My name is Nidhi Vijayan and I’m currently a PhD candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Connecticut.

During my doctoral studies, my research focused primarily on exploring the immune reactions of two symbiotic organs found in the Hawaiian bobtail squid: the light organ and a female-specific reproductive organ. The objective was to gain insights into how the immune system regulates varied microbiomes across different organs. I conducted analysis on gene expressions, and successfully identified the localization of host mRNA and proteins of interest, in addition to the bacteria, which is currently being documented in a forthcoming paper. Furthermore, I undertook 16S analysis of cephalopod microbiomes from various global locations, collaborating closely with cephalopod biologists to procure samples, resulting in a published paper.

Through my experiencces, multi-tasking on various projects with collaborators I have the followiing skills: • Bulk/single-cell transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics • 16S, metagenomics, metaproteomics • Confocal microscopy, immunofluorescence, fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques, histology