Michaela is a Ph.D. student currently working on the EPA funded project 'Microbial and Metabolomic-based indicators of Soil Health' (MMeSH). Michaela received her BSc in Environmental Science with a concentration in Life Sciences and minors in both Biology and Geology from Appalachian State University (2022). While earning her Bachelor's degree, Michaela was an Undergraduate Research Assistant in a marine microbiology and ecology lab, where she researched the cycling of nutrients and dissolved organic matter on coral reefs. After completing her BSc degree she continued working in the same lab as a technician, furthering her experiences as a researcher.  

Lynn is a Ph.D. student working on the EPA funded MMeSH project. Her research employs an 'omics' based approach, integrating metabolomics and metagenomics, to explore soil biodiversity and understand how these organisms contribute to the overall functioning of soil ecosystems in Ireland. She earned her BSc degree in Biochemistry and her MSc in Bioinformatics and Genomics from the University of Zimbabwe. In one of her projects, Lynn focused on identifying a gene responsible for the plastic-degrading ability of bacteria isolated from the gut of Tenebrio molitor worms, contributing to environmental protection efforts. 

Hayley is a MSc student working on the GSI funded project 'Assessing soil health across multiple land-use types in the Northwest of Ireland'  in collaboration with MMeSH. Hayley received her BSc in Analytical Science from Dublin City University in 2023. During her undergrad, Hayley worked in Thermo Fisher Scientific PPD on the metrology team carrying out maintenance, calibration, and qualification of laboratory instruments. Hayley also works on a tillage farm where she sees the importance of soil health first hand.