US DAVIS HESS LABORATORY

Contact

    Hess Lab
    University of California Davis
    Department of Animal Science
    2251 Meyer Hall
    Davis, CA 95616
    USA

    Email: mhess@ucdavis.edu
    Phone: +1 530 752 8809
    Fax: +1 530 752 0172

    Our Team

    Conducting Applied & Fundamental Microbial Ecology
    to
    Secure & Improve Ecosystem Health

    Current staff

    Hess Lab Alumni

    Alumni Stephanie Martinez-Beltran LinkedIn
    Alumni Claire Shaw, PhD LinkedIn
    Alumni Lyndsey Marsh LinkedIn
    Alumni Angela Sahagun LinkedIn
    Alumni Tom (Zihan) Li LinkedIn
    Alumni Carly Sweeney LinkedIn
    Alumni Jillian Jordan LinkedIn
    Alumni Elizabeth Anderson LinkedIn
    Alumni Breanna Roque LinkedIn
    Alumni Abbey Pfefferlen LinkedIn
    Alumni Maria Gonzalez LinkedIn
    Alumni Ellen Lai, BSc
    Alumni Jessica Mizzi, BSc
    Alumni Susan Parkyn
    Alumni Kayla Hearn
    Alumni Alexandra Henry
    Alumni Elizabeth Coon LinkedIn

    Join our team

    We are looking for talented students and postdocs to help our research. Interested? Send us an email to find out more.

    inquire now
    Group Lead Matthias Hess, PhD linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Current Position

    Professor (Functional Systems Microbiology): University of California Davis, CA, USA

    Principal Investigator, Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Davis, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Previous Positions

    Assistant Professor (Functional Systems Microbiology): University of California Davis, CA, USA – 2014 to 2021

    Assistant Professor (Systems Microbiology): Washington State University, Richland, WA, USA – 2011 to 2014

    Staff Scientist (Chemical and Biological Process Development Group): Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA – 2011 to 2014

    Adjunct Scientist (Microbial Genomics Group): DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA – 2011 to 2018

    Postdoctoral Fellow (Microbial Genomics; Bioprospecting): Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA – 2007 to 2010

    Degrees

    PhD (Microbiology & Biotechnology): Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany – 2007

    MSc (Microbiology & Limnology): University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany – 2004

    BSc (Microbial Ecology & Botany): University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany – 1999

    Honors & Service

    Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship, University Honors Program, University of California, Davis, CA – 2021

    User Executive Committee Chair, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA – Since 2021

    User Executive Committee Member, DOE Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA – 2014 to 2017

    Wiley Research Fellow: DOE Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA – 2012 to 2017

    Others

    Chief Editor: Frontiers in Systems Microbiology, Nature Publishing Group – since 2013

    Graduate Groups

    Microbiology Graduate Group

    Animal Biology Graduate Group

    Biological Systems Engineering Graduate Group

    Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Development Biology Graduate Group

    Current Program

    College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences – Professor in Microbiology

    Scientific Interest

    Systems Microbiology (Microbial Ecology)

    Host-Microbe Interactions

    Microbiome Engineering

    Anaerobic Microbiology

    Natural Products

    Biotechnology

    Specialist 1 Saumya Wickramasinghe, PhD, MS BVSc linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degrees:
    PhD (Animal Biology): University of California, Davis, USA
    MS (Animal Science): Oklahoma State University, USA
    BVSc University Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

    Scientific Interest:
    Interactions of probiotics and prebiotics with the gut microbiota

    Junior Specialist/Lab Manager Ann West, BS linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    BS (Biological Sciences): California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Scientific Interest:
    Clinical diagnostics and rumen fungal enzymes

    Junior Specialist Ellie Kaiser linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    BS (Neurobiology, Physiology, Behavior): University of California, Davis, USA

    Scientific Interest:
    Chemical engineering focused on materials science

    Junior Specialist Shweta Uma Deepak linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    BS (Biological Sciences): University of California, Davis, USA

    Scientific Interest:
    Enteric biofilms and gut microbiology

    Junior Specialist Elizabeth Liu linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Animal Biology

    Scientific Interest:
    Rumen microbiome

    Postdoctoral Scholar Katharine Dickson, PhD linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degrees:
    Postdoctoral Fellowship (Systems Microbiology and Natural Products Laboratory): University of California Davis, CA, US (In progress)
    PhD (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology): University of California, Santa Barbara, USA – 2023
    BS (Biology): George Mason University, USA- 2014

    Scientific Interest:
    Anaerobic fungi
    Rumen microbiology
    Microbial biomass conversion
    Mitigation of enteric methane emissions
    Targeted genome engineering of rumen microbiomes

    Postdoctoral Scholar Akshay Joshi, PhD linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degrees:
    Postdoctoral researcher (Microbiology and Biotechnology), University of California Davis, CA, US (In progress)
    PhD (Biology): Universität Innsbruck, Austria – 2024
    MS (Microbiology): University of Pune, India – 2014
    BS (Microbiology): University of Pune, India – 2012

    Scientific Interest:
    Rumen Microbiology
    Anaerobic Fermentation
    Enteric Methane Mitigation
    In-vitro rumen fermentation systems

    Postdoctoral Scholar Pedro Romero Marquez, PhD linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degrees:
    Postdoctoral Fellowship (System Microbiology and Natural Products Laboratory): University of California Davis, CA, US (In progress)
    PhD (Fundamental and Systems Biology): University of Granada, Spain – 2023
    MS (Agriculture Biology and Aquaculture): University of Granada, Spain – 2019
    BS (Biochemistry): University of Seville, Spain – 2018

    Scientific Interest:
    Methanogens
    Anaerobic fermentation
    Rumen Microbiology
    Methane mitigation strategies
    Microbe-microbe and microbe-host interaction in the rumen
    Use of feed-additives and microbial genome engineering to reduce enteric methane production and improve animal performance

    MSc Candidate Rich Duong linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    M.S. Animal Biology (UC Davis; In Progress)

    Scientific Interest:
    Comparative dairy nutrition and rumen microbiome

    Undergraduate Research Intern Christopher Hin linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

    Scientific Interest:
    Microorganisms and their impact on human health, particularly the skin and gut.

    Undergraduate Research Intern Skylar Huang linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Microbiology

    Scientific Interest:
    Microbiology in relation to medicine

    Undergraduate Research Intern Dillon Soekamto linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

    Specific Interest:
    Molecular Biology

    Undergraduate Research Intern Amber Wooters linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Animal Science and Management

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary medicine (equine rehabilitation specialization)

    Undergraduate Research Intern Clara Lee linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary Medicine

    Undergraduate Research Intern Sora Chu linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary Medicine, Animal Behavior Research, and Biotechnology

    Undergraduate Research Intern Juliana Chang linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Livestock Nutrition and Health

    Undergraduate Research Intern Lakshmy Parvathy linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    Human Biology

    Scientific Interest:
    Applications of Microbiology in Medicine

    Undergraduate Research Intern Sydney Cheng linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Animal Science and Microbiology (Pre-Vet)

    Undergraduate Research Intern Kalleah Jimenez linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree Pursuing:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary Medicine

    Undergraduate Research Intern Andrea Perez Ruano linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree Pursuing:
    Medical and Molecular Microbiology

    Scientific Interest:
    Application of Microbiology in Medicine

    Undergraduate Research Intern Eunice Choi linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree Pursuing:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary Medicine

    Administrative Assistant Hannah Cohen linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree Pursuing:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary Medicine

    Administrative Assistant Alejandra Nava linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree Pursuing:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary Medicine

    Administrative Assistant Sofia Trombetta linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree Pursuing:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary Medicine