Achievement

Mike Caballero, a member of the fourth IGERT cohort, was recently awarded a 2012 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship providing support for three years of stipend and tuition funding to be used over the next 5 years. Mike is hoping to use the opportunity to not only focus on research, but also develop Northern Colorado as a remote site for a molecular biology high school outreach program very similar to one he was involved with as a science teacher in Milwaukee. Mike's project, entitled "Interdisciplinary optimization of astaxanthin production in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803" will focus on three key elements: 1) pathway engineering in Synechocystis (to produce the nutraceutical astaxanthin) 2) assessing changes via metabolic flux analysis, and 3) economic analysis serving as an interdisciplinary component. Mike plans to contribute these findings through STEM outreach opportunities to engage the next generation of citizens, leaders, and researchers.