Graduate Student Wins Oral Presentation at the 20th International Conference on the Cell and Molecular Biology of Chlamydomonas

LSU Biological Sciences PhD student Gabela Nelson was awarded the 1st Place Oral Presentation at the 20th International Conference on the Cell and Molecular Biology of Chlamydomonas held at Princeton University on June 4-9, 2023. She was selected from over 70 talks given by international scientists, including professors and post-docs.

Gabela is a PhD candidate in Dr. Naohiro Kato’s lab, where Dr. Kato works on cell biology in plants and microalgae. Gabela’s dissertation research is focused on describing the chemotaxis mechanism in Chlamydomonas and the industrial and biomedical applications of microalgae. “Chemotaxis is very under-studied in Chlamydomonas and my research has started to bridge some gaps,” Gabela says about her work. As an additional project, she has also been involved in using microalgae to make biodegradable Mardi Gras beads.

The award includes signed volumes of the new, third edition of The Chlamydomonas Sourcebook and her choice of an antibody or reagent from Agrisera. Gabela is proud to receive this prize and honor. “This award excites me because it lets me know my research is of interest to others,” Gabela says. “I am also so proud that I was able to captivate an audience of not only my peers, but also those who have been in the field for decades.”

For more information, visit https://chlamy2023.princeton.edu