Project Scientist
UCSC
UCSC
Santa Cruz, California, United States
Kendra is a Project Scientist in the Ocean Sciences Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her expertise is in marine microbial ecology and she studies specialized microbes that convert nitrogen gas into bioavailable nitrogen, which is a vital process supporting oceanic primary productivity. Her research focuses on understanding the ecophysiology of poorly understood nitrogen-fixing microbes, an effort fundamental for improving our ability to predict the magnitude and distribution of nitrogen fixation in contemporary and future oceans. As we better understand these specialized microbes, it is evident that symbiosis between nitrogen-fixers and eukaryotes plays a prominant role in marine nitrogen fixation, and Kendra's research also aims to understand the cellular interactions that enable symbioses between two single-celled organisms. Many nitrogen-fixers have yet to be isolated in culture, so Kendra’s research relies on extensive field work and applying cultivation-independent techniques to detect and study these cryptic microbes.
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Wednesday, July 26, 2023
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM US CST