This project explored how two milkweed species, Asclepias syriaca and Asclepias speciosa, interact with their environments across distinct geographic regions. Using a combination of soil microbiome profiling and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we investigated both the microbial communities associated with these plants and the plant genes that may shape ecological adaptation. The project integrated ecological, molecular, and bioinformatic approaches to better understand the relationships between plants and the microbial communities that influence their health, resilience, and function within ecosystems. This project was a part of post-doctoral research in the Olson-Manning Lab at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD.

A preliminary research project exploring how agricultural practices (conventional using pesticides vs. regenerative) may influence microbial communities in fermented vegetables. This study highlights the potential for future research and the complexities of studying food systems.  https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11010022

A research project examining how diet influences host-microbe interactions and pathogen dynamics using cockroaches as a model system. Part of post-doctoral research at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in Dr. Jose Pietri’s lab. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01570-25

A human studying investigating the gut microbiome and metabolome of people who consume lacto-fermented vegetables regularly. While microbial composition showed ony minor changes, fermented vegetable consumption had a significantly greater impact on the gut metabolome. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmb.2023.9