STUDENTS

Jenny is a PhD student at the University of Western Australia within the Deep-Sea Centre with a keen interest in taxonomy, ecology, applied marine biology, and biotechnology. Jenny will be using integrative taxonomy to describe new species of hadal amphipod and explore their physiological and molecular properties for their application to ecological theories and biotechnological applications. She will be exploring the gut microbiome of hadal amphipods using both growth assays and meta-transcriptomics for extremophilic bacteria capable of extracellular production of DNase and Plasticase enzymes. 

Jenny has moved to the deep-sea centre at UWA from the UK. She achieved a first-class undergraduate degree in marine biology and described a new species of hadal amphipod as part of her undergraduate dissertation. Jenny completed a Master of Philosophy degree in deep-sea marine biotechnology at Newcastle University, UK. The masters project explored hadal sediments from the Kermadec Trench for extremophilic bacteria producing extracellular DNase enzymes. The enzymes were applied as a prevention and treatment for infectious biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidiswhich grow on prosthetic joint implants. 

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Alfredo is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Western Australia. His research topics include taxonomy, ecology, and zoology of deep-sea benthic species, mainly corals and sponges. Alfredo's Ph.D. work is focused on zoological assessment and seascape ecology of abyssal plains and hadal trenches, studying vertical and horizontal biogeographical patterns. He will analyze video material and samples from multiple scientific cruises around the Pacific Ocean. One of the main goals of his thesis is to show that it's possible to apply approaches typical of shallow habitats even in the deepest part of the ocean. 

Alfredo has a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Pisa and a MSc in Marine Biology and Ecology cum laude from the University of Genoa. His MSc thesis was about the structure of mesophotic communities of the central Mediterranean. He moved to Australia after a period abroad in Greece, where he studied bathyal habitats from the Eastern Mediterranean and cave communities from the Adriatic Sea.  

Antonia is a PhD student at the University of Western Australia within the Deep-Sea Research Centre with an interest in morphology, ecology and specialised microscopy techniques. Her research will focus on the functional morphology and evolutionary adaptations of amphipods in different habitats, including caves, midwater and the deep sea. She will compare musculature, visual systems and cephalisation between the habitats, and aims to shed light on the adaptive priorities of amphipods in extreme environments.

Prior to discovering her interest in marine biology, Antonia completed her undergraduate degree in Anatomy & Histology and Physiology at the University of Sydney, achieving first-class honours in the theme of molecular biology at the Lens Lab under Professor Frank Lovicu. Her honours thesis focused on the role of p38 in TGF-β-induced EMT signalling leading to cataract. Following this, Antonia moved back to Perth and began pursuing her interests in environmental and marine biology. Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Antonia worked as a biological science technician at Scotch College, where she arranged and led dissections, ecology workshops and class experiments. She has a passion for science communication and education alongside her research.