Jesus received his B.S. degrees from the University of California, Irvine in Chemistry and another in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2021. While in Irvine he conducted research in the Yang lab, where he spearheaded research for the electrochemical capture and release of carbon dioxide. He is now pursuing his PhD. degree in Chemical Biology where he focuses on the development of new carbon based nanoparticles for the delivery of bio-macromolecules into plants for genetic engineering. Jesus likes to cook, play boardgames, and watch movies in his spare time. He never says no to a good game of CATAN.

Chiara was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She received her B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics in 2021 from the University of California, Los Angeles. During her time at UCLA, she worked under Dr. Jeffrey F. Miller studying the role of diversity-generating retroelements in the accelerated evolution of gut microbiota. She is now pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Biology as a member of the Demirer Lab. Her research focuses on plant-microbiome interactions and the ways in which the plant microbiome can be manipulated for sustainable agriculture. In her free time, Chiara enjoys going to the beach and spending time with loved ones.

Kimberley was born in Harare, Zimbabwe and earned her B.S in Biology from Davidson College while investigating determinants of gene regulation at the transcriptional level in C.elegans. She has honed skills in genomic techniques and bioinformatic data analysis. She is now pursuing a PhD in Biology as a member of the Demirer Lab. Her research involves reconstituting biosynthetic pathways for efficient production of rare bioactive molecules with medicinal value in model plants using a synthetic biology approach. Kimberley enjoys mountain hikes, crocheting, running, reading novels, writing poetry and candid photography.