LAB MEMBERS
Michelle R. Gibbs
Principal Investigator
My career in microbiology began at Miami University in Ohio, where I studied pathogenesis in Mycoplasma. I earned my PhD from Ohio State University, focusing on the role of translational GTPases in ribosome assembly. I completed two postdoctoral fellowships at NIH and UCLA as an IRACDA fellow. Throughout my career, I have taught courses in microbiology, biochemistry, and biology at Wittenberg University and California State University, Los Angeles. I am broadly interested in microbial adaptation to nutrient stress, genetic regulation, and ribosome assembly and function. I started my position as Assistant Research Professor in January 2024.
Pierce Meinert
Undergraduate Researcher
My name is Pierce Meinert, and I’m from here in Auburn, Alabama. I’m currently majoring in Microbiology with a specific interest in environmental microbiology and bioremediation. I joined the lab spring 2024, and it has been such a great experience! My future plans include attending a graduate program to continue researching and learning about these topics and eventually receive my PhD in environmental microbiology. War Eagle!
Tieran Sullivan
Undergraduate Researcher
My name is Tieran Sullivan and I am from Davidson, North Carolina. I am a rising Junior at Auburn and I am pursuing a concurrent degree in Biomedical Sciences and History. After college, I hope to go onto med school and pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. I have been working with Dr. Gibbs and her lab for a little under a year now. In our lab, I am working on a new project I created that studies interactions between probiotics and resident gut bacteria.
Zach Hobbs
Liam Brown
My name is Liam Brown, and I am a first-semester freshman from Spanish Fort, Alabama. I am beginning my major in Biomedical Sciences this fall. After my undergraduate studies, I plan to go to medical school, aspiring to become a surgeon in some capacity. I’m really passionate about microbiology and all sciences, and I love learning new things, especially in the lab. I recently joined Dr. Gibbs’ lab, and I’m extremely excited to conduct research and gain experience.
Undergraduate Researcher
My name is Zach Hobbs and I am from Fort Wayne, Indiana. I am currently a senior majoring in biomedical sciences. This will be my second year in Dr. Gibbs’s research lab. I’m excited to see what comes of our gene knockouts this semester and how our unknown genes perform under different stress conditions. After college I hope to attend dental school! Primary, I am excited to expand upon my research skills and understand how our new genes function!
Undergraduate Researcher
Katie Guillen
Undergraduate Researcher
My name is Katie Guillen, and I am a junior from Birmingham, Alabama, majoring in Biomedical Sciences. I plan to further my education in dental school and pursue dentistry as a career. Last semester, I took a cell biology course, which exposed my passion for all things cell related! This semester will be my first experience working in the Gibbs lab, and I am thrilled about the opportunity to contribute to meaningful research and explore new discoveries.
Luke Paul
Undergraduate Researcher
I am from Nashville, TN, and I am majoring in Biomedical Sciences on the pre-med track. I joined Gibbs Lab as a junior in Fall 24 to work on a project stemming from my Cell Biology Lab course. I have really enjoyed my time so far and am looking forward to getting more involved with research in the coming semesters. After college, I hope to go to medical school and integrate research into my career as a physician.
_edited.jpg)
Isabelle Brogden
Undergraduate Researcher
My name is Isabelle Brogden and I am from Lexington, Kentucky. I am a sophomore studying Laboratory Science with a minor in Spanish. I am excited to gain more knowledge about microbiology in this position and apply what I learn. My passion is for people and medicine. After college, I hope to fulfill my goal of becoming a doctor and helping underserved populations.
Hadley Minor
Undergraduate Researcher
My name is Hadley Minor, and I am from Huntsville, Alabama. I am a junior studying Biomedical Sciences on the Pre Medicine track here at Auburn! I joined Dr. Gibbs’s lab summer of 2025 to study yeast cells and their responses to stress, knockouts, etc. I am so excited to continue my research in the upcoming semesters. After college, I plan to further my education by attending medical school and becoming a doctor! I am so excited for the opportunity to expand my knowledge in microbiology and research!
Madison Byrket
Undergraduate Researcher
My name is Madison Byrket, and I am a senior from Birmingham, Alabama. I am a biomedical science major planning to continue my education in dental school upon graduation. My first introduction to cell biology was through a lab my junior year. I greatly enjoyed the material and working with cells. The lab motivated me to continue with research, and I am so excited for this to be my first semester working on the project. I am looking forward to all I will learn from the experience!
.jpg)
Natalie Reynolds
Undergraduate Researcher
I'm Natalie, a second-year Auburn student from Alpharetta, Georgia. I'm pursuing concurrent degrees in Biochemistry and Spanish, which I hope will propel me into a career in scientific research. This is my second semester in the lab, and I'm so excited to use my growing chemical and cellular knowledge to continue investigating ribosome assembly factors in E. coli.
Lab Alumni
Thomas Spurling - Spring 2025
Isaiah Fowler - Spring 2025
Gracie Spurling - Fall 2024
John Michael Williamson - Summer 2024
Mackenzie Spencer - Summer 2024
Jordan White - Spring 2024