People

Gary Molano is a postdoc working on the giant kelp domestication project. Gary has investigated the population genetics of several Southern California kelp populations, while also characterizing the genetic variation of the giant kelp germplasm currently used in the domestication project. Gary has also worked on the giant kelp genome nuclear and organelle genome assemblies. Gary’s previous work in plants involves using sequencing data to characterize a panel of wild cicer, specifically focusing on the variation present in organelles.

Publications

Molano, G., Diesel, J., Montecinos, G. J., Alberto, F. & Nuzhdin, S. V. (2022). Sporophyte Stage Genes Exhibit Stronger Selection Than Gametophyte Stage Genes in Haplodiplontic Giant Kelp. Front. Mar. Sci. 8:774076. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.774076

Gonzalez, S. T., Alberto, F., & Molano, G. (2023). Whole-genome sequencing distinguishes the two most common giant kelp ecomorphs. Evolution; international journal of organic evolution, 77(6), pp. 1354–1369. doi: 10.1093/evolut/qpad045

Brandon Vong is a Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular and Computational Biology program at USC. He earned his B.S. in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology with a Minor in Biomedical Research from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is involved in the kelp team and is interested in studying kelp gene function and development. His research is focused on developing efficient and cost effective methods for kelp restoration and selective breeding.

Maxim Kovalev is a Ph.D. candidate in the Physical Biology program. He received his M.S. in Bioinformatics from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia. His main interest lies in the development and application of computational methods in different fields of biology, namely molecular biology and genetics.

Bernadeth Tolentino is a Ph.D. student in the Marine and Environmental Biology program. She is studying the microbiome of kelp toward biofuel and fertilizer applications.

Karina Arzuyan is a Ph.D. student in the MCB program. She received her B.S. in Marine Biology from UCSD/SIO and her M.S. in Ecology at San Diego State University while studying anthropogenic impacts on seaweed communities. During her Fulbright in Armenia, she studied genomic biodiversity within the phytoplankton communities of freshwater systems. For her research, she is interested in linking blue economy initiatives with the world of algae through the use of genomics.

Jaycee Lanza is a Ph.D. student in the Marine and Environmental Biology program. She earned her B.S in Marine Biology from UCLA, and her M.S. in marine science from Moss Landing Marine Labs studying reproductive competition in kelp species. She is interested in further investigating reproduction in kelp using molecular techniques. 

Kyle Allen is currently a PhD student in the Molecular and Computational Biology Program. He obtained his B.S. in Biological Science from University of California, Irvine. He is currently involved in investigating genetic variance within populations of algal species, as well as interested in application of utilizing computation in molecular biology and genetics.

Leah Ferger is a Ph.D. student in the Molecular and Computational Biology program. She earned her B.S. in Biology from SUNY Fredonia and an M.P.S. in Marine Conservation from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. Her research focuses on the genetic and physiological processes underlying metal sequestration and stress tolerance in Macrocystis pyrifera, as well as phytohormone signaling pathways across kelp species.

Andrea Jackman is a Ph.D. student in the Molecular and Computational Biology program. She received her B.Sc. in biology with a minor in data science from the University of British Columbia. She is studying the role of the kelp microbiome in host health and survival.

Luke Genutis received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology program in 2025. He studied genomic analysis using next generation sequencing data and computational tools. His graduate research contributed to projects in Oil Palm and in Drosophila hybrid model systems.

Rachel Hua received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 2025. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. During her Ph.D. studies she worked on the Mussel Project, specifically focusing on analyzing SNPs.

Publications

Hua, Z., Churches, N. and Nuzhdin, S.V. (2023) “Balancing selection and candidate loci for survival and growth during larval development in the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis,” G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. 13(7). doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad103

Madelyn Harden received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 2024. Her research focused on the genetic diversity, variation, and evolution of California macroalgae. With her work she hopes to apply population and evolutionary genetics to answer a suite of marine conservation biology questions as well as to inform policy initiatives governing coastal ecosystems.

Publications

Harden, M. et al. (2024) “Heat stress analysis suggests a genetic basis for tolerance in Macrocystis pyrifera across developmental stages,” Communications Biology, 7(1), p. 1147. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06800-7

José Diesel received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 2023. His work during his graduate and post-graduate studies revolved around studying the genetics of giant kelp to improve farming practices and enhance its sustainability. Through bioinformatics tools, José assembled the genome of giant kelp, allowing him to explore its evolution and population genetics. His research also explored the resilience and adaptability of this important species by investigating the distribution and impact of mutations. José’s ultimate goal is to leverage this knowledge to optimize kelp farming and contribute to the preservation of our marine ecosystems.

Publications

Diesel, J.F., Molano, G. and Nuzhdin, S.V. (2025) “The mutation atlas of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera): a mutation database resource for natural knockouts,” Frontiers in Plant Science, 15. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1338572

Diesel, J. et al. (2023) “A scaffolded and annotated reference genome of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera),” BMC Genomics, 24(1). doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09658-x

Melisa Osborne received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 2023. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work focused on characterizing the associated microbial community of giant kelp, and applications to aquaculture of kelp for biofuels.

Publications

Osborne, M.G. et al. (2024) “Investigating the relationship between microbial network features of giant kelp ‘seedbank’ cultures and subsequent farm performance,” PLOS ONE. 19(3). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295740

Osborne, M.G. et al. (2023) “Natural variation of Macrocystis pyrifera gametophyte germplasm culture microbiomes and applications for improving yield in offshore farms,” Journal of Phycology, 59(2), pp. 402–417. doi: 10.1111/jpy.13320