Yasaer Y Moore

Personal Information

Junior Biochemistry Major, Classics Minor

Hometown: Peoria, IL

Contact info. Email- ymoore@monmouthcollege.edu

Undergraduate Research Activities

Exploring the Bacteria Found In Underwater Environments

- Abstract

• It is estimated that there is 550 x 10¹⁵ grams of carbon on the earth; this is also known as 550 Gt C (gigatonnes carbon). Plants make up 450 Gt C (82%), while animals make up only 2 Gt C (0.4%). Humans make up only 0.06 Gt C (0.01%). The second largest contributor to Earth's biomass is bacteria at 70 Gt C (13%) and ironically we know the least about the role bacteria play in our daily lives. In 2016, the US Federal Government launched the National Microbiome Initiative. This initiative acknowledged the presence of bacteria/microbial communities "liv[ing] on or in people, plants, soil, oceans, lakes, rocks, and the atmosphere" and that understanding more about these bacteria/microbial communities would advance our knowledge in areas such as "health care, food production, and environmental restoration." During our project this summer we learned how to isolate bacteria from a variety of substrates with a particular interest in isolating bacterial DNA from water samples. Bacterial DNA was isolated, quantified using fluorescence (Quibit) and sent off to the University of Illinois Biotech Center for 16s - V4 Illumina amplification/sequencing. The sequencing results were then analyzed using Qiime2 software to generate taxonomy bar plots showing bacterial species information and quantity.

The biomass distribution on Earth (PNAS, 2017)

Career Goals

My plan after graduating from Monmouth College is to apply for Graduate School and then get a job in a laboratory setting. After experiencing research firsthand and seeing what I could accomplish, I am confident that I will excel.

While attending Graduate School, my interest of study will be Immunology/ Immunogenetics. With this as my field of study, I am interested in researching the body's immune system by exploring the microbiomes found in the gut. Exploring/ researching gut microbiomes will shine a light on certain autoimmune diseases plus the genetic variations that cause the immune defects.

My ultimate goal is to become a published researcher. This will allow me to indirectly communicate with others; by sharing my knowledge of the body's immune system and its genetics.