WALII teamWALII 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. |
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Institute Director
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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
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Thomas boothby, theme leadAssistant Professor of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming
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Shahar sukenik, project leadAssistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, Merced
Project: Is glass strength associated with protective capacity? |
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Marisa otegui, project leadProfessor of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Project: How do cellular structures change during dehydration to solid-state? |
THEME 1 TEAM MEMBERS
Current Team Members
Edie Gollub Undergraduate Student Researcher UC Merced |
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 
Anthony Trent Undergraduate Student Researcher Univ. of Wyoming |
Shraddha KC Graduate Research Assistant Univ. of Wyoming 
Kenny Nguyen Graduate Research Assistant Univ. of Wyoming 
Annie Walgen Research Associate Univ. of Wyoming |
Jacob Loeffelholz Research Associate Univ. of Wyoming 
Maxwell Packebush Undergraduate Student Researcher Univ. of Wyoming |
theme 2: rehydration and recovery
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Christina walters, theme leadSupervisory Plant Physiologist, USDA-National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation
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sterling field, associate leadPostdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University
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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? |
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Hugo TAPIA, project leadAssistant 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
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Alex HOLEHOUSE, theme lead & project leadAssistant 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 |
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Steven BOEYNAEMS, project leadAssistant 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
Dr. Olivia Maria Silva Carmo
(as of March 2023)
(as of March 2023)
Postdoc
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
theme 4: evolutionary dynamics
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Robert VANBUREN, theme lead & project leadAssistant Professor of Horticulture, Michigan State University
Project: Identify conserved and lineage-specific molecular responses to anhydrobiosis |
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Moises EXPOSITO-ALONSO, project leadStaff Associate, Carnegie Institution for Science
Assistant Professor of Biology (by courtesy), Stanford University Project: Identify genetic determinants underlying desiccation tolerance by mining natural variation in seed germination across A. thaliana populations |
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Rose MARKS, project leadPostdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University
Project: Developing the resurrection grass Microchloa caffra as a new system for evolutionary genetics of desiccation tolerance |
THEME 4 TEAM MEMBERS
Current Team Members
Jenny Schuster Graduate Research Assistant Michigan State Univ. |
Anna Pardo Graduate Research Assistant Michigan State Univ. |
Administrative team
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Selena RiceScientific Coordinator, Michigan State University
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Elena LazarusAssistant Scientific Coordinator, Michigan State University
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