Page Title

Lab Members

Description

Our lab group changes frequently as students go on to complete their degrees; this is our current "crop" of scientists. To see Geddes lab alumni, scroll down.

 

Photo of Megan Ramsett

Megan Ramsett
Research Specialist

I keep the lab running smoothly, helping students with their work and making sure everything is stocked and ready; managing a variety of timelines, lab equipment, and procedures with years of skill. My diverse background also includes experience in molecular biology, greenhouse management, and fieldwork with various plant species.

Photo of Urmi Das

Urmi Das
Graduate Student (PhD)

I am a graduate PhD student in Dr Geddes’s lab. I am from Bangladesh. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degree in Botany from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh before starting the PhD in Fall 2021 at North Dakota State University. My research interests lie in the area of plant-microbe interactions. As part of the PhD project, I am working on the diversity and structures of the microbiome in response to iron deficiency chlorosis in soybean plants, and also studying persistence of specific bacterial strains in a system to stabilize plant beneficial microbes within microbiome through synthetic 16S rRNA gene. I love traveling and watching movies.

Photo of Garret Levin

Garret Levin
Graduate Student (PhD)

My work involves identifying genes involved in symbiotic effectiveness between rhizobia and legumes. I enjoy fishing, watching baseball, listening to music, and eating good food.

Headshot of Jake Shumacker

Jake Schumacher
Graduate Student (PhD)

My research aims to answer the question "Which genes are responsible for making one rhizobia better than another at forming nodules?" This line of research will help create better inoculums to improve the productivity of legume agriculture.
I began this PhD project in 2021 after graduating from NDSU with a bachelor's in biotechnology. When I am not in the lab, you can find me cooking food, reading a good book, or playing soccer. Eat more legumes!
Photo of Gayathri Senanayake

Gayathri Senanayake
Graduate Student (PhD)

I am from the pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka.
My PhD project focuses on finding the minimal gene set required by Mesorhizobium to establish efficient symbiosis. Within that, I create deletions in the genome using FLP/FRT recombination, develop synthetic molecular biology tools using fluorescence proteins to assess those and try to optimize CRISPR techniques to make larger deletions in Rhizobia.
When I’m not in the lab, my main pass times are travelling, cooking, growing ornamental plants, playing board games and swimming.
Photo of Brooke Benz

Brooke Benz
Graduate student (PhD)
Co-supervised with Dr. Tom Baldwin 
(NDSU Plant Pathology)

I am from Dickinson, ND and started working in the Geddes Lab in the Fall of 2021. I’m interested in understanding plant-microbe interactions and microbial ecology. My PhD research focuses on understanding how the phyllosphere microbiome changes in barley spikes in response to host genotype and Fusarium Head Blight disease. I am employing amplicon sequencing to understand the bacterial and fungal community shifts, as well as metagenomic sequencing to understand the functional potential of these communities. In my free time, I like to play board games and video games, spend time with family and friends, read, and chill with my cat watching movies on the couch.

Photo of Ahmad al-Ahmad

Ahmad al-Ahmad
Graduate Student (Masters)

I'm working on establishing artificial symbiotic relations between Rhizobia and Legumes. I am pursuing a master's degree in Microbiology under the supervision of Dr. Geddes. My undergraduate degree was completed at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. I was lucky enough to participate in a biodiversity study involving yeasts isolated from global soil samples directed by Dr. Jianping Xu. I enjoy cooking, and my favourite beans are Favas!

Photo of Natalie Visich

Natalie Visich
Graduate Student (Masters)

I started my Master’s degree in the Geddes lab in Fall 2024. In Spring 2024, I graduated from NDSU with bachelor’s degrees in Microbiology and Biotechnology. My research is focused on understanding genes within the Rhizobia leguminosarum genome which impact symbiotic effectiveness. I am also interested in discovering how one of my genes of interest is impacting the production of a carbon storage compound, PHB. When I’m not in the lab, I love to bake, knit, read, and do jigsaw puzzles.

Photo of Mia Haugan

Mia Haugan
​Graduate Student (Masters)

I am an accelerated masters student exploring how bacteria associated with the alfalfa root microbiome colonize the root system and impact plant health. When not in the lab, I can usually be found outside learning more about nature, rock climbing, or reading.

Headshot of Iveta Casey

Iveta Casey
​Graduate Student

My name is Iveta Casey, and I am a master’s student in the Microbiological Sciences Department in Dr. Geddes' lab. My research focuses on the microbial symbiosis between Rhizobium leguminosarum and legume plants, with an emphasis on enhancing agricultural productivity through pH-tolerant Rhizobium strains and effective inoculant development for acidic soils.  This research aims to support farmers with improved inoculant products for sustainable nitrogen fixation. In addition to my academic and research pursuits, I enjoy running, rock climbing, and birding. 

Joan Acaso
​Graduate Student

Tania Gupta
​Graduate Student

Maryam Khan
​Graduate Student

Alumni

Amanda Pease: Graduated with a Masters in 2024.

Riley Williams: Graduated with a Masters in 2024.

Lucas Andes: Graduated with a Masters in 2023.

Grace Loegering: Undergraduate Student Researcher.

Ahmad Ardi: Graduated with a Masters in 2022.

Marisa Bennet: REU program Summer 2021 (Developing tools for engineering the microbiome).

Zoe Cho: REU program Summer 2021 (Developing tools for engineering the microbiome).

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