Members

Current Lab Members

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Kathryne (Kati) Ford – kcford@ncsu.edu

As a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University, I am applying my expertise in electrochemistry and biotechnology to develop tools and bioengineering strategies for industrially relevant thermophilic bacteria and archaea. I work with Dr. R.M. Kelly in the Kelly Lab, a leading research group in the field of extremophile microbiology and bioenergy.

I have over ten years of experience in microbiology and molecular genetics, which I gained during my Ph.D. at Michigan State University. There, I worked with Dr. Michaela TerAvest to bioengineer the electrogenic bacteria Shewanella oneidensis for microbial electrosynthesis. My work was recognized by the National Science Foundation as a recipient of the GRFP in 2020. I am passionate about finding innovative and sustainable solutions for environmental and energy challenges using microbial systems.

Graduate Students

Mohamad Javad (MJ) Haghighat Manesh – mhaghig@ncsu.edu

I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran where I completed my bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Amirkabir University. I moved to the US in 2018 to pursue my M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Ohio University. After graduating, I moved to Raleigh in 2020 to join NCSU Chemical Engineering program. I am currently a second year PhD candidate in the Kelly lab where I work mainly on thermoacidophiles, microorganisms that thrive in acidic hot temperatures, and their potential in biomining of critical metals, using metabolic engineering approaches.

Shayan Moghaddam – smoghad@ncsu.edu

Background: I got my BSc in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Iran. During that time, I had the opportunity to participate in research projects about biomaterials and computational modeling of drug release systems.

Motivation: Although my undergraduate research had nothing to do with environmental microbiology, I passed some courses related to biochemistry and genetics, which helped me discover my interest in related fields. As I moved to NC State University for PhD studies, I found our group’s works intriguing.

Current Research: My current research focuses on extraction of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) using thermoacidophiles and by bioleaching processes. Also, I am interested in developing ways for purification of these elements using protein engineering techniques. This research focuses on “valuation” of these elements after all.

Hobbies: Besides my work, I am interested in video games, archery, creating educational content and art as a whole, but with a focus on music and painting.

Recent Past Members

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