Nicole PereiraMarine Microbiologist

University of California, Santa Cruz 831 295-2498Department of Ocean Sciences napereir@ucsc.edu

EDUCATION

2009 – Present The University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA, USAPh.D. Ocean Sciences

2007-2008 Plymouth Marine Laboratory – University of Plymouth Plymouth, UKM.Sc. Marine Science

2003-2007 McMaster University Hamilton, ON, CAB.Sc. BiologyMinor – Archaeology

LABORATORY SKILLS qRT-PCR Molecular Cloning Primer Design Flow Cytometry Sterility techniques Bacterial culture growth and maintenance on solid and liquid medium Microscopy: preparing slides, staining and counting specimen DNA/RNA extraction and purification PCR and Gel Electrophoresis Nutrient measurements on flow injection analyzer Magnesium-Induced Co-Precipitation

RESEARCH EXPERIENCEUCSC, Jon Zehr labCharacterized molecular markers that detect nutrient stress in a marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Interrogated the response of multiple genes to phosphorus stress, using

controlled culture laboratory experiments and environmental incubations Provided a framework for using appropriate biomarkers to detect stress

in field populations of cyanobacterium Used bioinformatics to detect new genes that can potentially be used as

biomarkers

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Nicole PereiraMarine Microbiologist

Studied epigenetic response to nutrient stress, by investigating DNA methylation

Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Jack Gilbert labInvestigated the diversity of diazotrophs along a gradient of primary productivity off the Cape Verde Islands Utilized nested PCR, RT-PCR, cloning and sequencing to target the

diversity of diazotrophs that could potentially fix nitrogen and those actively expressing nitrogenase

TEACHING EXPERIENCE Marine Microbial Ecology Spring 2013, 2014, and 2015

Guest lecturer Assisted in creating review material and exam questions Conduct exam review sessions, proctored and marked all exams Organized and evaluated student presentations Received excellent TA evaluations

Genetics Winter 2014 Required and in-depth knowledge about microbial and eukaryotic genetics Facilitated discussion sections, where lecture material was reviewed and

homework problems were revised Proctored and marked all exams

PUBICATIONS AND ABSTRACTS

Pereira, N.A., I. Shilova, J.P. Zehr. Molecular markers define progressing stages of phosphate limitation in a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera. Accepted for publication in Journal of Phycology (Forthcoming, April 2016).

Pereira, N.A., I. Shilova, J.P. Zehr. Molecular markers define progressing stages of phosphate limitation in a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera. Poster #17077, ASLO Ocean Science Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, February 2014.

Turk, K.A., A.P.Rees, J.P Zehr, N.A. Pereira, P. Swift, R. Sheeley, M.Lohan, E.M.S. Woodward and J. Gilbert. 2011. Nitrogen fixation and

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Nicole PereiraMarine Microbiologist

nitrogenise (nifH) expression in tropical waters of the eastern North Atlantic. ISME J 5, 1201-1212 (2011).

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

May 2014 Facilitated interactive strawberry DNA extraction experiments in science

classes at an underprivileged middle school (Cesar Chavez Middle School, Watsonville, CA)

April 2013 – May 2014 Reviewed graduate student and postdoctoral proposals and

recommended funding for those that promoted education/outreach goals of NSF Center for Microbial Research and Education (C-MORE).

September 2012 Participated in the NOAA Share-a-thon, an event designed to promote

education about ocean acidification. Demonstrated the use of C-MORE ocean acidification kits as a teaching tool. (Monterey, CA)

February 2011-December 2012 Mentored an undergraduate student as part of the Initiative for

Maximizing Student Diversity in STEM fields. Designed an independent project for the student and taught him molecular techniques from scratch. He successfully presented a poster at the Undergraduate Summer Research Fair in August 2011. (UCSC, CA)

February 2011 Participated in an outreach workshop designed to expose junior-high

students to microbiology. Led activity teaching students how to view cultures under a microscope. (Gavilan College, Gilroy, CA)

March 2010 Science Fair Judge for elementary and high school projects in

microbiology (Santa Cruz, CA)

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

NSF STC, Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education

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Nicole PereiraMarine Microbiologist

American Society for Microbiology

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