University of Washington Genome Sciences Department
Environmental Division
Brook Nunn - associate professor
Brook's research focuses on understanding how different organisms adapt to their unique surroundings by examining their protein expression. This includes biogeochemical recycling of organic matter, specifically proteins, in the marine water column and in sediments, and understanding the chemical interactions between bacteria and particles in the ocean. She also examines why proteins are preserved in sediments for long periods of time. Brook's website.
Emma Timmins-Schiffman - research scientist
Emma's research focuses on how marine organisms are impacted by the variable and changing environments that they inhabit. She studies molluscs, fin fish, bacteria, and phytoplankton at the molecular (proteomic) level to understand the flexibility and limits of cellular physiology. She has worked in population genetics, genomics, and transcriptomics, but has focused on proteomics since 2014. Emma is especially interested in understanding molecular adaptations and acclimations to a changing climate that is quickly altering the physical environment of our oceans. Emma's website.
Miranda Mudge - graduate student
Miranda is a PhD candidate in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department working jointly in the MacCoss and Nunn labs. She is broadly interested in using proteomics to better understand how microbiomes influence their environment, specifically by adapting DIA methods for metaproteomics. Her project involves using the circadian rhythmicity of marine microbiome peptides to forecast the formation of harmful algal blooms. Within the lab, Miranda has also studied how environmentally relevant cold active bacteria maintain cellular activity after long-term exposure to extreme conditions, as well as how microbiome controls on eukaryotes inhibit viral infections. Prior to joining the lab, Miranda studied DNA damage repair at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as developed a mouse melanoma model at Missouri State University, where she graduated with a M.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology.