KINGSTON, R.I. – A Lynnfield resident is among two Ph.D. students in the University of Rhode Island’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences’ interdisciplinary biological and environmental sciences graduate program who have been awarded graduate research fellowships from the NASA Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium.
Lynnfield resident Michelle Marder and Brockton resident Kate Remy are specializing in cell and molecular biology and aim to help scientists better understand antibiotic resistance.
This summer, Marder and Remy will continue research projects funded through the NASA consortium. The program offers graduate fellowships that provide academic year funding to students working on research projects with NASA relevance. It also provides fellows opportunities to present their findings at the annual Rhode Island Space Grant Spring Symposium.
Marder is working with professor Steven Gregory to study the ribosomes of thermophiles, a kind of microbe that can grow and thrive at high temperatures.
“My research focuses on the ribosome, the cellular machine that makes proteins using the genetic information encoded in DNA,” said Marder. “This is a basic feature of all living things on earth. In all organisms the ribosomes are similar to one another. NASA’s Astrobiology Strategy is directed at understanding the possible evolutionary adaptations of life on other planets. Studying extremophile microbes on Earth could tell us how life could adapt to extreme conditions elsewhere.”
Remy is working with professor Jodi Camberg to study uropathogenic E. coli, a type of bacteria that causes urinary tract infections.
“Most patients who experience a UTI will have recurrent infections,” said Remy. “What has been found about uropathogenic E. coli is that it can enter a dormant stage characterized by slow metabolism, which is known as quiescence. In this stage, it’s more tolerant to antibiotics. Understanding the quiescence of the bacteria is the general basis of my thesis work.”
Marder and Remy’s research will assist NASA in efforts to better understand how bacteria survive in extreme environments, including outer space. Marder will be continuing her research on thermophiles and their ribosomal structure.
“I’ll be studying how the structure of the ribosome evolves, specifically how it evolves to work in extreme environments like what might be found in space,” said Marder.
NASA R.I. Space Grant Consortium Senior Program Manager Nancy Ciminelli commended Marder and Remy for being awarded graduate research fellowships from the NASA Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium.
“Michelle and Kate represent the exceptional talent and curiosity that the NASA R.I. Space Grant Consortium seeks to support,” said Ciminelli. “Their selection for this fellowship not only recognizes their dedication to research and innovation, but also highlights the strength of our collaborative efforts between Brown University, URI, and NASA. We’re proud to be part of a partnership that empowers Rhode Island students to pursue meaningful scientific exploration.”
Marder and Remy offered advice for students looking to conduct research in the cellular and molecular biology field.
“Read some papers, and get a sense of what you’re interested in,” said Marder. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors to learn about the type of work they do or to start doing research in their lab.”