Experience

Delavie Sciences

• United States
• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Research Associate III

  • Oct 2021 - Present

  As part of transitioning our team to becoming a cosmetic ingredient company, I focused on improving my knowledge of the cosmetic industry to contribute in relevant and productive ways. For example, I traveled to New York City with team members to promote our product at an exhibition booth, and I was able to attend lecture sessions. I optimized the UV-blocking/absorbing organism's growth media in the laboratory. It doubled the cell mass at the laboratory scale and quadrupled at the contract manufacturer organization's facilities. Also, I performed the requested information from lab-scale processing experiments for the contract manufacturer as soon as possible. When batches of material were made of our product in-house for R&D purposes or from our contract manufacturer, I performed quality control procedures to ensure the material met our standards. After passing our quality control assays, some material was set up for stability studies. I continued performing quality control procedures throughout the specified timeline for the experiments. In addition to the UV-blocking/absorbing organism, I started a complex screening and organization process of our out-of-state collection samples to isolate and identify the known and novel bacterium and fungi. The goal was to identify organisms to study and harness their potential abilities in making additional beneficial products.



Liberty BioSecurity, LLC

• United States
• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Research Scientist

  • Feb 2018 - Oct 2021

  My position has primarily involved maintaining and processing a novel extremophile organism. I had a role in optimizing the media components that reduced the cost of materials and continued to produce a comparable product. Also, we made changes to the production process that eliminated a complex step which reduced the processing time and extreme storage conditions. I have helped develop the laboratory SOPs and media batch records to help the team perform optimally. The advancements made were for a pharmaceutical pipeline and a smooth transition for a large-scale contract manufacturing organization to grow and process the organism in the future. In between working with the novel organism: • I investigated static biofilm growth conditions for lesser-known diabetic foot ulcer bacterium. • As part of a team, we went on an adventure out of state to collect organisms growing under extreme conditions. • Later on, I started working with an organism that can safely absorb/block UV radiation. This organism previously went up to the International Space Station and it survived in extreme outer space conditions.



Farmer Joe's Gardens

• United States
• Food and Beverage Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Farm Stand Associate

  • Jun 2015 - Nov 2017

  While working on my master’s degree, I worked as a farm stand associate. This was a great opportunity to interact with people who come from all walks and stages of life and all share an interest in eating or planting locally grown non-GMO flowers, fruits, and vegetables. I assisted customers in-person or on the phone by answering any questions they had on our products including pre-ordering our produce in bulk. I was able to multi-task and adjust what was needed of me, including going back and forth from working on making our community supported agriculture fruit and vegetable baskets, to handing them out, or going into the stand to help out at the register. In between assisting customers by helping them pick things out or completing their purchasing order at the register, I took initiative to complete tasks with my co-workers by delegating based on priority, availability of material needed, and time constraints. Several projects I worked on at the farm stand included setting up displays, planting garlic, and completing inventory lists. In the farm stand, I was able to work independently and as a team member to complete these tasks.



The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

• United States
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Seasonal Research Assistant

  • May 2012 - May 2015

  When I started working at the Agricultural Experiment Station, I had the pleasure to work with Dr. Richard Cowles, an agricultural scientist whom was working with spotted winged drosophila (drosophila suzukii). We mostly focused on toxicology and behavioral experiments with the fruit fly to improve how insect pest management could be improved upon. For one of the toxicology experiments, I prepared agar media and plated several hundred strains of Bacillus Thuringenesis (Bt) to be used to see if any could cause mortality in adults or their larvae. In the behavioral experiments in the lab, the flies were given choices of what they would find to be most attracted to base on which small trap they chose to enter. In the second half of my experience at the station, I enjoyed working with Dr. Carole Cheah, whom is an Assistant Agricultural Scientist II. This was a great experience to further work in a lab setting where the focus was on potential biological control agents. I participated in the release of Rhinoncomimus latipes, a type of weevil that feeds on mile-a-minute in several areas of CT. To showcase what Dr. Cheah and I were working on, we participated in Windsor Earth Day at the town hall in April 2015. At this event, we were able to teach families about the research we were working on with the Mile-A-Minute weed and Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. While working multiple back-to-back contracts as a seasonal research assistant I worked with several scientists including Dr. De-Wei Li, on a joint project with Dr. Cowles, and Dr. Todd Mervosh, on a mile-a-minute project looking at Rhinoncomimus latipes feeding abilities on herbicide sprayed leaves and the weevils mortality. Each summer I also participated in Plant Science Day at Lockwood Farm in Hamden, CT where the public is invited to the farm to learn about what research is taking place under the umbrella of the agricultural station.