Brady Cress leads research on microbiome editing technologies. As part of IGI’s BIOME, research in his lab focuses on engineering microbial communities to address global challenges associated with human health and climate change.  Brady completed an NIH Kirschstein-NRSA (F32) Postdoctoral Fellowship with Jennifer Doudna, where he and colleagues developed CRISPR-associated transposases for species- and site-specific genome editing within microbial communities.

At IGI, Jaymin seeks to study mechanisms by which microbes exchange and manipulate genetic material within complex microbial communities. By understanding the biochemistry of these mechanisms, we can harness their use for translational applications, exploring the potential of microorganisms to address pressing global challenges, with applications in bioremediation, biomanufacturing, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. Prior to Berkeley, Jaymin completed his PhD at Yale under the supervision of Dr. Farren Isaacs and Dr. Jason Crawford. There, he used a multidisciplinary approach, combining synthetic biology, chemical biology, and bioinformatics to discover and examine the biosynthesis and function of specialized metabolites produced by the human microbiome. This work can enable a deeper understanding of the chemical ecology of complex microbial communities, as well as provides a framework for the discovery of novel molecular scaffolds for drug discovery from metagenomic information.

Liana earned her Ph.D. at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, where she used high-throughput systems biology approaches to uncover novel genetic regulators of biofilm formation. In the Cress Lab, she is interested in leveraging mobile genetic elements to improve microbiome engineering of non-model gut bacteria. Outside the lab, she enjoys cooking, hiking, climbing, solving puzzles, and watching horror movies.

Siqi completed her PhD in Prof. Sheng Yang’s lab at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science. Her research focused on developing genome editing tools for microbial cells, enabling the reverse engineering of evolved strains and the construction of new biological systems based on novel biological knowledge.  At IGI, she is interested in in situ microbiome editing using phages. Outside the lab, she enjoys playing the piano, listening to music and attending concerts, practicing yoga, and collecting all kinds of adorable plush toys!

Madeline Hayes completed her undergraduate studies at Colorado State University in Fort Collins CO where she worked to characterize the lipids of human and animal pathogens. After spending three years in the plant pathology department at UW-Madison, she joined the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program in Dr. Ophelia Venturelli's lab using computational models to predict and design microbial communities for bioprocessing. Madeline is currently working with the Joint Bioenergy Institute to improve microbial lignin degradation for sustainable biofuel and chemical production. She is passionate about sustainability and the outdoors, enjoying hiking, camping, and paddling with her dog, Lily.

Zach earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington, and his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Rice University in the lab of Dr. Lauren Stadler. While at Rice, Zach helped establish a wastewater-based epidemiology program for the city of Houston, and led projects related to engineering microbiomes for resource recovery and understanding the host range of bacteriophages. In the Cress Lab he focuses on functional genomics of bacteriophages and developing tools to enable microbiome engineering in situ. Zach plans to pursue career in academia focused bottom-up approaches to engineering microbiomes for resource recovery. Outside of the lab he is an avid reader of fantasy/science fiction, enjoys an eclectic taste in music, and plays a variety of videogames.

Sophia Swartz received her B.A. in Molecular & Cellular Biology from Harvard University in 2022, where she used confocal microscopy to study the biogeography of various microbial communities ranging from human oral biofilms to plant leaf pathogens to human pores. Sophia is a joint member with the Rubin lab, where she will investigate the regulation and integration mechanism of CRISPR-associated transposons to develop and optimize editing tools for non-model microbes. Outside of the lab, Sophia loves to lift, climb, caffeinate, and hike.

Ryuichi is a former visiting student at the Cress Lab. Ryuichi received a B.S. in Bioinformatics from The University of Tokyo in 2024, where he studied bacterial genome editing and MGE-driven dissemination of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes (ARGs). Ryuichi returned to the Cress Lab as a PhD student in August 2024, where he will investigate the delivery system of genome editors into bacterial communities and novel biotechnology that can benefit community editing by both computational and experimental approaches. Outside the lab, Ryuichi loves to hike, cook, draw, sing, and read novels & mangas.

Pia received a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Washington in 2021, where they performed genetic manipulation in Patescibacteria in Dr. Joseph Mougous' lab. Pia began as a graduate student in the Plant and Microbial Biology department in 2024, and under the joint mentorship of the Ronda and Cress labs they will be working on developing tools for targeted editing in various microbiomes as well as applications. In her free time, she likes to play guitar, ski, thrift, go to concerts, and eat good food!

Jack is a PhD student in the Computational Biology program. He received a B.S. in Chemistry at UC Davis, and while there worked in labs focusing on viral regulation of autophagy and mechanisms of mitochondrial proton pumping. After graduating, he worked in the Pelka lab at UCSF studying spatial organization of immune responses to cancer. Now a joint member of the Cress and Song labs, he wants to use AI tools to learn about phages. Outside the lab, he enjoys surfing, climbing, and generally being outdoors.

Michael is a Research Associate in the Cress Lab. Michael received a B.A. in Molecular & Cellular Biology from UC Berkeley in 2023, researching novel proteins in Borgs in the Savage Lab and the Banfield Lab. Outside of the lab, Michael loves to create new recipes, train olympic weightlifting, and run!

Agnès is a Staff Scientist working jointly with the Rubin Lab. Agnès is a microbiologist and synthetic biologist with expertise in developing genome editing tools to transform non-model microorganisms into therapeutic agents. She holds a MSc in Biotechnology from Wageningen University & Research, where her thesis focused on engineering thermophilic bacteria for the production of bio-chemicals. At Caribou Biosciences, she developed a CRISPR-Cas9-based method to engineer anaerobic gut bacteria from the Bacteroides genus into therapeutic candidates for immuno-oncology. At Felix Biotechnology, Agnès worked on a platform to isolate, engineer, and characterize phages targeting multie-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, and she developed phage candidates for consumer and clinical applications. In September 2023, she joined IGI, where she focuses on strategies to enable efficient CRISPR-based editing of non-model gut bacteria, and uncovering microbe-host interaction mechanisms. Beyond her work, she enjoys “sobremesa” with friends and nature activities such as climbing, trail running, backpacking, and skiing.

Hannah is the Lab Manager for the Cress lab. In June 2023 she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Washington. During her studies, she researched plant-herbivore interactions with a focus on cloning a gene called INR, responsible for defense against caterpillars, into model plants. She also spent a summer conducting research at UC Davis on Virus Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS). Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and ultimate frisbee. 

Patrick Vu is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular & Cellular Biology with interests in microbiology, global public health, empowering marginalized communities, and the intersections of healthcare and research. In the lab, Patrick works on wet-lab experiments related to exploring microbiome editing projects. In his free time, Patrick loves to tend to his plants, volunteers in the community, explore cultures through cooking, play volley and tennis, as well as frolicking on the UC Berkeley campus glade.

Julianne is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley pursuing Molecular & Cell Biology and Public Health. She is really passionate about health equity, specifically how treatments and therapeutics can be more equitably distributed to marginalized communities and the systemic barriers that cause this disparity in the first place. In the lab, they currently work with Agnes on her project to develop new tools for microbiome editing. Outside of lab, Julianne loves attending concerts, thrifting, and trying new food places!

Natalie is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley. Assisting the Cress Lab and collaborating with Angela, Natalie’s research primarily includes working on the phage functional genomics project. Some of her research interests include environmental microbiology and virology. In her free time, Natalie enjoys cooking new foods, hiking, and doing any type of craft.

Givi is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular & Cell Biology, with an interest in the application of molecular therapeutics. At the Cress Lab, he will be assisting Sophia in characterizing the mechanisms of microbiome editing tools. In his free time, Givi enjoys playing the guitar, basketball, and going on long walks.

Preeti Rao is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Bioengineering with interests in cell and tissue engineering, public health, and medical devices. In the lab, Preeti works on genome editing within microbial communities through wet-lab experiments. In her free time, Preeti loves to go on long hikes, learn how to play new instruments, garden, and paint!

Alex Meng is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular and Cell Biology, with a specific emphasis on Cell Biology, Development, and Physiology. At the Cress Lab, he will be assisting Siqi on developing genome editing tools for gut-microbial cells. Outside of the lab, Alex enjoys playing and watching basketball, traveling to new places to experience new cultures, and trying different restaurants and cafes with friends.

Thais is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology ( Genetics, Genomics & Development Emphasis ) and minoring in Chemistry at UC Berkeley. Assisting the Cress Lab and collaborating with Liana, Thais’ research primarily includes working with ICEs  to leverage mobile genetic elements to improve microbiome engineering of non-model gut bacteria. In her free time, Thais enjoy watching movies, discovering new places, doing horseback riding.

Chloe is a third year majoring in Microbial Biology with interests in genome editing in relation to bioremediation and environmental conservation. In the Cress lab she works with Hannah to support lab operations. This includes the preparation of growth media, operating the autoclave for sterilization of media and lab ware, and managing inventory. Outside of the lab she enjoys reading anything by R.F. Kuang and Ocean Vuong, as well as hiking, lifting, and exploring new restaurants.