Lea Michel Research Group

Sepsis is a disease caused by the effects of a systemic infection accompanied by host hyper-immune response. Gram-negative sepsis (GNS) accounts for just under half of the overall cases of bacterial sepsis, which is currently the leading cause of death in hospitals. One pivotal clinical study demonstrated that human antisera raised against a J5 mutant of Escherichia coli (E. coli) reduced death in human sepsis patients in half. Later, IgG from that antisera was shown to bind several E. coli lipoproteins, including peptidoglycan associated lipoprotein (Pal). Since those studies, Pal has been shown to be released from E. coli in several animal models of GNS and to cause an inflammatory response and death in certain animal models, suggesting that Pal may be a bacterial mediator of E. coli sepsis. The Michel Research Group uses biochemical and biophysical methods to better understand how and why Pal is released from E. coli during sepsis, with the long-term goal of using Pal as a biomarker for early diagnosis of sepsis. This work is part of a collaboration between the Michel Research Group and the research group of Dr. Judith Hellman, Professor & Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at UC San Francisco.

Additionally, we propose that Pal is released from E. coli inside bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). OMVs are ~20–250 nm spherical buds derived from the outer membrane of Gram-negative cells. We propose that bacterial OMVs are also highly attractive diagnostic biomarkers for sepsis due to their abundance, their robustness, even in the presence of antibiotics, and their unique features that could allow for differentiation between bacterial species. This work is part of a collaboration between the Michel Research Group, the research group of Dr. Thomas Gaborski, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at RIT, and Dr. Anthony Pietropaoli, Professor and Vice Chief of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care at University of Rochester.

Patent Pending: Sepsis Diagnosis via PAL (Peptidoglycan Associated Lipoprotein) Detection in Urine

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a commensal in the human nasopharynx and the cause of pneumonia, meningitis, sinusitis, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute otitis media (AOM). AOM (ear infection) is the most common ailment for which antibiotics are prescribed in the US. With the emergence of new strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria, finding an effective and broad coverage vaccine to protect against AOM-causing pathogens has become a priority. The Michel Research Group employs a biochemical approach toward evaluating conserved outer membrane proteins from NTHi as vaccine candidates. The Michel Research Group also developed an NTHi AOM model in C57BL/6J mice to test vaccine candidates. This work is part of a long-standing collaboration between the Michel Research Group and the research group of Dr. Michael Pichichero, Director of the Research Institute at Rochester General Hospital.

Gamma B crystallin is the bovine homolog to the human lens gamma D crystallin protein. Abnormalities, such as single point mutations, in crystallin proteins have been implicated in cataracts, a condition where loss of protein solubility in the eye lens leads to partial or total blindness due to lens cloudiness. In addition, changes in interactions between crystallin proteins due to altered electrostatic effects can contribute to phase separation in the lens. In order to better understand these protein-protein interactions, it is necessary to first describe the probable charge patterns on the proteins. These charge patterns greatly impact inter-protein interactions and therefore have an effect on liquid-liquid phase separation in the lens. The Michel Research Group collaborates with the Thurston Research Group (PI of the project: Dr. George Thurston, Physics) to describe the charge patterns on gamma B crystallin and predict those charge probabilities at low protein concentrations; to measure the acidity of individual gamma B crystallin residues using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and other computational methods; and to use other NMR experiments to better understand how and under what conditions the gamma B crystallins interact with each other.

Nanoscience-Enabled Antimicrobial Material- Collaboration with Dr. Casey Miller (Associate Dean, COS, RIT) and Dr. Kristen Repa (Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, SUNY Brockport)

An Automated Platform for Digital DNA Synthesis: Enabling low-cost production of long DNA products for synthetic biology- Collaboration with Dr. Michael Schertzer (Assistant Professor, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, RIT)

Elucidating the role of outer membrane vesicles in sepsis- Collaboration with Dr. Anna Konovalova (Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas at Houston)

Publications:

*RIT Students

Michel LV, Kaur R, Gleghorn ML, Holmquist M, Pryharski K, Perdue J*, Jones SP*, Jackson N*, Pilo I*, Kasper A*, Labbe N*, Pichichero ME (2022) Haemophilus influenzae Protein D Antibody Suppression in a Multi-component vaccine formulation. FEBS Open Bio. doi: 10.1002/2211-5463.13498

Jones SP*, Cook KH*, Holmquist ML, Almekinder L*, DeLaney A*, Charles R*, Labbe N*, Perdue J*, Jackson N*, Pichichero ME, Kaur R, Michel LV, Gleghorn ML (2022) Vaccine target and carrier molecule nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Protein D dimerizes like the close Escherichia coli GlpQ homolog but unlike other known homolog dimers. Proteins. doi: 10.1002/prot.26418

Michel LV and Gaborski T (2022) Invited Review: Outer Membrane Vesicles as Molecular Biomarkers for Gram-negative Sepsis: Taking Advantage of Nature’s Perfect Packages. J Biol Chem 298(10) 102483. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102483

Wyatt B, Magalhaes RM, Newman D, Michel LV, Newman D (2021) Development of a Faculty Learning Community to Foster Inclusive Research Mentoring, Journal of Faculty Development 35 (2): 44-49.  

Gehret A, Trussell J, Michel LV (2021) Experiential Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in the Lab with Non-Signing Advisors, International Journal of Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1879948

Michel LV, *Gallardo L, Konovalova A, *Bauer M, *Jackson N, *Zavorin M, *McNamara C, *Pierce J, *Cheng S, *Snyder E, Hellman J, Pichichero ME (2020) Ampicillin triggers the release of Pal in toxic vesicles from Escherichia coli, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.106163 

Michel LV, Kaur R, *Zavorin M, Pryharski K, Khan MN, *LaClair C, *O’Neil M, Xu Q, Pichichero ME (2018) Intranasal coinfection model allows for assessment of protein vaccines against nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in mice, Journal of Medical Microbiology 67: 1527-1532. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.000827

*Sgheiza V, *Novick B, *Stanton S, *Pierce J, *Kalmeta B, *Holmquist MF, *Grimaldi K, Bren KL, Michel LV (2017) Covalent bonding of heme to protein prevents heme capture by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, FEBS Open Bio 7: 1778-1783. doi: 10.1002/2211-5463.12324

Gehret AU, Trussell JW, Michel LV (2017) Approaching Undergraduate Research with Students who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities 20 (1): Article 4. doi: 10.14448/jsesd.08.0002

Michel LV, *Shaw J, *MacPherson V, *Barnard D, *Bettinger J, *D’Arcy B, Surendran N, Hellman J, Pichichero ME (2015) Dual orientation of the outer membrane lipoprotein Pal in Escherichia coli, Microbiology 161: 1251-1259. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.000084

Michel LV, *Snyder J, *Schmidt R, *Milillo J, *Grimaldi K, *Kalmeta B, Khan N, Sharma S, Wright LK, Pichichero ME (2013) Dual orientation of the outer membrane lipoprotein P6 of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, J Bacteriology 195: 3252-3259. doi: 10.1128/JB.00185-13

Craig PA, Michel LV, Bateman RC (2013) A Survey of Educational Uses of Molecular Visualization Freeware, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 41: 193-205. doi: 10.1002/bmb.20693

Peterson JE, Zurakowski D, Italiano JE, Michel LV, Connors S, Oenick M, D’Amato RJ, Klement GL, Folkman MJ (2012) VEGF, PF4 and PDGF are elevated in platelets of colorectal cancer patients, Angiogenesis 15: 265-273. doi: 10.1007/s10456-012-9259-z

Michel LV, *Kalmeta B, *McCreary M, *Snyder J, Craig P, Pichichero ME (2011) Vaccine candidate P6 of nontypable Haemophilus influenzae is not a transmembrane protein based on protein structural analysis, Vaccine 29: 1624-1627. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.12.082

Chang A, Kaur R, Michel LV, Casey JR, Pichichero ME (2011) Haemophilus influenzae vaccine candidate outer membrane protein P6 is not conserved in all strains, Hum Vaccines 7: 102-105. doi: 10.4161/hv.7.1.13351   Peterson JE, Zurakowski D, Italiano JE, Michel LV, Fox L, Klement GL, Folkman J (2010) Normal ranges of angiogenesis regulatory proteins in human platelets, Am J Hematology 85: 487-493. doi: 10.1002/ajh.21732

Michel LV, Bren KL (2008) Submolecular unfolding units of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c551, J Biol Inorg Chem 13: 837-845. doi: 10.1007/s00775-008-0370-y

Ye T, Kaur R, Senguin FT, Michel LV, Bren KL, Elliott SJ (2008) Methionine ligand lability of type I cytochromes c: Detection of ligand loss using protein film voltammetry, J Am Chem Soc. 130: 6682-6683. doi: 10.1021/ja801071n

Michel LV, Ye T, Bowman, SEJ, Levin BD, Hahn MA, Russell BS, Elliott SJ, Bren KL (2007) Heme attachment motif mobility tunes cytochrome c redox potential, Biochemistry 46: 11753-11760. doi: 10.1021/bi701177j

Parks B, Vacca L, Rumberger E, Hendrickson D, Christou G (2003) Effect of mechanical stress on the line width of single photon absorptions in Mn12-acetate, Physica B 329: 1181-1182. doi: 10.1016/S0921-4526(02)02099-9

Patents:

International Application published under the patent cooperation treaty (World Intellectual Property Organization); Michel LV, Hellman J (14 May 2020) Diagnosing sepsis by detecting peptidoglycan associated lipoprotein (Pal) in urine, International Publication Number WO 2020/097499 A1.

Patent Pending: Michel LV, Hellman J (November 8, 2018) Diagnosing sepsis by detecting peptidoglycan associated lipoprotein (Pal) in urine (Application No. 62/757211).

Pichichero M, Khan MN, Kaur R, Sharma S, Casey J, Michel L (Accepted August 11, 2015) US Patent 9101568: Compositions and methods related to P6.

• 2023 ChemCUR Outstanding Mentor Award from the Chemistry Division and the Council on Undergraduate Research
• 2022 ASBMB Early Career Leadership Award
• Nominated for Isaac L. Jordan Faculty Pluralism Award, RIT (2015, 2018, 2021)
• Rochester Museum and Science Center STEM Education Award, presented to WISe (2018)
• Travel Award, 2018 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (2018)
• Received the COS Outstanding Contributions to the Community award, RIT (2018) 
• 2017 Edwina Award, RIT, Center for Women and Gender (2017)
• Salutes to Excellence Award, from the Rochester Section American Chemical Society (2016)
• Travel Award, 2016 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (2016)
• COS Advancing Diversity Award, RIT (2016)
• Received INSIGHT Into Diversity’s Inspiring Women in STEM national award (2015)
• Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching Finalist, RIT (2015-2016)
• College of Science Outstanding Student Mentor Award, RIT (2014)
• College of Science Leadership Award, RIT (2013)
• Featured College of Science faculty member, RIT’s Annual Faculty Scholarship Report (2013)
• College of Science Helpful Citizen Award, RIT (2012)
• Appointed to the National Institutes of Health Early Career Reviewer Program (2011)
• Invited to attend the NIH National Graduate Student Research Festival (2006)
• William F. Neuman Award, University of Rochester (2006)
• Nominated to Sigma Pi Sigma, National Physics Honor Society, Colgate University (2006)
• Elon Huntington Hooker Graduate Fellowship, University of Rochester (2005-2006)
• ACS Women Chemists Committee Travel Award, sponsored by Eli Lilly & Company (2005)
• The Leon L. Miller Graduate Fellowship, University of Rochester (2002)
• Nominated to Phi Eta Sigma, Colgate University (1999)

External:

NIH R21. Using nanopocket membranes to capture bacterial outer membrane vesicles from biofluids (MPI) ($417,032) June 2021- May 2023.

Sartorius. Extension of previously existing agreement: Feasibility of size measurement and characterization of nanoparticles using a Sartorius virus counter ($232,286) (Co-PI) Dec 2021-Dec 2022.

HHMI Undergraduate Science Education – Inclusive Excellence Grants 2017 (Co-PI). September 2017 – August 2022 ($1,000,000).

Nuclera Nucleics Ltd. An Automated Platform for Digital DNA Synthesis: Enabling low-cost production of long DNA products for synthetic biology (Co-PI) ($51,183) January 22, 2019 – January 21, 2020.

NIH R15. Phase Boundaries and Liquid Structure of Concentrated Eye Lens Protein Mixtures (Co-PI). September 2013 – August 2017 ($361,036).

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation: Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences. Quiet Chemistry: Working with Deaf Students in a Chemistry Research Laboratory (PI). September 2013 – December 2016 ($31,600).

Internal:

RIT: DRIG grant. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Light Scattering Studies of Eye Lens Protein Solutions (Co-PI). Dec 1, 2019 - Aug 31, 2021 ($13,000).

RIT: FEAD grant. Nanoscience-Enabled Antimicrobial Material (PI). July 1, 2019 – May 31, 2020 ($6,000).

RIT: PLIG. Development and Implementation of Retrieval Cues in Organic Chemistry, and Evaluation of their Effects on Knowledge Transfer (Co-PI). March 29, 2019 – August 21, 2020 ($5,000).

RIT: NIH Grant Writing Bootcamp. Implicating Pal in Gram-Negative Sepsis (PI). May 1, 2018 – August 31, 2019 ($10,000).

RIT: FEAD grant. Probing the Pal-Peptidoglycan Interactions and their Role in Pal Release (PI). September 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018 ($5,500).

RIT: ADVANCE Connect Grants Program. Formal Evaluation of WISe (PI). May 2017 – March 2018 ($5,000).

RIT: Ronald D. Dodge Memorial Faculty Grant. Funding to support a student research assistant on the Dreyfus Quiet Chemistry project (PI). 2016-2017 ($1000).

RIT: ADVANCE Connect Grants Program. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Bias (PI). June 1, 2016 – May 31, 2017 ($1,950).

RIT: ADVANCE Connect Grants Program. WISe Distinguished Speaker Series (Co-PI). June 1, 2016 – May 31, 2018 ($6,800).

RIT: FEAD grant. Implicating Dual oriented Pal in Gram-negative sepsis (PI). July 1, 2015 – January 31, 2016 ($6,000).

RIT: ADVANCE Connect Grants Program. From WISe to WISE: Networking for Women in Science and Engineering (Co-PI). June 1, 2015 – May 31, 2016 ($8,100).

RIT: ADVANCE Connect Grants Program. WISe Networking and Leadership Initiatives (PI). June 2014 – December 2014 ($10,200).

RIT: Provost’s Faculty Mentoring Grant. Series of Women Faculty Lunches/Discussions (PI). January – December 2012 ($1900).

RIT: Dean’s Research Initiation Grant. Testing for Lipoprotein Dual Orientation in the Outer Membrane of Gram-Negative Bacteria (PI). May 2012 – April 2013 ($15,000).

RIT/RGH: SEED grant. Searching for an alternative vaccine candidate for nontypable Haemophilus influenzae (PI). February 2011 – January 2012 ($20,000).

RIT: Grant Writing Boot Camp. Evaluating P6 as one of the leading vaccine candidates for Nontypable Haemophilus influenzae (PI). March 2010 – February 2011 ($5,000).

• Lucas Cirrincione
• Aidan Miller
• Mya Wynn
• Guerline Guerrier
• Tahaara Gazali
• Christina Ciko
• Mia Kushner
• Jasmine Nichols
• Halley Deme
• Timur Bendlin
• Grace Jones
• Zach Hogan
• Molly Gershon
• Ellen Shephard
• Abigail Pettica

Biomedical Engineering Contingent: Pani Torabian and Nadya Nikiforova

>95% of Dr. Michel’s research student graduates (not including brief interns) have or are pursuing higher degrees in science or medicine and/or are currently working in the science, research, or medical fields. Former research students are enrolled in or graduated from PhD programs, MD/DO programs, PharmD programs, Nursing programs, MS programs, PA programs, and Law School (for patent law) at some of the world’s leading universities, including Duke, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Yale, University of Rochester, SUNY Buffalo, Case Western, Brown, UC San Diego, Penn State, University of Michigan, Mayo Clinic, The Ohio State University, Boston University, SUNY Upstate, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Several former research students have received NIH, NSF, or HHMI graduate research fellowships at their current institutions, and many of Dr. Michel’s research student graduates are now doing amazing work in academic research labs, government labs, and the biotech industry.

• Dr. Jennifer Milillo (2009-2011)
• Nathaniel Huddleston, MS (Summer 2010)
• Dr. Arooj Iqbal (2010-2011)
• Dr. Danielle Weekes (2010-2011)
• Dr. Breanna Kalmeta (2009-2012)
• Dr. Kyle Grimaldi (2010-2012)
• Dr. Anthony Mangan (2010-2012)
• Dr. Melody Holmquist (2011-2012)
• Dr. Joy Snyder (2009-2013)
• Rachel Schmidt (2010-2013)
• Bethany Novick, MS (2011-2014)
• Dr. John Bettinger (2011-2014)
• Dr. Victoria MacPherson (2013-2014)
• Dr. Valerie Sgheiza (2012-2015)
• Dr. Juliana Shaw (2012-2015)
• Dr. Emily Newman (2012-2015)
• Dr. David Barnard (2012-2015)
• Jeff Shaul (2013-2015)
• Dr. Casey Reulbach (2013-2015)
• Dr. Sanjana Kumar (Summer 2014)
• Alexis Russell, MPH (Summer 2014)
• Rushka Kallicharan (Summer 2015)
• Kasey Morrow, RN (2013-2016)
• Angel Payan, MS (2013-2016)
• Dr. Breanne Kisselstein (2014-2016)
• Dr. Kaylee Mathews (2014-2016)
• Bethany Novick, MS (2014-2016)
• Dr. Brooke D’Arcy (2014-2017)
• Dr. Katharine Umphred-Wilson (2014-2017)
• John Zanet (2014-2017)
• Shivani Phadke, MS (2014-2017)
• Nicole Fernandez, MS (2016-2017)
• Aaron Fadden, MS/JD (2016-2017)
• Kara Farquharson, MS (2014-2018)
• Sarah Stanton, RN (2014-2018)
• Carlie McNamara (2014-2018)
• Jeanetta Pierce, MS (2014-2018)
• Mark Zavorin, MS (2016-2018)
• Grace McGinnity (2017-2018, HS intern)
• Victoria Popov (2018, One semester)
• Dr. Emma Snyder (2015-2018)
• Nicole Pannullo (2017-2018)
• Meghan O’Neil, MS (2015-2019)
• Ciara LaClair, RN (2015-2019)
• Leslie Gallardo, MS (2017-2019)
• Aaron Fadden, MS/JD (2017-2019)
• Karett Cooper (Summer 2019, HS intern)
• Julia Faraone (2016-2020)
• Abby Melake (2019-2020)
• Morgan Bauer (2016-2020)
• Sean Lewis (2016-2020)
• Xinbei Liu, MS (2016-2020)
• Zachary Ward (2018-2020)
• Kara Farquharson, MS (2018-2020)
• Olivia Fraser, MS (2018-2020)
• Daihlia Beckford (2019-2020)
• Susan Cheng (2019-2020)
• Eva Earnest (2018-2020)
• Niaya Jackson (2018-2021)
• Maha Khokhar (2018-2021)
• Jacey Phillips (2019-2021)
• Tyler Pugeda, MS (2019-2021)
• Wilford Burke (2019-2021)
• Nidhi Baindur (Summer 2021 Intern)
• Jasmine Mathoan (Summer 2021 Intern)
• Caitlin Shanahan (Fall 2021 Intern)
• Zach Williams (2019-2022)
• Milena Dinu (2019-2022)
• Katie O'Neill-Knasick (2020-2022)
• Janai Perdue (2020-2022)
• Jonathan Dominguez, MS (2020-2022)
• Jada Brooks (Summer 2022, HS Intern)
• Grace McGinnity (2018-2022)
• Anna Kasper (2019-2023)
• Natalie Labbe (2019-2023)
• Isabelle Pilo (2019-2023)
• Callum Smith (2020-2023)
• Danny Colton (2021-2023)
• Jamie Crawford (2021-2023)
• Yasmeen Cartwright (2021-2023)
• Aoife Cannon (2021-2023)
• Alyssa Kingston (2022-2023)
• Ulysses Hampton (2022-2023)
• Saleh Almontaser (2021-2023)
• Adaeze Collins (2022-2023)
• Duncan Burnside (2023)
• Jimmy Hasselbeck (2021-2024)
• Martina Videva (2021-2024)
• Gabriela Gonzalez (2021-2024)
• Navraj Singh (2021-2024)
• Nico Burgado (2022-2024)
• Tahaara Gazali (2023-2024)
• Jasmine Nichols (2023-2024)

MS students in italics

Graduates from the Michel Research Group go on to do AMAZING things! Learn more about their lives, post-RIT.

Featured Profiles on some of our Michel Group Alumni:

Arooj Iqbal '11, MS    www.rit.edu/science/spotlights/med-school-prep-skills-and-experiences-outshine-your-peers

Dr. Kyle Grimaldi '12   www.rit.edu/science/spotlights/rit-md-part-team-saves-lives

Dr. Joy Snyder '13   www.rit.edu/science/spotlights/rit-pharmd-its-more-filling-prescriptions

Dr. Kaylee Mathews '16    www.rit.edu/science/spotlights/science-exploration-brown-university-researcher

Shivani Phadke '18, MS    www.rit.edu/science/spotlights/biochemistry-formulating-vaccines-merck

 Nicole Pannullo '18     https://www.rit.edu/news/nicole-pannullo-named-2018-goldwater-scholar 

Niaya Jackson '21    www.rit.edu/science/spotlights/no-matter-where-you-start-rit-gets-you-there

Tyler Pugeda, MS '21    www.rit.edu/news/fulbright-research-scholar-tyler-pugeda-study-investigative-treatments-alzheimers-disease  

Check out this video of the Michel Lab Alumni and Where They Are Now.

Click here for video

Current Courses (Semester System)

• Biochemistry I  
• Biochemistry II
• Biochemistry Laboratory Techniques
• Chemical Connections
• Biochemistry for Health Sciences
• Advanced Proteins
• General Analytical Chemistry
• General Analytical Chemistry Lab
• Biowriting (co-taught)

Old Courses (Quarter System)

• Biochemistry: Metabolism
• Biochemistry: Conformation and Dynamics
• Biochemistry: Laboratory Techniques
• Biochemistry Freshman Symposium
• Circular Dichroism lecture series
• NMR spectroscopy independent study
• Chemical Literature

https://youtu.be/R5AUBMa9iW8

Quick overview of the Michel Research Lab.

https://youtu.be/XuBbiqFsTBI

Dr. Michel's introduction video to her online lectures during the spring of 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxRLBrXNquc&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3zFVEg-fZcw8jzTFw7gR3srikIFLqle-b6qUBMoaSV_sGh-Tpnbh8ItpE

The killing of George Floyd and protests around the world against systemic injustice and inequality have prompted the RIT community to more closely examine its role in working to end racism. Dr. Michel participated in a conversation to reinforce that Black Lives Matter. University leadership has pledged that the conversation, no matter how uncomfortable, must continue.

Aidan Miller and Dr. Michel had the pleasure of hosting three amazing Senior Capstone students from Rochester Prep High School over winter break. These talented young women are going places! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYeWdvS1a4k 

Nicole Pannullo talks about her research in the Michel Lab. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6lwh3_ZDrIU

Rita Colwell and Lea Michel (May 2024)- Dr. Colwell was given an honorary degree from RIT (she has over 60 of them!).

Graduation May 2024

Michel Group 2024- End of the year Celebration!

Guerline presents her research at the NSBE Conference!

ASBMB in San Antonio March 2024!

Michel group Spring 2024

Summer Research 2023 (Left to right: Alex, Navi, Martina, Lea, Guerline, Saleh, Adaeze, Nico, Aidan, Tahaara, and Gabby)!

Congratulations, Anna (the COS and RIT undergraduate commencement speaker), Isabelle, Natalie, Yasmeen, Jamie, Nico, Danny, Ulysses, Alyssa, and Aoife! So proud of our Michel research group members who graduated from RIT! From med school to PhD programs at Brown and Duke to Master's programs to scientist positions at Moderna- our graduates are off to do AMAZING THINGS!

Natalie, Isabelle, and Anna have been in the Michel lab since their first semester at RIT. We will be sad to see them leave, but they are on to exciting new adventures!

So proud of our 2023 Michel Research Student Graduates!

The Michel Lab celebrates the end of the school year with a potluck picnic!

The Michel Lab represents at the national ASBMB meeting in Seattle (March 2023)

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Congratulations to Anna Kasper for winning an Excellence in Student Life Award!

Congratulations to Isabelle Pilo who was selected for a research award from the Rochester Academy of Sciences!

First group meeting of 2023!

Aidan Miller and Dr. Michel had the pleasure of hosting three amazing Senior Capstone students from Rochester Prep High School over winter break. These talented young women are going places! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYeWdvS1a4k 

End of the Fall Semester Party (oh, and we're still missing about 1/3rd of our group)!

Summer 2022

Graduation 2022

ASBMB Meeting 2022 in Philadelphia

The Michel Group celebrated the end-of-the-semester with a craft session to make decorations for our lab door!

About half of the Michel Group Fall 2021

Thank you, Tyler, for your beautiful bacterial outer membrane vesicle creation!

Michel Research Group Summer 2021

Michel research group members graduate in May 2021. Congratulations, Jacey, Maha, Niaya, Wilford, and Tyler!

After more than a year, we finally got to have an in-person social event. Perfect timing to celebrate our graduating seniors (and MS grad)!

During our first (virtual) group meeting of Fall 2020, the group created this Wordle for our lab. Note, the diet (Dr) pepper (my students know me so well). Not sure about "poisoning," but I was happy to see the words "inclusive" and "welcoming."

Group meetings in the spring of 2020 were very different from group meetings of the past. Here is a photo from our last group event of the semester on Zoom.

Michel Lab Alumna, Katharine Umphred-Wilson ('17), is not only a talented scientist (PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences, Case Western University), but also a very talented artist. She made Dr. Michel's vision come true when she created this beautiful drawing for the Michel Lab 2020 Graduates.

Here is Dr. Michel's poem "Oh the Places You'll Go: RIT Chemistry Edition" that she wrote (adapted from the Dr. Seuss poem) and dedicated to the RIT School of Chemistry and Materials Science Class of 2020.

In March 2020, we closed down the Michel Lab due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a sad and very quiet day in the lab.

The Michel Research Group celebrates the end of the fall semester with a holiday party at Color Me Mine (we found out that several Michel group members are excellent artists)!

Michel Research Group 10 Year Reunion Party! Current and former research group members celebrate 10 years of the Michel lab!

Group photo (October 2019)

Michel Research Group- Summer 2019

Michel Research Group Graduates 2019

Masters Graduates 2019

Leslie and Aaron give their MS thesis presentations

Michel Group at Universal Studios (ASBMB meeting 2019)

Michel Research Group Photo (March 2019)

Nicole and Kara signing in the lab

Michel Research Group and Inclusive Excellence students can't escape the Locked room

Michel Research Group at Radio Social

ABRCMS 2018

Lea and Scott Michel meet Jane Elliott!

The Michel Group takes over Dave and Buster's

Michel Research Group at ASBMB 2017

RIT at ABRCMS 2017

Group photo Spring 2017

Lilac Fest 2017 (check out the photo bomber)

Michel group at RGH Summer 2017

Selfie outside the mouse room at RGH

Holiday Lunch 2017

Group photo in lab 2016

ABRCMS 2016

Michel Lab Graduates 2016

Angel's grad present from Dr. Michel

Group photo 2016

Another group photo 2016

End of the year BBQ

ACS meeting in Boston

Graduates 2015

Group trip to the zoo

Summer group 2015

ASBMB 2015

ASBMB in San Diego

Go RIT Tigers!

Michel Group Picnic 2014

Graduation 2014

Dr Michel and Dr Tan

Graduation 2013

ASBMB 2012

ASBMB 2012

Look who we ran into at ASBMB 2012- Michel Group Alumna, Danielle (now Dr. Weekes)!

Michel Group 2012

RIT Summer Symposium 2012

Michel and Tan groups at the Zoo 2012

Graduation 2012

Just hanging with Gary Sinise in DC (ASBMB meeting 2011)

ASBMB 2011

Bowling with the Michel and Tan groups (and Autumn!)

Group photo shoot

Summer 2011

RIT at local ACS Undergraduate Research Meeting

Michel Group Summer 2010

An updated family photo (2022)

Elsie joined the Michel family in 2022 

Scott and Lea Michel with their two children, Laralyn and Charlie

Niagara Falls 2019

Lea is a huge Gilmore Girls fan- can you spot her in this GG festival selfie?

Father's Day Gift 2019

Lea's twin sister, Meredith Vacca, recently ran a campaign to become a Monroe County Court judge. In January 2021, she became the first ever Asian American County Court Judge in Monroe County!

Laralyn and Charlie with their sweet little cousin