Tiarnan LoCascio

I am a 4th-year undergraduate student studying biochemistry and biomedical sciences, with long-term aspirations of pursuing a career in bacterial research. My current research interests in Dr. Casey Gries' lab involve understanding the regulation of cyclic di-adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) by Staphylococcus aureus and how this affects potassium and pH homeostasis. As of right now, I am helping to elucidate the role of GdpS, a protein we have observed to be involved in c-di-AMP regulation.

After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school in hopes of researching pathogenic bacteria to develop insight on modes of infection, diagnostics, and possibly forms of treatment. In addition to my interests in pathogenic bacteria, I am also intrigued by extremophiles and the molecular mechanisms they employ to survive.