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About
About
Since 2019, I have had the pleasure of being the COO and co-owner of Twin Arbor Labs, an analytical and microbial testing laboratory for multiple industries including supplements, cosmetics, beverages and food. I previously founded Platon Science and Technologies with the goal of advancing vapor analytical techniques. This was done with start-up funding from an N-STEP government grant following a NRC postdoctoral research associateship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO. I received my Ph.D. from the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department at the University of Colorado under the direction of Noah Fierer at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. Studies included microbiology, soil ecology, and statistical analyses of large data sets. My dissertation research was on the microbial production and consumption of volatile organic compounds in soil and decomposing plant litter.
Education
Education
My dissertation focused on the microbial production and consumption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil and litter environments. VOCs are reactive lightweight carbon compounds that have implications within atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemistry and soil ecology. In the atmosphere, the breakdown of VOCs leads to tropospheric ozone (smog), increased lifetime of greenhouse gas species, and altered precipitation dynamics through the formation of secondary organic aerosols. Within soils, several have been shown to act as communication pathways between microorganisms and plants as well as inhibiting and stimulating microbial and plant growth.
To study the complex suite of processes associated with VOC dynamics, I have maintained and operated mass spectrometers (PTR-MS and GC-MS) in conjunction with lab and field based experiments. Additional work utilized amplicon sequencing (on the Illumina platform) of soils exposed to varying concentrations of a particular VOC of interest (isoprene) to identify the bacterial and fungal communities involved in the consumption of isoprene within soils. With roughly 50K DNA sequences per sample equating to extremely large data sets, advanced techniques were needed to process and analyze the high-throughput sequence data to quantify shifts in bacterial and fungal communities.
Ph.D.
Ph.D.
University of Colorado Boulder
2014
Advisor: Noah Fierer
Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Areas of Concentration: Microbial ecology and volatile organic compound fluxes in soil environments
Completed four scientific experiments from conception and design to publication.
Trained by the manufacturer in Austria on the operation and maintenance of a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) to quantify volatile organic compounds.
Built and maintained database to collect and maintain scientific data and coded in R to run statistics and visualize results.
Presented experimental findings to national and international conferences including the American Geophysical Union Fall Meetings, Gordon Research Conferences and the International PTR-MS Conference.
B.A.
B.A.
University of Colorado Boulder
2008
Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Awarded two grants studying the effects of temperature and moisture on isoprene emissions from Quaking Aspen and the effects of nitrogen deposition on volatile organic compound emissions from intact soils.
Professional Experience
Professional Experience
My professional life began working as an analyst and project manager for Hewlett Packard. To this day I still enjoy working with complex systems and coming up with innovative solutions to difficult problems. Although my time at HP was enjoyable and there was ample opportunity for advancement, I instead decided to further my education before finalizing my career path. I believe that life is one of the most complex systems and climate change is an undeniable threat. This lead me to concentrate my education on further understanding those areas. Postdoctoral work at the National Institute of Science and Technology broadened my experience through exceptional mentor-ship from Dr. Thomas J. Bruno. With the founding of Platon Science and Technology, I was excited to once again be in the workforce and contributing to the success of research and business. My experience with Twin Arbor Labs has expanded what I know in many areas of business.
Co-Owner/COO
Co-Owner/COO
Twin Arbor Labs, San Luis Obispo, CA
January 2019 - Current
Manage all areas of a growing corporation.
Founder/CEO
Founder/CEO
Platon Science and Technologies, San Luis Obispo, CA
September 2016 - December 2018
Completed the design and implementation of a commercially viable scientific sampling device from licensed patent to production.
Applied for and received federally sourced grants to achieve these goals.
Rapid prototyping utilizing a Form 2 for 3D printing and a Snapmaker for CNC and laser engraving functionality.
Parts and materials identified and sourced.
Application and management of eligible funding sources including governmental grants.
Communications with potential customers.
National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate
National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate
National Institute of Science and Technology, Boulder, CO
Applied Chemicals and Materials Division
December 2014 - September 2016
The development and use of novel techniques and devices that enhance the detection of compounds in the headspace above complex moist substrates.
Furthered work on micro-PLOT-cryo headspace sampling device.
Devised and built a method for Lyophilization Phase Separation.
Customized a GC-MS to automate system cooling below ambient using vortex tubes for more efficient trapping and separation of volatile compounds.
Graduate Research Assistant
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
August 2008 - November 2014
Design experiments for advisor’s grants relating to my expertise.
Record and analyze experimental results using statistical rigor.
Mentor lab technicians and students working on projects where I am involved.
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
Springs of 2009 and 2012
Received exemplary teacher evaluations.
Taught several lab sessions on the principles and methods of microbiology using the scientific method.
Composed and graded weekly quizzes on the material covered.
Met with students during office hours to provide personal tutoring.
Project Manager
Project Manager
Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto, CA
Sales Operations
October 2005 - December 2006
Lead a team of IT and business employees to complete the design and development of a new company address matching system which decreased costs by bringing the process within the company (at roughly 50% the cost of outsourcing) while increasing efficiency by 10%.
Ensured projects stayed within a designated timeline.
Communicated project milestones and progress to management.
Employed Six Sigma black belt training to enhance productivity.
Lead Data Analyst
Lead Data Analyst
Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto, CA
Sales Operations
April 2003 - October 2005
Designed and implemented an SQL database using Microsoft Access for use within Sales Operations that facilitated the implementation of new distributors and resellers to sales reporting.
Lead two successful Six Sigma initiatives to identify problem areas and improve sales reporting within the Sales Operations Organization.
Implemented sales reporting from new distributors and resellers.
Mentored new employees on the systems and reports needed to manage distributor and reseller data.
Designed new reports for management primarily using Microsoft Access.
Data Analyst
Data Analyst
Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto, CA
Sales Operations
April 2001 - April 2003
Managed sales data for top distributors and resellers.
Compiled sales reports for management.
Publications
Publications
Gray, C. M., Helmig, D., & Fierer, N. (2015)
Soil microbes were capable of consuming 68% of the gaseous isoprene provided to soils (2–200 ppbv) in a flow-through experiment.
Increases in isoprene levels were associated with significant shifts in the composition of both soil bacterial and fungal communities.
A wide range of taxa were associated with isoprene consumption and many were closely related to known hydrocarbon degraders.
Gray, C. M., Monson, R. K., & Fierer, N. (2014)
Emission rates from the soil were highest for methanol and monoterpenes.
Uptake rates into the soil were highest for isoprene and formaldehyde.
Tree root presence and temperature correlated with volatile organic compound flux rates.
Gray, C. M., & Fierer, N. (2012)
Volatile organic compounds were a significant fraction of the carbon emitted from several of the decomposing litter types examined.
Nitrogen additions decreased net volatile organic compound emissions from litter to near zero.
The decrease in carbon lost as volatile organic compound emissions after nitrogen additions accounted for the well-studied increase in respiration for certain litter types.
Gray, C. M., Monson, R. K., & Fierer, N. (2010)
Volatile organic compound emissions from decomposing litter are primarily from microbial sources.
Methanol was the dominant compound emitted from all litter types studied.
The quantities and specific compounds emitted varied in a predictable manner with litter type.
"There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot."
"There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot."
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