Alysha Chua Email & Phone Number

Wellington, New Zealand

Work-area Manager for the Tissue Culture Lab. Member of the Protein Chemistry and Enzymes team.

Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand

County Waterford, Ireland

PhD researcher funded by the WIT PhD scholarship.Doctoral thesis: An investigation of the bioactivity of cyanobacterial exometabolites in plant stress tolerance. • This project aimed to identify the potential pro-survival signalling compound(s) from cyanobacteria to elevate plant stress tolerance. • Developed a root hair model system to screen potential bioactive compounds for the ability to increase plant stress tolerance• Nostoc muscorum exometabolites were screened for bioactive properties based on their ability to suppress programmed cell death in treated Arabidopsis root hairs. • Proline was identified as a compound of interest using mutant Arabidopsis lines with impaired proline transporters. • Proline was encapsulated in microspheres and nanospheres to develop a slow-release delivery system for enhancing plant stress tolerance.• Techniques used in this project include: fluorescent microscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, cell culture, polymer formulation, scanning electron microscopy, biochemistry and spectrophotometry tests• Statistical analysis performed using IBM SPSS©: Linear regression models, ANOVA (one-way and two-way), bivariate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient ) and independent-samples t-test.

County Waterford, Ireland

Each semester, I taught laboratory practicals and tutorials for 3 hours a week. Modules include:• Introductory Biology• Plant Biology• Cell Biology & Biochemistry• Good Lab Practises and Core Skills

London, United Kingdom

I completed my Masters under Dr James Murray and worked a further 3 months in his lab as a Research Assistant. My work was an extension of two projects I was working on for the past 9 months as a postgraduate researcher:1) Modelled impact of artificial carbon fixation pathways on cyanobacteria growth rates, photosynthetic quantum yield and energetic requirements 2) Isolation of a unique cyanophage and characterisation using PCR cloning and bioinformatics

London, United Kingdom

Final Year Project:Biochemical and biophysical characterisation of Photosystem I in heterocysts from Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 Characterised the Photosystem I differences between heterocysts and vegetative cells by comparing:• Rates of oxygen consumption• Photochemical yields and • Reduction kinetics

Master'S Degree, Mres In Systems & Synthetic Biology, Distinction

Research Project: Modelling and testing carbon flow in an unusual photosynthetic bacterium: Flux balance analysis of carbon-fixation.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Plant Sciences

Bachelor'S Degree, Bsc In Biotechnology, 2:1

Subjects: Molecular Biology, Molecular Cell Biology, Biological Chemistry, Proteins and Enzymes, Immunology, Physical Biochemistry.