Lab Members

Alison Buchan, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Primary Investigator, Carolyn W. Fite Professor & Associate Head of Microbiology | She/Her

Dr. Buchan received her M.Sc and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia working with Dr. Mary A. Moran. Dr. Buchan isolated Roseobacter species from the barrier islands of Georgia and characterized their abilities to degrade aromatic compounds and complex sulfur sources. Dr. Buchan is currently the associate head of the Microbiology Department here at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

Frank May, B.Sc.

Ph.D. Candidate | He/Him

Frank is a 6th year Ph.D. candidate. His research focuses on understanding the interactions between mobile genetic elements (MGEs) within bacteria, specifically plasmids and integrated bacteriophage DNA within host chromosomes, termed prophages. His work focuses on understanding how these MGEs impact the stability of one another, resulting fitness costs from the host, and the large scale ecological implications that arise from these findings.

Jillian Walton, B.Sc.

Ph.D. Candidate | She/Her

Jill is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate. She studies marine bacteria and their ability to co-metabolize a group of toxic and carcinogenic pollutants found in marine environments, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). She has a specific interest in Roseobacteraceae and understanding the mechanism of their PAH co-metabolism as well as if they are involved in natural attenuation of PAHs in situ.

Cameron Jackson, B.Sc.

Ph.D. Candidate | He/Him

Cameron is interested in marine viruses and their interactions with a host’s genetic machinery. He is using a combination of growth-based assays and transcriptomics to identify the machinery behind a marine phage’s lysogenic machinery. Using these results, he is aiming to correlate the induction patterns of currently isolated strains to environmental conditions and host stress responses.

Saloni Gupta, B.Sc.

Ph.D. Student | She/Her

Saloni is a 2nd year Ph.D student investigating bacterial-aromatic compound interactions. To do so, she is working with various strains of Roseobacter to investigate the impacts of a spectrum of aromatic compounds various aspects of the cell membrane, such as lipid profile and permeability. Saloni is also interested in understanding how aromatic compounds are transported in and out of Roseobacter cells as some strains of this family can transform aromatics. Understanding and investigating this knowledge gap is important to Saloni because Roseobacters may be able to play an important role in future bioremediation efforts.

Madeline McHugh, B.Sc.

Ph.D. Candidate | She/Her

Madeline is interested in how various mobile genetic elements (MGEs), specifically plasmids and phage, interact within a bacterium to influence its ecology and evolution. She is working with one Roseobacter species in particular, Sulfitobacter pontiacus, to develop genetic reporter tools that will allow for single cell tracking and quantification of superinfection and plasmid-mediated prophage induction in both simple and complex communities. Madeline is also interested in understanding how MGE interactions mediate bacteria-phytoplankton dynamics within a S. pontiacus - Emiliania huxleyi system. Madeline hopes to uncover how interactions between various MGEs dictate interkingdom interactions and lead to niche specific adaptations.

Evelyn Saunders

Undergraduate Researcher and Lab Manager | She/Her

Evelyn has been a critical component of the phage project. She has explored the potential for prophage-curing, optimized motility assays within the lab, and is currently investigating the conjugative-potential of certain plasmids harbored by Sulfitobacter pontiacus.

Ashley Mills

Undergraduate Researcher | She/Her

Ashley recently joined the Buchan lab and is currently investigating the means of viral resistance by previously generated Sulfitobacter pontiacus strains that fail to succumb to infection by a lytic phage.

Lab Alumni - Graduate Students & Post Docs

(2024) Dr. Mustafa Guzel, Post-Doc - TBA

(2021) April Armes, Ph.D. - Genetic Mechanisms and Community Dynamics of Bacterial Social Behaviors in Roseobacter member, Rhodobacterales strain Y4I

(2021) Matt Tuttle, Ph.D. - Interactions among mobile genetic elements influence host physiology and fitness in the marine bacterium Sulfitobacter pontiacus

(2019) Jonelle Basso, Ph.D. - Elucidating the influence of lysogeny in a Roseobacter-Roseophage model system

(2018) Michelle Chua, Ph.D. - Genomic and Physiological Characterization of Lignin-Derived Aromatic Catabolism Pathways in Roseobacters

(2018) Lauren Mach Quigley, Ph.D. - Characterizing the molecular mechanisms for bacterial transformation of recalcitrant organic matter in coastal salt marshes

(2016) Ashely Frank, Ph.D. - Aerobic bacterial transformations of lignin-derived aromatic compounds

(2015) Nana Ankrah, Ph.D. - Elucidating the Impact of Roseophage on Roseobacter Metabolism and Marine Nutrient Cycles

(2013) Christopher Gulvik, Ph.D. - Ecology and Physiology of Aerobic Aromatic Catabolism in Roseobacters

(2013) (William) Nathan Cude, Ph.D. - Genetic and Ecological Characterization of Indigoidine Production by Phaeobacter sp. strain Y4I

(2011) Charles Budinoff, Ph.D. - Diversity and Activity of Roseobacters and Roseophage

(2008) Rachael Slightom, MS - Characterization of motility, chemotaxis and biofilm formation in members of the marine Roseobacter clade

Lab Alumni - Undergraduates

Ashley Mills (UTK, Fall 2024 - present)
Emily Beehn (UTK, Fall 2023- Spring 2025)
Evelyn Saunders (UTK, Summer 2023-present)
Abigail Meader (NCSU, Summer 2024)
Angelie Arcos Chavelas (CSUSM, Summer 2024)
Vivian Skoda (UTK, Fall 2023)
Bri Ayers (UTK, Fall 2023)
Jesse Seawald (UTK; Spring 2023)
Jonathan Flores (Texas A&M; Summer 2023)
Ellen Bobo (UTK, Spring 2023-Sping 2024)
Anna-Stuart Britt (UTK, Fall 2022-Spring 2023)
Amber Farruggio (Jefferson Univ; Summer 2022)
Hannah Edwards (UTK; Summer 2021- Summer 2023)
Taylor Smith (UTK; Fall 2021-Summer 2024)
Sarah Layne (UTK; Spring 2020)
Julie Xu (UVA; Summer 2019)
Claire Elbon (UTK; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Kaylee Jacobs (UTK; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Luis Gutierrez (ASU; Summer 2018)
Sara Farmer (UTK; Fall 2017)
Sophie Juergensen (JMU; Summer 2017)
Abigal Edwards* (UTK; Fall 2016-2018)
Avery Bullock* (UVA; Summer 2016)
David Koomen* (UTK; Summer 2015)
Alexander Grossman* (Case-Western; Summer 2015)
William Brading* (UTK; Spring 2015)
Yi-Ting Huang* (UTK; Spring 2014-Spring 2015)
Katherine Moccia* (Bard College; Summer 2014)
Andrew Garrone* (Truman State University; Summer 2013)
Alex Byrne* (UTK; Spring 2013)
Annalise Harmon # (UTKFall 2011-Spring 2012)
Tyler Houts # (Summer 2012)
Nathan Bendriem* (UF: Sur 2012)
Nikki Swanzi * (VA Tech; Sum 2011)
Dan Jones* (UTK; Sum 2011-2012)
Chelsi White* (UTK; Spr 2011)
Pinto Ng* (UTK; Sum 2010-Fall 2010)
Derrick Osborne* (UTK;Fall 2009-Fall 2010)
Arash Tavanaei* (UTK; Fall 2009-Spr2010)
Jessica Burger (Spr 2010)
Lisa Philips* (UTK; 2008-2010)
Amy Page (UTK; Spring 2009)
Eric Jones* (UTK; 2008)
Calvin Green (UTK; Fall 2008)
Darren Dunlap* (UTK; 2006-2008)
W. Nathan Cude* (UTK; Fall-Spr 2008)
Cynthia Ljewinski-Maines (UTK; Fall 2006)
Tingting Xu (UTK; Fall 2006)
Brian Erickson (UTK; Su 2006)
Nicole Edwards (UTK; Su 2006)
Anastasia Gurgangus* (UTK; 2005-06)
Emmanuel Fobi* (Knoxville College; 2006)
Vidhya Silvanose (UTK; Fall 2005)
Rita Fischer (University of Ulm, DEU; 2004)
Susan Schlimpert (University of Freiberg, DEU; 2003-2004)
Kristina Fontanez* (Princeton University; 2003)
Justine Lyons (University of Georgia; 2000-2002)
Emily Hierling* (University of Georgia; 2002)
Melissa Butler* (University of Georgia 2001-2002)
Jutta Kleikemper (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; 2001)
Maria Pickering* (University of California Santa Barbara; 2000, 2001)
Christina DeStefano* (University of Georgia; 1997)

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