Sara Eisen, M.S. Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

• Part of the Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Disease Branch (MVPDB). Work in the Bacterial Meningitis Lab (BML), Surveillance Unito BML supports surveillance of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) and Hemophilus influenzae (Hi) domestically and internationally.o BML supports: Active, population-based surveillance for Nm and Hi in an overall population base of more than 44 million people Enhanced meningococcal disease surveillance in all 50 states and 3 large jurisdictions State and local health department laboratories that request assistance Outbreak investigations Specialized research projects related to Nm and Hio Approximately, 2,000 surveillance and 150 CLIA isolates/specimens are received and tested per year. • CLIA certified for diagnostic testing• Perform a variety of lab experiments such as antimicrobial susceptibility tests, microbiological tests, slide agglutination, and real-time PCR in support of research programs and projects including monitoring of molecular/genomic epidemiology of bacterial meningitis pathogens• Work with team members to coordinate activities related to laboratory supply procurement and specimen management• Collaborate with team members and provide technical support and consultation for the implementation of advanced laboratory diagnostics tools and for carriage and outbreak investigations• Provide laboratory coordination and support for outbreak responses, carriage studies, and diagnostic testing (CLIA)

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Worked in the Bacterial Special Pathogens Branch: responsible for the prevention and control of illnesses due to varied group of zoonotic and environmental bacterial pathogens, and assisting in the investigation of unexplained critical illness and deaths. -Certified CLIA personnel for diagnostic testing-Serological, microbial, and molecular techniques to rapidly identify and characterize such pathogens-Incoming specimen processing and maintenance of “chain of custody” requirements-Preparation of written documents, reports, and analyses-Laboratory procedures and processes related to isolation, cultivation, identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, systematic classification of bacterial and zoonotic pathogens-Proficient in 16s workflow: DNA extraction via patient sample, PCR to detect and replicate 16s gene, gel electrophoresis confirmation, and clean-up-Head scientist of the sanger sequencing lab (CLIA certified lab). -Conduct sanger sequencing for BSPB and a co-op with 5 other branches within the CDC (EDLB, MDB, DHQP, PDB, and RZB). -Weekly and monthly maintenance on 3500XL and 3730 sequencers, supply inventory, and management of all groups’ primers and samples-Knowledgeable in analyzing sequencing data and quality-Conducted research on contributing data to MicrobeNet (https://microbenet.cdc.gov/) for microorganisms-MicrobeNet is an online database that contains information for thousands of rare disease-causing microbes. Allows public health and clinical laboratories to match results from their diagnostic testing to CDC’s pathogens-Responsibilities included culturing bacterial samples from patient samples or international collections (ATCC, JCM, DSMZ, and etc.), genomic DNA extraction, whole-genome sequencing, and MALDI prep-Collaborate with computer scientists, program analysts, and laboratory personnel

Greater Atlanta Area

• Engineered biological systems using G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), specifically olfactory receptors (OR), for chemical and biochemical detection in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.o The project was in collaboration with 8 other laboratories. The lab was responsible for creating biosensors that detected diol precursors, specifically, succinic acid, 1, 4 – butanediol, and 1, 3, - propanediol. The biosensors would enable high-throughput screens for increased product yields, brought about from engineered or mutated pools of cells. Project funded by the Department of Energy. • Screened 350 olfactory receptors transformed into yeast (S. cerevisiae) from the Joint Genomic Institute. Hits were validated by performing a 5-point dose response curve, which resulted in all ORs as confirmed false positives.• Previously studied succinic acid OR, GPR91, was optimized for yeast as a potential sensor.• Optimization of the DcuR/S chimeric system in Escherichia coli. A 2-plasmid system was created using the DcuR/S operon and an RFP reporter plasmid regulated by the dctA promoter. • RNA-sequencing was used to discover promoters that were activated by 1, 3 – propanediol in E. coli. RNA sequence data analysis determined if a gene was expressed with 1, 3 – propanediol. Promoters of the expressed genes were cloned with GFP and used for further testing.• Developed a high-throughput screen of HRH2 (a GPCR, when stimulated, results in gastric acid secretion that leads to heartburn and acid reflux) to identify novel antagonists using a luciferase-based assay. o Performed experiments to confirm compounds in cell lines J774 and CHO against histamine.• Lab responsibilities:o Trained 2 undergraduates and 2 research technicians in lab protocols and practices. o Ordered supplies and kept inventory of reagents and materials.o Performed chemical reconciliation twice a year.o Completed maintenance of various machines within the laboratory

Greater Atlanta Area

Worked in the Biology Department at Georgia State University under Dr. Eric Gilbert-Research Master's Project: Explored educational effectiveness of leading high school students through a laboratory experiment on maximizing microbial growth in a bioreactor-Selected as Student Principal Investigator for STEM based learning projects using the bioreactor: Implementing the Bioreactor in High Schools and Microbiology 3800 at Georgia State University-Supervised 2 -3 Master 's students for every day experiments. Trained 10+ BioBus fellows to implement the bioreactor module in high schools, which reached to about 600 students in Atlanta-BioBus Modules: -"We Need More Grimase" : students used the bioreactor to induce plasmids, containing green fluorescent protein (GFP) with arabinose and measured the fluorescent output -"Clean Up on Aisle 5" : students used the bioreactor to grow baker 's yeast and used the disc diffusion assay to measure the effectiveness of various antimicrobial products

Greater Atlanta Area

Worked in the Biology Department at Georgia State University under Dr. Stephanie Gutzler and Dr. Matthew Brewer-Top TA mentoring other incoming TAs-Job inclusive but not limited to teaching two classes per week, planning lessons, writing exams, engaging students with experiments and real -world examples, grading lab reports, and proper laboratory record keeping-Created supplementary lectures to help and encourage students with deepening their understanding in biology-Taught students basic lab techniques such as micropipetting, light microscopy, gel electrophoresis, solution-making, aseptic techniques, spectrophotometry, and plating

Greater Atlanta Area

Worked in the Biology Department at Georgia State University under Dr. Chung-Dar Lu-Nominated by Dr. Lu and selected as one of the few undergraduate to participate in the Molecular Basis of Disease Undergraduate Summer Fellowship-Assisted the Ph.D. candidate with experiments, such as genetically engineering plasmids and testing promoter regions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Master’S Degree, Biology, General

Activities and Societies: Graduate Award for Outstanding Instruction

B.S, Biology

Activities and Societies: Honors College, Golden Key International Honour Society, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Phage Genomics Research.

Graduate Student In M.S. Human Genetics Program

Education record