Lab Members

YOU

Our mission is to accelerate knowledge and applications of microbial symbionts. Our scientists are driving that mission forward through their ingenuity in genetic, functional, and computational challenges that will catalyze new facts and solutions for the textbooks and global health. Apply now to become a Research Technologist (Advanced Professional) in the team.

The Bordenstein Lab welcomes scientists and students for solving hard problems with meaningful work on the molecular biology of animal-bacteria-phage symbioses. Candidates who aim to optimize and accelerate impactful answers to the next generation of questions and solutions in basic and applied animal-microbe symbioses will be successful in the lab. Please contact Dr. Bordenstein (s.bordenstein@psu.edu) with a single pdf containing (i) Curriculum Vitae or Resume (ii) Statement about your research interests, leadership and/or science experiences, and professional goals and (iii) Full-length copies of 1st authored only papers, reports, posters, or research slide decks to evaluate the scholarship portfolio. The need not be published or biology related.

Feb2026.BordensteinCV  Feb2026.ResearchEndeavors

Seth Bordenstein, Ph.D. | Director of the One Health Microbiome Center; Huck Endowed Professor in Microbiome Sciences; and Professor of Biology and Entomology

As a recognized thought leader and scientist who studies the centrality of microorganisms to the biosphere and human health, Dr. Bordenstein has peered into the world of microorganisms that dwell inside animals for the past 30 years. His philosophy to science is research the important keystones that we should already know about in textbooks or apply in the clinic, and his research specialties span the extraordinary utility of microbes to control mosquito-borne diseases, the secrets of microbiome diversity across the diversity of humans, and the major trends of host-associated microbiomes across the animal kingdom. These interests align with the distinguished One Health Microbiome Center that Dr. Bordenstein directs at The Pennsylvania State University. As one of the largest and most active organizations in the field with over 550 members across 42 departments, it was awarded the 2024 WH Pierce Prize for Global Impact in Microbiology by Applied Microbiology International. Members develop and execute complex and often transformative projects related to the microbiome sciences across agricultural, environmental, and human health. Dr. Bordenstein is a Professor in the Departments of Biology and Entomology as well and the former and founding Director of the worldwide HHMI-initiated science education program Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project that brings biodiversity, biotechnology, and bioinformatics directly into the classroom. He is the recipient of the 2014 Jeffrey Nordhaus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, 2014 Chancellor’s Award for Research, 2018 Chancellor Faculty Fellow Award from Vanderbilt University, 2020 Genetics Society of America Award for Excellence in Education, 2020 Centennial Endowed Professorship, a 2021 elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, 2022 Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair in Microbiome Sciences, the 2024 High Impact Research Publication Award in One Health from Penn State, a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher and Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist, and a 2025 elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. There has never been a more important time to learn the story of Earth’s microbes and how they change both our perspective of nature and our identity of where we belong in it. Dr. Bordenstein is keen to continue to expand his research and education portfolio and develop new partnerships with academia, industry, private foundations, and donors.

The Wolbachia Project | Database

Sarah Bordenstein, M.S. | Associate Research Professor | Director of Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project

Sarah co-leads the Bordenstein lab and is the Director of Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project in which she develops and disseminates worldwide educational resources related to microbial symbiosis and biotechnology. She is an expert in microbial ecology, genomics, and science education. In her experimental work, she is using quantitative and computational genomic analyses to study the lifecycle, horizontal gene transfer, and genome dynamics of phage WO and a plasmid in Wolbachia. Her scholarship accelerates life science education at the pre-college and college levels worldwide and generates new discoveries on mobile genetic elements and beneficial phage genes in endosymbionts. She is the recipient of the 2023 T. H. Huxley Award from the Education and Outreach Committee of the Society for the Study of Evolution. The award recognizes and promotes the development of high-quality evolution education resources.

Emilie Lefoulon, Ph.D. | Assistant Research Professor

Emilie received her Ph.D. from the National Museum of Natural History of Paris, France. Then, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the New England Biolabs biotech company (MA, USA) and the University of Arizona (AZ, USA). Her scientific interests include the evolution of symbiosis between endosymbiont bacteria and their hosts. For the past years, she has been involved in studying the association between endosymbiotic bacteria and parasitic nematodes through phylogenetic, genomics, and transcriptomics projects. She joined the Bordenstein lab in August of 2023 and she is studying host-Wolbachia-virus interaction investigating novel mechanisms associated with the bacteriophage partner. Outside of science, Emilie enjoys painting and sewing, as well as sportive activities such as coed soccer and rock climbing.

Anastasiya Yakhnina, Ph.D. | Assistant Research Professor

Assya received her Ph.D. from Princeton University before spending over a decade conducting research at Harvard Medical School in the laboratories of Dr. Bernhardt and Dr. Lory. With broad interests in bacteriology and bacterial genetics, she focused her studies on bacterial cell morphology, elongation, and division as well as identification of novel antibiotic strategies. Assya joined the Bordenstein lab in April of 2025, expanding her research to Wolbachia and the prophage that allows it to control reproduction of its Drosophila host. She is particularly interested in the molecular details of this fascinating phenomenon. In her free time, Assya enjoys hiking, birdwatching, and entertaining her little daughter.

Madangchanok Imchen, Ph.D. | Assistant Research Professor

Dr. Madangchanok Imchen received his Ph.D. in Genomic Science from the Central University of Kerala, India. During his Ph.D., he explored the microbiome and antimicrobial resistome in Kerala mangrove sediments. He has actively worked on several collaborative research projects – investigating the microbiome of Kombucha, rice paddy soil, sediments of coastal biosystems, halophiles, and the association of anthropogenic pollution in the Sundarban mangrove resistome. His areas of interest include evolutionary genomics, microbiome, and resistome. He feels privileged to be a part of the esteemed Bordenstein Lab starting in October 2022 to study the role of the microbiome in Drosophila speciation.

Leah Carpenter, B.S. | Research Technologist Advanced Professional, Lab Manager

Leah earned her bachelor’s degree in entomology from the University of Kentucky and spent a lot of time flipping fruit flies and collecting spiders to screen for endosymbionts. As of July 2022, she’s excited to be serving as the Bordenstein lab’s research technologist and lab manager where she is responsible for lab orientations, safety, equipment, policies, ordering, insect husbandry, research assistance, among many other roles.

Jeremy Gutierrez, M.S. | Research Technologist Advanced Professional

Jeremy received his Master’s of Science in Entomology from North Carolina State University in 2025. During his time at NC State, Jeremy investigated the relationship between bed bug development and human hematological parameters. He gained expertise in insect ecology, urban entomology, and scientific outreach. Jeremy joined the Bordenstein lab in June of 2025 to assist Dr. Emilie Lefoulon in discovering mechanisms that mediate Wolbachia-assisted male killing.

Sebastián León Fallas, B.A. | Research Technologist Advanced Professional

Sebastián received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Bates College in 2024. During his undergraduate studies, he investigated PFAS-induced oxidative stress in zebrafish and studied axolotl limb regeneration during blastema formation. Following graduation, his post-baccalaureate research focused on soil microbiome dynamics in PFAS-contaminated agricultural systems. Sebastián is excited to join the Bordenstein Lab to support Dr. Madangchanok Imchen’s research on the role of the microbiome in Drosophila speciation and Wolbachia-host interactions.

Cheyenne Lehman, B.S. | Research Technologist Professional

Cheyenne earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience from Lebanon Valley College in 2025. During her time at LVC she expanded her knowledge of neuroscience and psychology through research on pain and metacognition, body image in queer populations, risky behavior, and the neural correlates of obsessive compulsive disorder. She is excited to be starting her professional career in the Bordenstein Lab working with Dr. Rupinder Kaur to investigate the mechanism of cytoplasmic incompatibility driven by Wolbachia.

Josh Deradoorian, B.S. | Research Technologist Advanced Professional

Josh Deradoorian began his scientific journey as an undergraduate research assistant in Michigan State University’s Soybean Breeding Program. He earned dual degrees in Crop and Soil Sciences and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology/Biotechnology in 2021. After graduation, he spent close to two years studying plant epigenetics and promoter biology in MSU’s Brandizzi Lab. He then transitioned to insect models, using Drosophila to investigate epithelial cell polarity in Northwestern University’s Beitel Lab for a year. In October 2025, he joined the Bordenstein Lab, where he is currently contributing to an ambitious project led by Dr. Anastasiya Yakhnina, focused on engineering the genome of Wolbachia. Josh has been continually fascinated by the genome engineering technologies he has encountered throughout his scientific career and hopes to contribute meaningfully to the field as it continues to evolve.

Mia Bitman | Undergraduate Student

Mia is a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology and Chinese, with the intent to study entomology and arachnology. Other than keeping tarantulas, she also enjoys art, piano, and rollerskating. She’s excited to work with the Sarcaphoga and be part of Bordenstein Lab.

Caroline Nowicki | Undergraduate Student

Caroline is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology. She enjoys learning about genetics and interspecies relationships. In her free time, Caroline plays guitar, crochets, and runs. She is very excited to be part of the Bordenstein Lab.

Brooklyn Swen | Undergraduate Student

Brooklyn is a second-year Schreyer Honors Scholar majoring in Biology with a focus on Genetics and Development. She is very interested in evolutionary processes and their intersection with medicine. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, reading, binge-watching TV shows, and spending time outside. She is excited to work within the Bordenstein lab and expand her knowledge of the gut mycobiota.

Matthew Keller | Undergraduate Student

Matthew is an undergraduate student majoring in Forensic Science on a Molecular Biology track. He is interested in Entomology and its current and future connections to forensic science. In his spare time Matthew enjoys playing basketball, skiing, and watching crime shows. He is excited to be a part of the Bordenstein Lab and continue his exploration of entomological sciences.