Evan Bennett Email & Phone Number

My career focus is based around genomic research, microbiology, and molecular biology. My goal is to acquire a PhD to pursue clinical research. I currently work at Mascoma LLC as a Research Associate genetically engineering yeasts for various industries. My primary research focus is trying to get yeast to co-ferment other high value compounds along with ethanol. This research involves metabolic engineering, performing various fermentations, understanding cellular and molecular biology of yeast, and having a strong understanding of microbiology.I have completed my own research based project focused around the morals and ethics of genetic modification to give myself a strong background of the topic. My first science based job was genome annotation of a bacteriophage. The summer of 2020 I was a part of the INBRE (iDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence)-iSURF (Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship) program performing research on Covid-19 including genetics, pathophysiology, and epidemiology. Afterwards, I worked in an INBRE lab at my university as a lab assistant performing qPCR on C. elegans. The summer of 2021 through the INBRE-iSURF I was placed at Mascoma, a biotech facility under the greater lallemand company. At Mascoma I performed genetic engineering of yeast to be used in sugarcane ethanol production in Brazil. My senior year of undergraduate my senior thesis analyzed bacteriophage therapy using a novel bacteriophage that I discovered and utilized C. elegans as a model organism. The summer after I graduated I returned to the iSURF program as a peer coordinator and worked in an immunology lab at Dartmouth Hitchcock medical center under the supervision of Dr. Joshua Obar. There I researched how certain proteins in immune cells recognize pathogenic A. fumigatus and how certain individuals may be more susceptible to infection.From my experience I have discovered a strong interest in sustainability with GMOs, oncology, and genetics. While at Mascoma I gained perspective on how pivotal scientific research can be in combatting climate change and other societal issues utilizing GMOs. Throughout my entire life the pathophysiology of cancer and treatments for it have always fascinated me and has given me a drive to find new solutions. In the past 100 years or so the field of genetics has exploded providing vast new avenues of research and incredibly fascinating applications for it that I wish to expand on.

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  Franklin Pierce University

  Biology, General