People

Our diversity, equity, and inclusion values

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Bryndan Durham, Ph.D.
pronouns: she/her
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology, Genetics Institute

Postdoctoral Researcher, Oceanography, University of Washington
Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Georgia
B.S., Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech

Bryn is a marine microbiologist by training and is interested in understanding how microbes transform elements and influence the chemical makeup of their environment. Her most recent research addresses how microbial communities exchange information and use chemical currencies to form partnerships and networks.

Dr. Durham’s mentoring philosophy & statement

My mentorship philosophy is rooted in building honest relationships and providing unconditional support. I view students and postdocs as my collaborators and as current and future colleagues. I believe in reverse mentorship, wherein status and hierarchy are less important, and we each benefit from a bidirectional flow of knowledge. As a mentor, I am invested in each mentee’s success—whatever that looks like. For some folks, this may mean pursuing a career in academia, whereas for others it may be working in industry or conservation fields or pursuing a career as an artist or writer. It is a privilege for me to mentor an amazing & diverse team of people and to celebrate their achievements and milestones. I believe that we all thrive when our work place is happy, comfortable, and supportive, and my goal is to provide an environment that is intellectually stimulating, emotionally supportive, safe, and equitable.
To all mentees, I commit to:
– provide mentorship on research & career goals, while prioritizing personal happiness;
– help navigate the landscapes (& hidden curricula) of science & academia;
– adjust my mentoring to individual needs;
– support pursuit of independent research ideas, within the lab’s funding framework;
– foster an environment of giving and receiving honest, constructive feedback;
– listen to feedback and concerns, and help resolve challenges that may arise;
– be an advocate and ally; and,
– help facilitate your career development and success here at UF and beyond UF.

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Niraj Aryal, Ph.D.
pronouns: he/him
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Biology

Postdoctoral Researcher, Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. rer. nat., Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
B.S. & M.S., Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Nepal

Niraj is a natural product scientist. He employs mass-spectrometry skills to annotate small molecules. His current work involves looking at all sorts of metabolites (primary and secondary) to understand the ecology and interactions of microbes within the ocean ecosystem.

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Erik Broemsen, Ph.D.
pronouns: he/him
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Biology

Ph.D., Biology, University of North Carolina Charlotte
M.S., Biology, Louisiana State University
B.S., Biology, University of North Carolina Charlotte

Erik is a microbial ecologist whose research interests encompass Inter/Intra-kingdom interactions, trophic carbon and energy transfer, biogeochemistry, and ecophysiology of algae and their associated prokaryotes. His current research is focused on the biogeochemical impact of mixotrophic plankton.

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Lisa Coe
pronouns: she/they
Graduate Student & NSF Graduate Fellow
Department of Biology

B.S., Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)

ORCID iD | Google Scholar | email: lcoe[at]ufl.edu

Lisa is a scientist who has bounced around from a stem cell epigenetics lab at Pitt, to an analytical chemistry lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, to a phytoplankton-bacterial symbiosis lab at New York University Abu Dhabi. In the Durham lab, Lisa combines her interests in molecular microbiology, biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology to study the molecular mechanisms of sulfonate-based communication between marine microbes. When she is not in the lab, you can find her photographing rock concerts, playing the drums, or doing acroyoga at Depot Park.

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Alexander Horvath
pronouns: he/him
Graduate Student
Department of Biology; primary advisor Dr. Stuart McDaniel

B.S., Biology, University of Toledo

Alex is a graduate student interested in soil microbiomes. He is currently exploring microbial interactions by using mass spectrometry, metabolomics, and microbiome analysis techniques.

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Rebecca Key
pronouns: she/her
Graduate Student
Department of Biology; co-advised by Dr. Stuart McDaniel

Ph.D., Botany, University of Florida
B.S., Microbiology, Southern Illinois University

ORCID iD

Becca is a computational microbial ecologist who explores the dynamics of phytoplankton distributions and microbial interactions across environmental gradients, such as latitude and temperature. She is developing integrative approaches that combine biochemical and molecular ‘omics data to unravel how phytoplankton activities and distribution patterns across space and time scales drive carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur dynamics. Outside of work, Becca enjoys drawing, gardening, and exploring Gainesville and nearby state parks

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Laurel Meke
pronouns: she/they
Graduate Student
Department of Biology

B.S., Biology, Bradley University (Peoria, IL)

Laurel is a first-generation graduate student who is interested in marine microbial interactions and microbial metabolic pathways. She is currently studying the significance of secondary metabolites in interactions with marine bacteria on the size and duration of marine harmful algae blooms (HABs) using metabolomics.

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Carolina Deupi
pronouns: they/them
Undergraduate Student

B.S., Integrative Biology, anticipated 2027

Carolina is an undergraduate research assistant with a broad range of interests, including marine microbial life, organic chemistry, and chemical genetics. Currently, they are assisting on a project that employs genetics tools to understand marine microbe sulfonate-based communication. Outside of the lab, Carolina loves animals, coffee, and exploring nature.

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Felipe Quintana
pronouns: he/him
Undergraduate Student

B.S., Marine Sciences, anticipated 2026

Felipe is an undergraduate research assistant with interests in phytoplankton and ichthyology. His current project focuses on analyzing harmful algal blooms and their interactions with marine bacteria. Outside of the lab, his hobbies include weightlifting, cooking, and music production.