Allie graduated from the University of Georgia with a BS in Microbiology and a BA in Music, where she studied protein-lipid droplet localization behaviors in yeast models in the Starai Lab. She has previously interned in the Foster Lab to examine the effects of simulated microgravity on animal-bacteria symbioses in order to understand how spaceflight alters host-microbe interactions. Currently, she is working in the Averesch Lab to research bioplastic production through microbial engineering. She hopes to pursue a PhD to explore solutions to existing challenges in space biology, biotechnology, and environmental sustainability. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, learning traditional Chinese instruments, and crocheting.

Cassandra is a highly motivated and curious senior undergraduate in the Bioengineering department at UC Berkeley, with a specific focus on cell and tissue engineering. She has previously worked in immunology research, where she formulated antibody-conjugated lipid nanoparticles and assessed their transfection into antigen presenting cells for their possible use as mRNA therapeutic delivery vehicles. She has also worked in polymer research, where she contributed to the standardization of nanoindentation as a modality for retrieval analysis of the polymer component from total knee replacement. Through her coursework and research experiences, she has developed a strong interest in the field of synthetic biology which she hopes to utilize to solve problems caused by the climate crisis, with the increasingly necessary exploration of space being one of these issues. Currently, she is working with Gwyneth Hutchinson and NASA CUBES to engineer Spirulina for pharmaceutical and flavor production with applications for supporting human exploration of space. She hopes that through this work and further research done through a PhD program and beyond, she will be able to assist in finding solutions to climate-related issues. In her free time, you can catch her at the roller rink, or on a hike in the Berkeley hills. She also enjoys crocheting and reading novels.

Gwyneth Terry is a senior administrator supporting Adam Arkin and his laboratory at Berkeley Lab and University of California, Berkeley. She has a BSc in geology from Cal State East Bay. She assists lab personnel with the UCB and LBL bureaucracy and helps moves science forward.