Most of life is too small to see with the naked eye. Beginning with the invention of the microscope, and thanks to the continued development of molecular tools, we are now able to explore a whole new world that exists around us. My research focuses on describing and understanding this world.
I am interested in characterizing the microbes of novel habitats and investigating the relationships among microbes and between microbes and metazoans. I use classical animal behavior studies, ecological microbiological contexts, and molecular tools to try and decipher novel relationships and develop methods which assist in providing an environmental context to studies of microbe-metazoan interactions. I am currently at Tufts University where I am working toward my Ph.D. in biology in the laboratory of Philip Starks. I am investigating the microbes associated with the invasive paper wasp Polistes dominulus.
In the past I have worked with environmental microbiologists Dr. Slava Epstein and Dr. Kim Lewis, to cultivate previously unculturable actinobacteria (a group of bacteria which produce approximately 78% of the antibiotics used clinically). While working from 2007-2008 as a microbiologist at Novobiotic Pharmaceuticals LLC I used this novel patented technology to isolate novel actinobacteria and was successful at isolating and characterizing novel antibiotics.
During the monsoon seasons of 2005 and 2006, I assisted Dr. Ralph Saporito and Dr. Maureen Donnelly with investigations of poison dart frog secretions in Costa Rica and Panama. Poison dart frogs of the species Oophaga pumilio sequester toxic alkaloids from their diet, primarily from the arthropods they eat in the leaf litter.
I received my undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in 2006, where I majored in Biology and worked in the microbiology laboratory of Mary Allen investigating the factors that affect heavy metal toxicity in bacteria.
 PublicationsMadden, A.A., Stchigel A.M., Guarro J., Sutton D.A., and P.T. Starks (2011) Mucor nidicola sp. nov., a novel fungal species isolated from an invasive paper wasp nest. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. doi:10.1099/ijs.0.033050-0. Madden, A.A., Davis, M.M., and P.T. Starks. (2010) First detailed report of brood parasitoidism in the invasive population of the paper wasp Polistes dominulus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in North America. Insectes Sociaux. 57(3): 257-260.
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Madden, A.A., Garraffo, H.M., and T.F. Spande. (2009) Sex-related differences in alkaloid chemical defenses of the dendrobatid frog Oophaga pumilio from Cayo Nancy, Bocas del Toro, Panama. Journal of Natural Products. 73(3): 317-321.
Peoples, A.J., Zhang, Q., Millett, W.P., Rothfeder, M.T., Pescatore, B.C., Madden, A.A., Ling, L.L., Moore, C.M. (2008) Neocitreamicins I and II, novel antibiotics with activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci. Journal of Antibiotics. 61(7):457-463.
Madden, A.A., Banica, M., Allen, M.M. (2007, May) Effects of Heavy Metal Interaction, Medium Composition and pH on Lead and Chromium Resistance of Bacteria Isolated from Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil. American Society for Microbiology, Abstracts of the 107th Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada PresentationsMadden, A.A. (2011, December) Paper wasp bacterial associates display antimicrobial activity. Oral and poster presentation at the 6th Annual Biology New England South (BioNES) Meeting, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI. Madden, A.A., Banica, M., Allen, M.M. (2006, June) Characterization of Lead, Chromium, and Antibiotic Resistance in 17 Bacterial Strains Isolated from Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil: Effects of Heavy Metal Interaction, Media Composition, and pH. Poster session presented at the 23rd Annual Northeastern Microbiology Conference: Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy (NEMPET), Blue Mt. Lake, NY.
Fellowships and GrantsNational Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship 2010-2013 Tufts Institute of the Environment Grant 2012 Tufts University Graduate Student Research Award 2011-2012 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Grants in aid of research 2012 American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark Grant 2011-2012 American Museum of Natural History T. Roosevelt Memorial Grant 2011-2012 Sigma Xi Grants-in-aid of Research 2011-2012 Tufts University Graduate Student Research Award 2010-2011 Wellesley College Graduate School Fellowship 2010-2011 Tufts University Graduate Student Research Award 2009-2010 Tufts Institute of the Environment Fellowship 2009-2010 Tufts University Graduate Student Research Award (Spring) 2009
 Associate Provost Manno and me at the Tufts Graduate Student Award Night (2010)
PhotographyAwarded 2nd place in the annual Tufts Graduate Student Life photo contest. 2010.
Photomicrograph by Madden, A.A. featured in the "What is it?" feature of American Entomologist. 2008. 56(1): 31, 43.
Photomicrograph by Madden, A.A. featured as the cover of The Journal of Antibiotics. 2008. 61(7). Outreach
I believe that it is the scientist's responsibility to engage with non-scientists and that fostering such understanding will benefit both groups. I thus look forward to any opportunities for such outreach and welcome contact with those wishing to get involved in such dialogues. I am currently working on a number of outreaches geared at increasing K-12 understanding of science and science opportunities. By creating mentorship programs for local high school students, where these students assist with graduate student lab work, as well as gain valuable laboratory technical skills, the Starks lab strives to continually engage positively with the surrounding community. For more information on our outreach, and to find out how to apply click here Press |  Assays should always be done in shapes
 C. iphitalis, a parasitoid of Polistes paper wasps in North America. Our lab was the first to note the species host jump of this moth to the invasive P. dominulus population.
 Me, moonlighting as a herpetologist
 The microbial world in a wasp nest
A microbial universe
 Fungus
 A P. dominulus nest
 Lab work action shot
 P. dominulus on its nest
 P. fuscatus on its nest
 Cookies inspired by the lab (REU 2008!)
 It's true, I blend up wasps' nests for work
 Jam cookies, or confectionary petri plates?  |
Fun News!Bacteria have personalities too! Follow this link to the website of the popular science writer Hannah Holmes (author of the book 'Quirk') to see a "budding" discussion between her and I regarding the personalities of microbes.
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Research Interests
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Outreach
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