Zakee L. Sabree

Associate Professor, Evolution Ecology and Organismal Biology, sabree.8@osu.edu

Faculty Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

publications

Kayla Cross

PhD Candidate, cross.582@osu.edu

Kayla joined the Sabree Lab in 2021 and is pursuing her PhD in Microbiology. Main research questions include (1) What is the impact of a nutrient-poor diet on the gut microbial community composition, diversity, and metabolic capability? (2) Do key regulators of the innate immune system facilitate commensal gut bacterial community composition? (3) How does the gut microbiome contribute to host growth and development?

Kyle Buffin

PhD Candidate, buffin.2@osu.edu

Kyle joined the Sabree Lab in 2022 and is a PhD student in the Microbiology program at OSU. He is researching the relationship between host-associated microbiomes and immune system evolution. Specific topics of interest include innate immune gene evolution in arthropods, arthropod microbiome diversity and function, and host factors influencing microbiome assembly

Sophia Stokes

Undergraduate Student, stokes.323@buckeyemail.osu.edu

I am an undergraduate Microbiology major at OSU and joined Sabree lab in 2023 to work as a research assistant. One project I am involved with includes developing a hands-off DNA extraction method. Other projects that I help out with involve testing the effects of different bacterial strains on germ-free American cockroaches. I am interested in learning more lab techniques and exploring the symbiotic relationship between gut microbiota and their hosts.

Layla Ramsey

Lab Technician & Undergraduate Student, ramsey.577@buckeyemail.osu.edu

I am an undergraduate student at OSU studying Environmental Science with a specialization in Ecosystem Restoration. I joined the Insect Microbial Symbiosis lab in 2022 as a research assistant, and I focus primarily on rearing and maintaining the germ-free insect colony. I also help out with the various projects occurring in the lab. A project I am currently working on involves collecting data on the developmental potential as well as general lifespan of the germ-free colony by allocating a number of germ-free insects towards development alone. This will help us observe how lack of a gut microbiome impacts the growth, development, and overall lifespan of an organism.

Jaden Lopez

Lab Manager, Research Assistant, & Undergraduate Student, lopez.742@buckeyemail.osu.edu

I am graduating with a B.S. in Biology (Pre-Health) and a Microbiology minor at OSU and joined the Sabree lab in 2023 to expand my skills in the microbiology field. I am currently serving the role of lab manager and research assistant where I am primarily involved in overall lab organization/coordination and germ free insect rearing using the American Cockroach insect model. I look forward to further developing my skill set and learning more about host symbiotic relationships and how these are influenced by changes to gut microbiomes.

FORMER LAB MEMBERS

Postdoctoral Scientists

Arturo Vera Ponce de Leon, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Researcher, Norwegian University of Life Sciences‬

Paul A. Ayayee, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Graduate Students

Mathias Schneider

Sharyu Deshmukh, student research assistant

Ilaria Laterza, Ph.D, visiting scholar

Ian Brackett, M.S., M.P.A.

Benjamin C. Jahnes, Ph.D. – Research Associate, Ohio State University

Alejandro Otero-Bravo, Ph.D. – Research Associate, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Laura J. Kenyon, M.S. – Stony Brook University School of Medicine

Undergraduate Researchers

Esther Okamoto, visiting undergraduate researcher (SROP)

Salvia Zafar, B.S.

Lang Guo, B.S.

Victoria Ramsey, B.S. – master’s degree student, Ohio State University

Mady Herrmann, B.S.

Jon Foltz, B.S.

Sofia Nicholas, B.S.

Sema Osman, B.S.

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