{"id":29,"date":"2018-05-02T11:55:35","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T15:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.whoi.edu\/staff\/template-blue-prepop\/?page_id=29"},"modified":"2025-01-26T13:44:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-26T17:44:58","slug":"lab-group","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www2.whoi.edu\/staff\/jhuber\/lab-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab Group"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\tLab Group\n\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\"Serres_500_500\"\n\t

Dr. Margrethe (Gretta) Serres<\/h3>\n

Research Associate III
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n

My main research interests are in microbial physiology, including the metabolic diversity and plasticity of prokaryotes and how these traits are shaped by environmental factors, community interactions, and evolutionary history. I have worked with pathway genome databases to curate and predict functions and metabolic pathways, analyses that span individual model organisms, groups of related bacteria, and complex natural microbial communities. Beyond my technical duties in the Huber Lab, I also serve as a faculty member at Cape Cod Community College and the Coordinator for the Community College Comprehensive Research Experience at WHOI (CC-CREW) program. In this role, I oversee daily activities for the community college students at WHOI, including in the Huber laboratory, providing research and mentorship support to the students.<\/p>\n

Personal Website<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"DSC_0670\n\t

Dr. Olivia Ahern<\/h3>\n

Postdoctoral Investigator (WHOI\/MBL)<\/h4>\n

Olivia is a microbial ecologist interested in organism interactions and how they impact biogeochemical cycling, adaptation, and evolution. She joined the lab after receiving her PhD from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School in Oceanography. During her PhD, she studied interactions between diatoms and bacteria using molecular techniques (i.e. metabarcoding, metagenomics, and genotyping) to look at host genetics and the microbiome in both field based and laboratory experiments. At WHOI, she is working with Julie and Joe Vallino at MBL investigating tropic cascades using stable isotope probing, genomics, and ecosystem modeling.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"Sabrina\"\n\t

Sabrina Elkassas<\/h3>\n

MIT-WHOI JP Graduate Student in Chemical Oceanography<\/h4>\n

Sabrina Elkassas joined the lab after majoring in Earth and Environmental Science with a concentration in Geology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her undergraduate thesis used already isolated strains of chemosynthetic bacteria from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to investigate how these microbes can be used for bioremediation of the physical and chemical health hazards of asbestos. At WHOI, she is working on a NASA-funded project using deep-sea Earth microbes to understand the potential for life on Ocean Worlds of our solar system.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"IMG_3600\"\n\t

Dr. Sharon Grim<\/h3>\n

Research Associate III<\/h4>\n

Sharon uses computational tools to understand the genes and biogeochemistry of microbial communities. She works with several research groups to explore intriguing aquatic environments, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents, meromictic ponds, and shallow coral reefs. Sharon’s other interests include running, reading, and exploring the many trails and parks on Cape Cod with her family.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tFormer Lab Members\n\t<\/h3>\n\t

Postdocs (Current Position)<\/h4>\n