working toward my lifelong goal of becoming an astronaut and researching on the international space station.

Email: samuel.waggoner@colostate.edu

Bio: I’m an undergraduate student currently studying biology. I really love nature and all the diverse interactions within it, especially at the smallest scale. I am really interested in studying mycology and its potential role in one day helping to address ideas such as plastic waste pollution  and biomaterial production. I hope to one day obtain my phd and have a research lab of my own! Outside the lab I’m usually reading, jamming, or hanging with an animal.

Email: mary.nater@colostate.edu

Bio: I grew up in Florida where I received a B.S. in International Affairs from FSU and am currently pursuing a second bachelor's in Biochemistry at CSU. I'm passionate about nutrition, plants, and climate change, I aim to leverage synthetic biology to bring these fields together. I'm excited to develop my scientific skills in this lab and contribute to innovative research. In my free time I love to hike, skateboard and spend time with my dog, Leia.

Email: emily.elsheimer@colostate.edu

Bio: I am an Air Force veteran and an undergraduate at Colorado State University studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Since childhood, I have been curious about laboratory science and what it means to work in a research environment. I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue this interest through hands-on research at CSU.

Email: eleanora.proffitt@colostate.edu

Bio: I'm a USMC veteran and undergraduate at CSU majoring in plant biology, with a Russian language minor. I'm passionate about plant evolution and genome editing, and my goal is to one day assist research stations in extreme environments. The Arjun Lab is the perfect place for me to grow my skills as a researcher. Outside of the lab I like to make art, play video games, and spend time with my husband and our two cats, Torrent and Phish. 

Email: kathrine.yar@colostate.edu

Bio: Bio: I am an undergraduate first-Generation student at Colorado State University majoring in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry. I am a pre-vet student Passionate about genetic engineering in animals, and I plan on going to vet school and getting my DVM! I am very grateful for the opportunity to work at Arjun Lab and getting experience in a research setting. Outside of school, I love being involved in my sorority and being a foster for AAAR as well as reading, Ice skating, and crocheting!