Makenzie Kerr is the Lab Manager & Outreach Coordinator in Dr. Mya Breitbart’ lab at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s in biology. During her undergrad she worked with a Ph.D. student (Liz Fahsbender) on sequencing a virus thought to cause tumors in sea turtles (chelonid fibropapillomatosis-associated herpesvirus).
Makenzie received her master's in biologiogical oceanography at USF College of Marine Science. During her project she studied DNA barcoding of fish eggs. This technique allows for molecular identification of fish eggs down to the species level, without having to identify them morphologically. She enjoys spreading her passion for science around the community via the annual St. Petersburg Science Fest, Oceanography Camp Especially for Girls, Girls Inc and taste of science.