ARC DECRA Fellow: Dr Rachael Lappan

Rachael has come from the human microbiology field, completing her PhD in 2019 at the University of Western Australia on the microbiome of childhood ear infections. Excited to explore the universe of environmental microbiology, she joined the Greening lab in the same year to work on the RISE: Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments program. She is also involved in several other projects, exploring the metagenomes of various terrestrial, marine, and host-associated environments with bioinformatics. In 2022, she was awarded an ARC DECRA Fellowship to lead a group to understand the structure, function, and significance of the atmospheric microbiome. When not at work she enjoys hosting board game nights, running Dungeons & Dragons games and looking at photos of other people’s dogs.

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Research Officer: James Lingford

James completed a Bachelor of Science in Genetics (Hons) at the University of Western Australia. Following this he became a research assistant at the Harry Perkins Institute studying RNA binding proteins, and then later moved to Melbourne to be a research assistant at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, where he investigated the structure and function of mucosal proteins. James is now a research officer in the Greening lab where he’s keen to apply his dual genetics and protein biochemistry skills to investigate the weird and wonderful world of gas consuming microbial proteins. James’s personal scientific hero and all-around role model is Richard Lewontin. In his spare time you can find James reading a book while cuddling his two dogs, or discussing a terrible movie with his wife.

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PhD Student: Thilini Koralegedara

Thilini completed her Honours at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, and recently gained her masters in Biotechnology as the highest achieving graduate from Swinburne University of Technology. She focused on cloning lipase genes from thermophilic bacteria and analysing the compost fungal microbiome as parts of her research. She joins the Greening lab as a PhD student to uncover the effects of carbon monoxide on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Thilini likes to explore different parts of the world, experiment with arts and crafts, and de-stress by watching variety shows and cat videos on YouTube.

PhD Student: Ashleigh Kropp

Ash completed her undergraduate, Honours, and Masters of Philosophy degrees at the University of Melbourne/WEHI, writing her thesis on the structural and functional role of specific human kinases that are involved in numerous cancers. In late 2019, Ash joined the Greening lab as a research assistant and achieved the first purification of a high-affinity hydrogenase. Now a PhD student with the Grinter and Greening labs, she primarily works on the biochemistry of hydrogenases in Mycobacterium smegmatis, specifically investigating their structure and their transcriptional regulation. Outside of work, Ash loves yoga and pilates, trashy reality TV, and being with her friends.

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PhD Student: Igor da Silva

Igor completed his undergraduate and Master at Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil) in Materials Engineering, writing his thesis on the hydrophobic influence in amphiphilic polymers to synthesize antimicrobial silver nanoparticles. He joined Junkers and Greening labs to study the synthesis of peptide-mimicking polymers which present antimicrobial properties. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and (urban) hiking.

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Postdoc: Dr Sophie Holland

Sophie (they/she) is an environmental microbiologist interested in climate change and the extremes of life. They completed their undergrad and PhD at UNSW Sydney, studying anaerobic organohalide-degrading bacteria, with a particular focus on a novel, dichloromethane-fermenting species. They then moved to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, UK, to investigate the biodegradation of marine microplastics using stable isotope techniques. Sophie came back to Australia in 2023 to join the SAEF (Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future) team, researching the impact of climate change on Antarctic microorganisms. On the weekend, they enjoy getting out of the city to go hiking, swimming, and camping.

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Research Officer: Tess Hutchinson

Tess is a research officer investigating how climate change impacts primary production and microbial biodiversity in Antarctica. In 2018, she completed first-class Honours on a similar topic. Tess enjoys the field work that comes with her project, having visited beaches across Australia and Denmark in the name of research. In 2023, she completely her PhD investigating pathways of organic carbon degradation in permeable marine sediments (sand). In her spare time, Tess enjoys reading, travelling and eating delicious things.

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PhD Student: Ning Hall

Ning is investigating microbial greenhouse gas production in permeable marine sediments with the Cook and Greening labs. She enjoys the challenge of working in an interdisciplinary team bridging gaps between biogeochemistry and microbiology. She completed first-class Honours in Chemistry at Monash, studying volatile fatty acid production by marine bacteria. Before turning to science, Ning studied Javanese dance in Indonesia and continues to enjoy teaching and performing in Melbourne.

PhD Student: Maha Alharbi

Maha’s PhD, hosted by the Cook and Greening labs, is examining the coupling of iron oxidation to nitrate reduction. She completed her Master’s degree at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia, focusing on isolating exopolysaccharide-producing Azotobacter strains. Maha subsequently completed a medical internship and worked as a teaching assistant in Taibah University and King Abdulaziz University. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing, cooking, and spending time with my family.

Honours Student: Montgomery Hall

Monte has just completed a Bachelor of Science Advanced – Research at Monash University, where he majored in Microbiology and Ecology. After completing a number of undergraduate projects at the Greening lab, he confirmed his passion for research and the field of microbial ecology. Monte is continuing in the lab as an Honours student, where he will investigate the effects of fire on soil and bark microbial communities and the biogeochemical processes they mediate. In his free time, Monte enjoys bushwalks, learning about botany, and reading old books while cuddled up with his cat.

Postdoc: Dr Surbhi Jain

Coming from a background in anaerobic microbiology, Surbhi completed her PhD in 2022 in the research group of Prof. Dr. Volker Müller at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. She genetically modified the acetogenic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter kivui, which grows on C1 gases to produce value-added chemicals such as acetate, ethanol, or formate. She is passionate about climate change research and is continuing to work with industry-focused research in the Greening lab, focusing on conversion of greenhouse gases into sustainable animal feeds using mixotrophic bacteria. In her spare time, Surbhi likes to do yoga and go biking.

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PhD Student: Nadeesha Athukorala

Nadeesha’s research research focuses on enhancing methane removal and protein production using proteobacterial and verrucomicrobial methanotrophs. During her B.Sc. Honours in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, she identified a lipolytic Trichoderma sp. and characterized its lipase. She then spent one and a half years as a Teaching and Research Assistant at the University of Peradeniya, where she studied Cryptosporidium species infecting kidney transplant patients and zoonotic diseases in Sri Lanka. She joined the Greening Lab as a PhD student in February 2023. Nadeesha enjoys reading novels and going on road trips in her leisure time.

Masters Student: Justin Davis

A long time ago (2010) in a galaxy far, far away (Brisbane) Justin bumbled his way through a Medical Science degree at Queensland University of Technology. About a decade later, Justin enrolled in a Master of Data Science at Monash to upskill for his job as a Data Analyst. Justin found the bioinformatics units in this course to be an interesting mashup of computer science and long-forgotten learnings from his undergrad degree, so is currently undertaking a minor thesis investigating acetogenesis in a novel bacterial phylum. In between juggling full time work and study, Justin enjoys “thinking about getting back into painting at some stage” and going to the occasional gig.