I grew up in the city of Lviv in Ukraine where I first became curious of all things alive. I still recall my fascination when in the elementary school I saw an electron micrograph of a T4 bacteriophage. Its alien-like capsid "head" and tail fiber "tentacles" sparked  my curiosity about the invisible world of microbes.  

I pursued a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I worked with Prof. Andrei Kuzminov to study DNA repair in the model organism Escherichia coli. Upon completion of my thesis, I joined the lab of Prof. Cari Vanderpool to pursue my doctoral  degree focusing on the bacterial stress responses, and the role small regulatory RNAs play in them. For my postdoctoral training I joined the lab of Dominique Missiakas and Olaf Schneewind at the University of Chicago, where I began investigation into the unique Type 7 Secretion System (T7SS) of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. My postdoctoral experience allowed me to pursue an Assistant Professor position at the University of South Florida, where I continue to investigate the physiology and virulence of S. aureues. 

I earned my Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), India, where I investigated the regulation of FtsZ dynamics in Mycobacterium smegmatis. FtsZ, a prokaryotic tubulin homolog, plays a crucial role in bacterial cell division, and my work focused on its mechanistic regulation. After completing my Ph.D., I worked as an assistant professor at Techno India University in Kolkata, India, for two years. In 2021, I joined Dr. Prahathees Eswara's lab at the University of South Florida as a postdoctoral research fellow. There, I continued working on bacterial cell division, where I studied the role of GpsB, another divisome component, in regulating the FtsZ dynamics in Firmicutes using biochemical procedures. Following my tenure, I worked with Dr. Wenqi Yu for one year, concentrating on the mechanism of protein transport across the cell envelope of Staphylococcus aureus, specifically deciphering the role of type I signal peptidase, SpsB, in coordinating protein secretion with regulating the cell cycle of S. aureus. Thereafter, I joined Dr. Maksym Bobrovskyy’s lab, where I am investigating toxin secretion by the type-VII secretion system by several pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Outside work, I love spending time with my family and friends. I have a six-year-old daughter who keeps me busy all the time. I enjoy listening to music and watching documentaries.

I am from Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana where I grew up and attended all my elementary, middle, high school, Bachelor’s, and Master of Philosophy degree. During my undergraduate degree, I worked with Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce ethanol from Agro-Waste. From there, I worked at Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) with the Severe Typhoid in Africa program (SETA) team as a Research Assistant. Our main aim was to determine the severity of typhoid fever in the country by isolating Salmonella typhi from samples such as blood, stool, oropharyngeal swabs, urine, and intestinal perforations. I furthered to do a Master of Philosophy degree in Pharmaceutical Microbiology where I determined the anti-typhoidal activities of leaf extracts of some indigenous plants against multidrug resistant Salmonella typhi. Main idea was to propose a therapeutic alternative to treating multiple drug resistant typhoid fever using natural products. From there, I was admitted into a Master of Science program in Molecular Biology at the University of Michigan-Flint where I was working on Furin Trafficking until I transferred to University of South Florida to start my PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology. I am currently working on the mechanism and structure of T7bSS assembly in S. aureus and the role of EssH PG hydrolase in the assembling of the T7bSS complex.

I was born in the Philippines and developed a love of biology observing the natural environment; insects, and mountains and streams, and the native biodiversity that accompanied them. I became interested in becoming a scientist during my undergraduate study as a Research Assistant at the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in the Children's Research Institute where I studied fatal cytokine storm in mice with partial RAG deficiency. Later, during my Masters study, I became interested in microbiology and I investigated gene regulation in the etiological agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. Currently, in my PhD program, I study persistent colonization of Staphylococcus aureus as well as the role of peptidoglycan hydrolases in the bacteria's molecular pathogenesis.

I am excited about all things bacteria and I am looking forward to uncover the intricacies of bacterial physiology. I joined the MS of Microbiology program and am currently working to characterize enzymes that remodel the cell wall of a human pathogen methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

I am from Kolkata, IndiaI where I completed my Bachelor  of Biotechnology. I currently investigate the polymorphic toxins of the type 7 secretion system of S. aureus, aiming to understand their structure, function and mechanism of secretion.

I am an international student from Italy and was born and raised in a small town in northern Italy called Arona. I graduated from USF in the Spring 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Throughout my time at USF I have had the opportunity to work at Moffitt Cancer Center as a research assistant. At Moffitt I helped support research efforts to study pathways deregulated by a rare fusion oncogene. My passion for research has flourished even further during my college years. I love the field of microbiology and I am eager to contribute to its advancements. 

I am a third-year international student from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. I am deeply passionate about genetics and microbiology and upon completing my undergraduate studies, I plan to advance my expertise in these fields through further research and academic pursuits

This could be you! 

Apply for USF graduate program and join Bobrovskyy Lab! Contact Maksym Bobrovskyy at bobrovskyy@usf.edu with any inquiries.

I am a third-year student at the University of South Florida majoring in Biomedical Sciences. Aspiring to become a doctor, I am particularly intrigued by how understanding pathogenic organisms can lead to better treatments and preventative measures for infectious diseases. I have a strong interest in microbiology, and I am excited to see my passions intersect in the lab through the study of E. coli and S. aureus.

I am a young French scientist passionate about biology. I recently completed my degree in Health Biology at the University of Southern Brittany (France). I have developed a strong interest in health research aimed at improving the lives of patients with rare diseases. Recently, I participated in research on alternatives to current antibiotics for treating chronic infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in cystic fibrosis patients at the Pasteur Institute. This experience led me to develop questions about the mechanisms of MRSA pathogenicity, questions I will be able to address at the Bobrovskyy laboratory.

Hello! I'm Tessa, a senior majoring in Biomedical Sciences. I recently joined the lab to investigate the regulation of the T7bSS of S. aureus. My passion lies in bacteriology and forensics, and I'm excited to apply the knowledge gained from my studies and lab experiences to pursue a career in forensic science.