About

My name is Holly Rose Rucker (she/her), and I am a 4th year PhD candidate in Cellular & Molecular Biology with a doctoral minor in Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My research uses synthetic biology to understand Precambrian life, with a focus on stable isotope biosignatures.

Links:

Research:

Current: Nitrogen Fixation

Understanding the molecular origins of one of life's key metabolisms, solely driven by the enzyme nitrogenase

Past: Hydrothermal Vents

Bioenergetics of shallow-sea alkaline hydrothermal vents, on Earth, and on ancient Mars
Field work: Strýtan / Akureyri, Iceland

Past: Pheromone Synthesis

Targeting the enzyme aromatase in the skin of female garter snakes to shut down sexually dimorphic pheromone production
Field work: Manitoba, Canada

Fun facts:

I love baking; shortbread cookies are my specialty.

Outside of the lab, I am also a comedian.

I am an avid reader, mostly of non-fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy.

I have a dog named Yuki - a Shiba/American Eskimo dog mix!

Updates:

December 2025: Awarded a travel award by the Graduate College
October 2025: Participated in the NASA Ocean Worlds Mission Ideation Factory
September 2025: Presented at the Midwest Geobiology conference and was awarded a first place oral presentation award
June 2025: Attended IsoCamp at the University of New Mexico, a two-week intensive course on stable isotopes.
May 2025: Attended the 3rd Geobiology Society Conference in Banff, AB Canada and was awarded a lightning talk award

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