Student Blogs & Vignettes
Nina Rodriguez
Arianna 鈥淣ina鈥� Rodriguez, USF CMS doctoral student
About my research
My lifelong fascination with marine microbes led me to pursue a career in biological oceanography. As a PhD student in Mya Breitbart鈥檚 lab, my research focuses on the interactions between marine microbes and their respective viruses. These relationships are at the center of important exchanges in biogeochemical cycles, especially nitrogen cycling. My work seeks to deepen our understanding of virus-host interactions and the potential impact of bacteriophage infection on diverse bacterial capabilities within the nitrogen cycle.
Why USF CMS?
Growing up between Cuba and Florida鈥檚 coastlines, I have always had an appreciation for the ocean and how we study it. I have a strong connection to South Florida and knew that I wanted to stay in the state for my undergraduate degree in marine biology, which I completed at the 黑料爆料鈥檚 Tampa campus. It was through my undergraduate research experiences that I found the College of Marine Science and connected deeply to both its mission and its active research projects in biological oceanography. I conducted research at CMS as both an undergraduate and a laboratory technician, which only served to strengthen my ties to and encourage me to continue as a graduate student here.