Lab Assistant Researcher
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Email: quin.barton2@gmail.com
About me!
Hello, my name is Quin! I am a UNL graduate with a Bachelor’s in Biology, with an interest in microbiology. My undergraduate experience is primarily in polyextremotolerant fungi, which are capable of surviving many extreme conditions due to their melanized cell walls. I specifically work with Exophiala viscosa, a novel yeast discovered by my mentor Dr. Erin Carr. This unique fungus excretes melanin into the extracellular space, a behavior of particular interest to us due melanin’s broad biotechnological applications. Much of my work has focused on characterizing and defining E. viscosa and its mutants, particularly in obtaining directed control over melanin excretion. Through this work, I have extensively studied the wild type and several super secreter strains, such as CRMY (my favorite!), via environmental and nutrient manipulation, genetic sequencing, specialized melanin extraction protocols, and much more.
While I still assist in E. viscosa research, my intermediate position as a lab tech in the Saha Lab has brought me to a new chapter with Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a purple non-sulfur bacterium. Through this research, I am continuing existing projects on R. palustris‘s lignin degradation capabilities in the pursuit of transforming the overabundant wood byproduct into valuable biomaterials.
In my free time I enjoy reading, casual gaming, and researching or spending time with animals. My LinkedIn profile can be found here.