People

Iffa Gaffoor, Research Associate

Postdoctoral Associate with Dr. Frances Trail, Michigan State University; working on Ascospore discharge mechanisms and Silica biology in Fusarium graminearum.

Postdoctoral Scholar with Dr. Surinder Chopra, Pennsylvania State University; working on resistance to Colletotrichum in maize and sorghum.

PhD with Dr. Frances Trail, Michigan State University; working on the polyketide synthase genes in Fusarium graminearum, especially the genes involved in the biosynthesis of the mycotoxin zearalenone.

My interests include the Michigan outdoors, reading and good food.

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Da-Woon Kim, Research Associate

I obtained my B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Soonchunhyang University, South Korea. My doctoral research, under the guidance of Prof. Sung-Hwan Yun, focused on the sexual reproduction, RNAi pathways, and secondary metabolism-related genes, particularly the polyketide synthase, in the plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum. During this time, I also researched other Fusarium species such as F. fujikuroi, F. culmorum, and F. asiaticum. After completing my Ph.D., I worked as a Research Scientist at KYUNG NONG Co., Ltd, where I enhanced the insecticidal properties of Beauveria bassiana and contributed to the commercialization of a natural product targeting thrips. In March 2022, I joined Michigan State University as a Post-doctoral Researcher in the Trail lab. My scientific interests include the pathogenicity of various fungi across plants, insects, and humans, with expertise in transcriptomics, genetics, and molecular biology. Beyond research, I love spending time with my girlfriend, Sunbeam, who is conducting research in neuroscience.

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Sooumya Moonjely, Postdoctoral Associate.

I joined Trail Lab as a postdoctoral research associate in August 2020. I received my bachelor’s degree from Mahatma Gandhi University in India. I completed my master’s degree in applied biotechnology from McGill University in Canada, where my research focused on the molecular epidemiology of the human pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. I received my PhD in Biotechnology from Brock University in Canada, and my research was focused on characterizing the genetic and strain specific factors influencing fungal (Metarhizium and Beauveria) interactions with plants and insects. Outside of the lab, I enjoy gardening, cooking and travelling.

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Ainsley Bronk, Undergraduate

Ainsley spent many hours in the Trail lab, learning about microbes. She has moved to College of Engineering. We enjoyed her assistance, and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

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Myah Frazier, Undergraduate

I am from Stevensville, Michigan and I am a current undergraduate at Michigan State University pursuing a degree in Microbiology. While there are many topics in microbiology that I find fascinating, I am most interested in molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity in infectious disease and would love to one day contribute towards combating antibiotic resistance. Other microbiology topics that interest me include bioremediation and microbiome diversity. Currently I am working on a project with postdoctoral researcher Soumya Moonjely evaluating antagonistic effects of plant endophyte Metarhizium anisopliae against phytopathogens. We are investigating if M. anisopliae inhibits growth of seven different phytopathogens, as well as if M. anisopliae culture-filtrates reduce conidial germination rate of phytopathogens.  The accompanying photos show near complete inhibition of spore germination in a 5 hour period, and effect we have seen in several pathogenic fungi.

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