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I started out in food science but soon found bacteria more interesting. After completing a B.S. in food science in the beautiful Stellenbosch, South Africa, I pursued M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Pretoria. I liked being a student so much that I never left university, teaching and mentoring students while studying how bacteria behave outside the Petri dish – ecophysiology. My work at the University of the Western Cape (1994-97) and later back at the University of Pretoria (1998-2003) focused on bacterial biofilms in industrial and drinking water systems.

I moved to South Dakota State University in 2003. Living in the agricultural heartland of the U.S. redirected my focus underground to the bacteria in soil. The prairie is home to rich microbiota, with many to-be-discovered phenomena lost during crop monoculture.

I am a third-year Ph.D. student. I work with the soil bacterium Bradyrhizobium, trying to unfurl the various phenotypic heterogenous populations within the so-called homogenous pure culture. I am also working to isolate novel Bradyrhizobium strains from various soil types from the U.S. and South Africa. In our recently published research, we characterized Bradyrhizobium populations from the established soybean fields using the culture independent methods. It is the first ever species-level characterization so far for Bradyrhizobium. My hobbies are gardening, cooking and trying new dine-in places.

I come from Pakistan, and I did my M.S. in microbiology at the Government College University Faisalabad.

I have an interest in exploring the bacterial world, especially in soil.

I am currently working on:

• Response of Bacillus cereus when encountered by growing roots.
• Why Bacillus populations in soil do not increase in numbers despite being fast-growing bacteria.

I am pursuing Master’s in plant science under Srinivas Janaswamy, co-supervised by Volker Brozel and Sen Subramanian. I liked to see colorful microorganisms growing, and I was curious about how these tiny organisms played major roles in human health, plant health and the environment, which inspired me to start my research career in microbiology. Currently I'm working on the encapsulation of nitrogen fixing bacteria using alginate for cereal crops to increase the yield.

I am from Nepal and have completed my M.S. in soil science. I am currently doing my Ph.D. in agricultural and biosystems engineering with my adviser Lin Wei. I am carrying out my research on biochar-based fertilizers and their interaction with soil microbes in maize cultivation. I am gaining valuable knowledge and skills on different free-living, nitrogen-fixing microbes in Volker Brozel’s lab. This is the preliminary work for my Ph.D. research in which I will be analyzing if various nitrogen-fixing microbes can associate and grow on biochar.

I am from Nepal, where I completed my master's in medical microbiology. Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. program in microbiology, focusing on the fascinating world of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. My passion lies in uncovering the cellular and molecular intricacies of microbiology — areas that were difficult to explore due to resource limitations in my home country. Joining SDSU provides a unique and transformative platform to deepen my understanding of these complex microbial processes, helping me fulfill my long-standing academic and professional aspirations. Besides my research, I enjoy cooking and planting.

Fall 2025

I am pursuing a B.S. in microbiology at South Dakota State University. My research in Volker Brozel’s lab, under the mentorship of Ph.D. student Muhammad Yasir Afzal, focuses on bacterial sporulation and germination. I discovered my passion for microbiology after taking Brozel’s microbial physiology course, which inspired me to join the lab and begin hands-on research. Outside of the lab, I serve as president of the Interfraternity Council and have held leadership positions in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and the Order of Omega. I also enjoy doing anything outdoors, including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and rock climbing.

Fall 2024, ongoing

Topic of Research: Characterizing a putative diazotrophic Streptomyces culture isolated from natural grassland.

I am a senior biochemistry student with a passion for microbes, soil and the environment. My research focuses on utilizing culturing, microscopy and molecular techniques to unveil how a Streptomyces isolate is able to grow without combined nitrogen. I completed a Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates program with Volker Brozel in fall 2024 and spring 2025, and I am currently supported by a Hoch Family Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Spring 2024, ongoing

Topic of Research: Bacterial antagonists of Bacillus in soil.