Dipa Sashital

Professor

I was born and raised in Livonia, Michigan and received a B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison with Sam Butcher. I completed two postdocs with Jennifer Dounda at the University of California, Berkeley and with Jamie Williamson at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla. Throughout my career, my research has focused on two things I love: RNA and structural biology. Our lab combines these two interests by studying RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas immune systems at a mechanistic level. I love working with and mentoring students, and do my best to provide a supportive environment for every member of the lab. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking and watching southeastern Michigan sports teams (especially Michigan football and Red Wings hockey).

 

Michael Schelling

Postdoctoral Researcher

I was born in Fresno, California, and raised in Iowa City, Iowa. I completed my B.S. in Biochemistry at Iowa State University and I am now a PhD candidate in the BBMB program. I joined the Sashital lab in spring 2018. My work in the lab focuses on the selective pressure bacteriophage face when infecting bacteria utilizing CRISPR-Cas systems. My main interest outside of research is listening to and playing music.

 

Meriç Öztürk

Graduate Student

I was born in Izmir, Turkey. I received my bachelor's degree in Biology and master's degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Middle East Technical University. Currently, I am a graduate student in the Biochemistry program at Iowa State University. I joined the Sashital lab in January 2022. I am interested in understanding the structural features of CRISPR-Cascade systems. My other interests besides science are watching sports, reading and discussing politics, and writing popular science articles and short stories

 
 

Russell Greene

Graduate Student

I was born in Des Moines, Iowa and raised in Alleman, Iowa. I received my B.S. in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to joining the Sashital Lab, I worked at Corteva Agriscience in the Protein Engineering Lab where I engineered insecticidal proteins to be more efficacious towards specific insects and less phytotoxic to their heterologous expression hosts. Since joining the Sashital Lab in January 2023, I’ve worked on elucidating the function of several adaptation Cas proteins in the type I-C CRISPR-Cas system. In my free time, I enjoy camping and hiking, pheasant hunting, playing various rec sports, and spending time with my wife and dogs. My wife and I are also novice conifer collectors.

 

Liz Dougherty

Undergraduate Student

I was born in Hannibal, Missouri and raised in Mount Vernon, Iowa. I am an undergraduate student majoring in Biochemistry with two minors in Genetics and Spanish. I joined the Sashital lab the spring of my freshman year in 2023, and am now studying the mechanisms of CRISPR-Cascade and Cas3. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing basketball, reading, biking, and crocheting!

 

Akshara Raju

Graduate Student

I was born in Bangalore, India, and spent my early years in Japan before returning to Bangalore. I received my BS degree in Biotechnology from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore. I am part of the Sashital lab since Spring 2024 and my focus is on working with Cas12a and Cas9 proteins. In my free time, I enjoy running, watching anime and listening to true crime podcasts.

 

Sharon Joan Afua Tsimese

Undergraduate Student

I am an international student from Ghana, majoring in biochemistry at Iowa State University. I joined the Sashital Lab in my freshman year during the spring of 2024 and my project primarily focuses on characterizing the mechanism of the Septu anti-phage system. Outside the lab, and my scientific pursuits, I enjoy running and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

 

Courtney Schmidt

Undergraduate Student

I was born in Cherokee, Iowa, and grew up on a farm in Northwestern Iowa. I am majoring in biochemistry at Iowa State University. I joined the Sashital Lab in January 2024 during my freshman year, and I am studying a bacterial defense system called Septu, an abortive system utilized during phage infection. In my free time, I like reading, watching true crime documentaries, and hiking. 

 

Jasmine Lopez

High School Student

I was born and raised in Boone, Iowa. I joined the Sashital Lab as an intern in the Summer of 2024. I joined the lab because I am interested in CRISPR and bacterial defense systems, which drove me to learn more about these systems by working in the lab. I enjoy reading horror books, learning, and playing my accordion.