Project Management, Gene Editing Technology

CasDx Applications, Diagnostics• Developed and optimized novel CRISPR-based diagnostic assays (organismal ID for both RNA and DNA targets and SNP detection assays) using an array of amplification methods, including Extreme-PCR, LAMP, and NEAR in both one pot and two pot formats.• Developed and implemented the testing processes for characterization, feasibility testing, evaluation, and optimization for the performance of proprietary Cas enzymes in amplification based diagnostic assays. Contributions lead to co-authorship on the patent “EFFECTOR PROTEINS, COMPOSITIONS, SYSTEMS, DEVICES, KITS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF.”• Successfully created and formalized a number of methods and workflows to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of workflows, including standardizing methods to quantify ddPCR RNA targets, screening alternative enzymes (Reverse transcriptases, polymerases, Cas enzymes, etc.), and the screening of primers and guides.• Collaborated with the QA team and shared technical expertise to formalize and streamline protocols and work instructions, and successfully managed the company’s amplicon contamination monitoring for the entire company with a data driven approach to control and eliminate amplicon contamination, ensuring the integrity of of all the experiments run in the workspace by controlling and eliminating contamination in a timely manner.

Assay Development, Diagnostics

High Throughput COVID-19 Laboratory:•Trained team members in established procedures, techniques, and any new or modified procedures, while explaining the underlying principles and potential dangers of handling infectious human samples•Planned, assigned, and supervised the work of junior laboratory and testing personnel; responsible for adjusting work assignments to achieve optimal utilization of available resources•Monitored and evaluated quality control data; determined causes and patterns of unacceptable trends and initiated or suggested corrective action•Ensured the progress of priority samples throughout the workflow from receipt to assay completion•Assisted in procedure development and comparative evaluation of new and/or modified assays•Troubleshot instruments, resolved technical problems, and initiated remedial actions

High Throughput COVID-19 Laboratory•Assisted licensed personnel in routine clinical testing (including reagent preparation, nucleic acid extraction, and LAMP assays), equipment and reagent validation, and other activities•Performed specimen receipt, accessioning, and sample transfer using automated liquid handling instruments (primarily Hamilton Stars, Hamilton Starlets, and Agilent Bravos)•Documented all corrective actions taken when there was a deviation to the test system •Assisted in research and development activities for future test protocol•Wrote and reviewed formal laboratory protocols•Assisted in routine laboratory and equipment maintenance

Instrument R&D Department:•Tested and evaluated software, firmware, and hardware releases for the VALENT IHC platform•Wrote SOPs for VALENT platform data collection and trained relevant teams and departments•Determined the sources of instrument generated debris and provided relevant recommendations for changes to both machinery and protocols•Maintained laboratory cleanliness to companywide standards and coordinated supplies and inventory•Performed IHC staining using manual, semi-automated, and automated processes•Provided accommodations for changing priorities and performed administrative tasks as needed

UC Berkeley EvoLab, Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management; Organisms and Environment Division (Dr. George Roderick Lab); the Ecology and Evolution in Hawai’i’s Dynamic Landscape project:• Sorted and categorized various arthropod specimen collections based on morphology and species identification• Isolated arthropod samples using a combination of dissecting and compound microscopes for downstream analysis• Preformed Z-stack imaging of arachnid specimen from multiple anatomical planes• Extracted DNA from isolated samples for NGS DNA sequencing to determine species composition and population genomics

Anthropology 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology:• Responsible for the grading of midterm and final exams, which consisted of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions, for 79 undergraduate students • Used judgement and discretions in assigning points to each exam based on general rubrics provided by the professor

Gilead Sciences, Hepatitis B Virus Discovery Virology Division:• Successfully established and maintained primary human hepatocyte cultures using the company’s proprietary protocols• Researched, evaluated, and tested commercially available transfection reagents and kits using cultivated primary human hepatocyte cells and GFP assays• Optimized the selected reagents and kits by varying multiple parameters; i.e., mRNA amount, DNA amount, using both GFP and CRISPR assays• Utilized DAPI staining and a combination of manual and automated fluorescent microscopic systems for live/dead cell analysis to determine experiment progression• Presented findings at the end of internship to staff scientists at the company

UC Berkeley, Dept. of Anthropology (Professor Gary D. Richards): Interpretations of cranial, neural, and vascular changes associated with prehistoric cases of Achondroplasia:• Used Thermo Fisher Scientific Amira (5.5) 3D visualization software for 3D reconstruction, segmentation, meshing, and mirror-imaging from CT scan slices.• Compared the endocranial cavity reconstructions of affected and unaffected individuals to determine and describe the neural and vascular changes associated with mutation to the FGFR3 gene• Wrote, applied, and received travel grant to the 2017 American Association of Physical Anthropology annual conference in New Orleans to present study findings• Presented posters on study findings at four different conferences on state, national, and international levels

UC Berkeley Dept. of Integrative Biology; UC Berkeley Gross Anatomy Laboratory:• Dissected human cadavers in preparation for UC Berkeley’s Gross Anatomy Laboratory class• Trained in handling human biohazard materials and general lab safety procedures