Poorna Viswanathan is a visiting research associate who comes originally from India where she received her Ph.D. from University Department of Chemical Technology(UDCT), Mumbai University

Poorna's research project is working on the developmental genes in Myxococcus xanthus.

More information and publications - click here.

Ruanbao Zhou is a visiting research associate. He received his Ph.D. from Peking University in China. He is currently working on a novel type of membrane metalloprotease SpoIVFB.

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Heather Prince is a Genetics grad student doing her work in the Kroos lab. Her project is working on the wonderful model organism Bacillus subtilis using mutational analysis to determine the features of pro-s K that are necessary for processing.  Heather graduated from MSU in 1996 with a BS in Microbiology. As an undergraduate she studied antibiotic synthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor under Dr. Wendy Champness. She completed one year in MSU's BRTP in Dr. Larry Snyder's lab studying phage exclusion in E. coli. Her postgraduate experience includes working in a local East Lansing coffee shop, teaching 7th grade science, and working as an opthalmological assistant.

Deborah Yoder is a 2nd-year Microbiology graduate student. Her project focuses on the analysis of developmental gene promoters in Myxococcus xanthus and the identification of s factors and other proteins that control the regulation of the expression of these developmental genes. Debra received her BS in Microbiology and Genetics at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. As an undergrad she studied global regulation of the methionine biosynthetic pathway of E. coli with Dr. Mark Levinthal.

Paul Himes is a grad student in the microbiology department who joined the Kroos lab in 2002.  His project focuses on examining the structure/function relationship of the Bacillus subtilis sporulation transcription factor SpoIIID.  Paul received his BS in microbiology from MSU in 2001. As an undergraduate,  Paul examined the efficacy of a novel fatty acid as an antimicrobial agent against select pathogens under the direction of Dr. Elliot Ryser.

Daisuke Imamura is a Visiting Research Associate in the Kroos lab. He is currently working on SpoIIGA protease. Daisuke received his Ph.D. from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
For more information and publications - click here.