Zach is a Ph.D. student in the lab of Dr. Lauren Stadler. Born and raised amongst the
natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest, Zach developed a passion for the
environment at a young age. He combines this connection to the environment and his
fascination with microbiology to develop state-of-the-art, environmental biotechnologies.
Currently he has two research focuses: wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for
SARS-CoV-2 and in situ engineering of microbial communities. Zach’s project on WBE
involves developing a low cost, field deployable test for SARS-CoV-2 based on
magnetic bead concentration and Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification. His project
on engineering microbial communities, the main thrust of his dissertation, involves the
implementation of a newly developed, CRISPR-based tool for genetic modification of
members of an anaerobic community for resource recovery from organic waste. Zach is
on track to graduate in 2023.

ORCID: 0000-0002-7999-812X