Ishi Keenum (CEGE) was quoted by EurekAlert! in a story about the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) Ambassador Program. Keenum is a member of the program’s 2023 cohort of early career scientists with diverse research interests who will receive training in best practices for biological data standardization.
Keenum researches how genes that give microbes antibiotic resistance are shared in human-built systems like wastewater treatment streams.
In her research, Keenum turned to datasets available in the published literature, hoping to perform some meta-analyses. She was stymied by the use of different data repositories.
“Can we like look at a million studies all at once? And we’re now at the point where, technologically, you really can do that, if the data is set up for it.”
As an NMDC Ambassador, she is excited to help build the scientific culture of the future, where FAIR data is the norm.
Her research interests include developing and manipulating the microbiology of wastewater, water reuse, agricultural systems, developing comparable metagenomic measurements, and developing bioinformatic methods and analysis tools for environmental systems.
Read more at EurekAlert!, by DOE/LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY.