FALL 2024
Onward!: Congratulations are in order for Joe, who passed his qualifying exam November 8th! Solid work Joe… and now it’s back to the bench;)
SPRING/SUMMER 2024
The Hammer lab colonizes ASM Microbe: Hammer lab members represent at ASM Microbe 2024 in our own Atlanta. What a line up! Three talks – Joe gives give a talk on evolution of T6SS resistance; the dynamic trio of Zach, Isabel and Prajna speak about their plans for studying an unusual caved bacterium; and Tahrima and Erica tell their story of our “longer-term” T6SS resistance evolution project. Chris and Katie give posters and proudly revel in the success of their undergraduate mentees talks. Katrina joins the group at the meeting too!
“Micro economics”: Chris publishes his first paper in Ecology and Evolution revealing how cheap it is for V. cholerae to wield its T6SS. Way to go Chris!
A pair of awards! Prajna and Zach each earn a PURA award to conduct research in the Hammer lab. Awesome!
Two papers with our Yunker collaborators: In January Ray describes in PLOS Computational Biology how spatial constraints alter the outcome of T6SS killing; and in summer Aawaz publishes his beautiful study on biofilm biophysics in Nature Physics!
FALL 2023
Chris passes his qualifying exam: Chris gave a wonderful presentation on this proposed research followed by a successful grilling by his committee. Nice work Chris!
Katie’s beautiful experimental evolution paper is published!: Congratulations Katie for the publication in iScience of your study evolving Type VI resistance in E. coli. Special thanks to our collaborators Professors Tom Silhavy and Randi Guest, as well as our two undergraduate authors Sophia and Tahrima, and PhD alum Dr. Michael Ng!
Our Dispatch published: Chris and Brian publish a short Current Biology Dispatch reviewing a publication from the Miyshiro lab describing regulatory connections between quorum sensing and Type IV Secretion in Vibrio fischeri.
A new collaborative project to develop probiotic bacteria: We are excited to announce a new partnership with Dr. Mike Farrell at the Georgia Tech Research Institute to develop probiotic bacteria that will boost the protection against the flu virus. New MS student Katrina Lancaster will lead the Hammer lab’s efforts. (See news release).
A President’s Undergraduate Research Award: Erica received PURA support to conduct her undergraduate research in the lab this fall! Great job Erica!
Two new lab members: The lab is delighted to welcome two new members this Fall. Katrina Lancaster joins us as a Master’s student. Second year undergraduate student Prajna Dhinakaran joins the group with a Fast-Track-To-Research Scholarship. Two excellent additions to the crew!
SUMMER 2023
BEST Lyon: Brian co-teaches the Cell & Molecular Biology course “pour un peu” in France with Dr. Jennifer Leavey in the College of Sciences BEST Lyon Program run by Dr Cam Tyson.
A scholarship: Congratulations to Isabel for her NGA of Georgia Scholarship!
ACE REU: Brian is fortunate to again direct the Research Experience for Undergraduates program in Aquatic Chemical Ecology on campus this summer with generous support from the National Science Foundation. Each of our six trainees waded into the scientific process for 10 weeks in the lab of a faculty advisor and then presented a research poster at our capstone symposium.
Science adventures: Chris enjoys presenting at the Evolution and Ecology of Natural Microbial Communities Gordon Research Conference at Proctor Academy and then participating in Lab Tales – a Science Communication through Storytelling Workshop at Princeton University!
Collaborative NSF support: Brian is delighted to work with Drs. Mark Styczynski, Shuichi Takayama and Neha Garg on a project to build synthetic cells, with generous support from the NSF’s Understanding the Rules of Life program.
SPRING 2023
Joe Vath joins the lab! Joe Vath rotated with us to start the Spring semester and then agreed to join the lab. We are delighted to have Joe as our newest PhD student!
Paper with Yunker lab published! We are delighted to be part of a beautiful paper by the Yunker lab’s Pablo Bravo that was just published in PNAS. Excellent work Pablo!
FALL 2022
New lab members: Isabel Calimlim and Zach Beddingfield are awarded Fast-Track-To-Research fellowships and join the Hammer lab! Participating in weekly lab meetings this fall, they will both begin working at the bench in spring! Welcome Zach and Isabel!
Alexis Ramsey rotates in our lab: This fall Alexis Ramsey will spend the fall on a Hammer lab rotation.
A new manuscript: Katie’s manuscript describing the evolution of Type VI resistance is available at the biorxiv. Check it out!