WALII team

WALII operates as a virtual research institute that brings together scientists and trainees from nine institutions across the United States to collaborate and cross-train on nine major projects. Each project is carried out by labs at 3-7 institutions, led by a
​Co-PI from different institutes, and uses a wide range of tools, biological systems, and disciplines.

Institute Director

Seung Yon (Sue) Rhee

Director - Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, and Plant, Soil, and Microbes, Michigan State University

theme 1: surviving the solid state

​Thomas boothby, theme lead

Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming

Shahar sukenik, project lead

Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, Merced
Project: Is glass strength associated with protective capacity?

THEME 1 TEAM MEMBERS

Current Team Members
Kara Hunter
Graduate Research Assistant
​UC Merced
Dr. Sofia Romero
Postdoc

UC Merced
Sourav Biswas
Graduate Research Assistant
​Univ. of Wyoming
Alison Flynt
Graduate Research Assistant
​Univ. of Wyoming
Silvia Sanchez Martinez
Senior Research Associate
​Univ. of Wyoming
John Ramirez
Graduate Research Assistant
​Univ. of Wyoming
Tyler Gonzalez
Graduate Research Assistant
​Univ. of Wyoming
Emma Meese

​Laboratory Aid
​
​Univ. of Wyoming
Annie Walgen
​Research Associate

​​Univ. of Wyoming
Shraddha KC
Graduate Research Assistant
​Univ. of Wyoming
Kenny Nguyen

​Graduate Research Assistant
​Univ. of Wyoming
Jacob Loeffelholz
Research Associate

​Univ. of Wyoming
Maxwell Packebush

​Undergraduate Student Researcher
​Univ. of Wyoming
Former Team Members
Anthony Trent
Undergraduate Student Researcher
​Univ. of Wyoming

theme 2: rehydration and recovery

Christina walters, theme lead

Supervisory Plant Physiologist, USDA-National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation

sterling field, associate lead

Postdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University

Margaret (Grace) FLEMING, project lead

Assistant Professor of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University
Project: What are the genetic and metabolic milestones of recovery from desiccation?

Hugo TAPIA, project lead

Assistant Professor of Biology, California State University Channel Islands
Project: How does partial re-hydration affect desiccation tolerance?

THEME 2 TEAM MEMBERS

Current Team Members
Jack Cox
Postbac
​
Carnegie Science
Siavash Heshmati
Graduate Research Assistant
Michigan State Univ.
Dr. Neusa Steiner​
Professor
​Federal Univ. of Santa Catalina
​​USDA-​NLGRP
Will Dwyer ​
Research Assistant
​
Carnegie Science
Michael Ozolins​
Graduate Research Assistant
Michigan State Univ.
Hannah Tetreault
Support Scientist

​
​USDA-​NLGRP
Ava Kloss-Schmidt
Research Assistant
​
Carnegie Science
Lisa Hill
Lab Manager

​USDA-​NLGRP
Chloe Grabb​
Graduate Research Assistant
​Michigan State Univ.
Shaima Ibrahim​
Technician
​
USDA-​NLGRP

theme 3: molecular engineering

Alex HOLEHOUSE, theme lead & project lead 

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis
Project: Rational design of de novo proteins for desiccation tolerance in cells and organisms

Steven BOEYNAEMS, project lead 

Assistant Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Investigator at Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital
Project: Molecular rules of membraneless organelle water responsiveness

THEME 3 team members

Current Team Members
Former Team Members

theme 4: evolutionary dynamics

Moises EXPOSITO-ALONSO, project lead 

Assistant Professor of Global Change Biology, University of California Berkeley
Freeman Hrabowski Scholar, Howard Hugues Medical Institutes (HHMI)
Project: Identify genetic determinants underlying desiccation tolerance by mining natural variation in seed germination across A. thaliana populations

THEME 4 TEAM MEMBERS

Current Team Members

Animation & Visualization

Janet IWASA

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine ​

Administrative team

Selena Rice

Scientific Coordinator, Michigan State University

Elena Lazarus


Assistant Scientific Coordinator, Michigan State University
Senior Research Associates
Postdoctoral Researchers
​Olivia Maria Silva Carmo
Boeynaems  Lab
Baylor College of Medicine
Lab Managers
Graduate Student Researchers
Jenny Schuster
Michigan State Univ.
Anna Pardo
Michigan State Univ.
Research Associates and Technicians
Undergraduate Student Researchers
Edie Gollub
Sukenik Lab
UC Merced