Student Blogs & Vignettes
AJ Gross
About my research
AJ Gross, USF CMS master's student
I am a master鈥檚 student co-advised by Steve Murawski and Mya Breitbart, studying emerging chemical contaminants, pathogenic bacteria, and viruses in the American oyster within Tampa Bay, Florida. As sessile (immobile) filter feeders, oysters eat anything and everything in the water column that passes them by - whether that be phytoplankton, bacteria, or pharmaceuticals discarded into our waterways. This makes them perfect for site-based studies of environmental contaminants. Some of the contaminants I鈥檒l be looking for include caffeine, DDT, PFAS, Vibrio bacteria, and norovirus. My research interests are broad and include topics within microbiology, molecular biology, and analytical chemistry, but I particularly enjoy multidisciplinary projects that allow me to explore multiple areas of research.
Why USF CMS?
I was introduced to USF College of Marine Science through my advisors during my last year of undergrad and later joined as a technician under the Tampa Bay Surveillance (TBS) project after graduating. Once here, I quickly realized that it was the place for me and it has been great to be a part of a project that positively impacts the community that I have called home for so long. Additionally, the faculty are incredibly collaborative, there鈥檚 easy access to research vessels to get out on the water, and the students are friendly and always willing to help each other out.