KINGSTON, R.I. – June 23, 2025 – Two Ph.D. students in the University of Rhode Island’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences’ interdisciplinary biological and environmental sciences graduate program have been awarded graduate research fellowships from the NASA Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium. Michelle Marder, from Lynnfield, Massachusetts, and Kate Remy ’24, from Brockton, Massachusetts, are specializing in cell and molecular biology and aim to help scientists better understand antibiotic resistance.
This summer, Marder and Remy will continue research projects funded through the NASA consortium. The program offers graduate fellowships that provide academic year funding to students working on research projects with NASA relevance. It also provides fellows opportunities to present their findings at the Annual Rhode Island Space Grant Spring Symposium.
Marder is working with Professor Steven Gregory to study the ribosomes of thermophiles, a kind of microbe that can grow and thrive at high temperatures. “My research focuses on the ribosome, the cellular machine that makes proteins using the genetic information encoded in DNA,” Marder says. “This is a basic feature of all living things on earth. In all organisms the ribosomes are similar to one another.”
“NASA’s Astrobiology Strategy is directed at understanding the possible evolutionary adaptations of life on other planets,” Marder adds. “Studying extremophile microbes on Earth could tell us how life could adapt to extreme conditions elsewhere.”
Remy is working with Professor Jodi Camberg to study uropathogenic E. coli, a type of bacteria that causes urinary tract infections. “Most patients who experience a UTI will have recurrent infections,” Remy says. “What has been found about uropathogenic E. coli is that it can enter a dormant stage characterized by slow metabolism, which is known as quiescence. In this stage, it’s more tolerant to antibiotics. Understanding the quiescence of the bacteria is the general basis of my thesis work.”
Marder and Remy’s research will assist NASA in efforts to better understand how bacteria survive in extreme environments, including outer space. Marder will be continuing her research on thermophiles and their ribosomal structure. “I’ll be studying how the structure of the ribosome evolves, specifically how it evolves to work in extreme environments like what might be found in space,” she says.
Remy will apply her research on uropathogenic E. coli to investigate how outer space conditions affect astronauts and bacterial pathogens. “I’ll be looking at how certain conditions one would experience in space, such as UV stress, ionizing and nonionizing radiation, microgravity, etc., are affecting bacterial pathogens,” she says. “For example, are the conditions causing any mutations that are making the bacteria more resistant to antibiotics? I’m looking at more space-specific conditions and how that’s affecting uropathogenic E. coli and its interaction with antibiotics.”
“When I think about my research, I’m of course thinking about patients on Earth. So this project gave me the opportunity to ask, ‘What if this was happening in space?’ Astronauts have a 25% greater likelihood of getting a UTI due to microgravity. They can’t fully empty their bladder, so they’re more prone to UTIs, which is something I hadn’t even considered prior to this fellowship. This gives me the opportunity to look at my research from a different perspective.”
“Michelle and Kate represent the exceptional talent and curiosity that the NASA R.I. Space Grant Consortium seeks to support,” says Nancy Ciminelli, senior program manager for consortium. “Their selection for this fellowship not only recognizes their dedication to research and innovation but also highlights the strength of our collaborative efforts between Brown University, URI, and NASA. We’re proud to be part of a partnership that empowers Rhode Island students to pursue meaningful scientific exploration.”
Consortium director Ralph Milliken echoed Ciminelli’s sentiments, adding: “We’re thrilled to see their work highlighted and to celebrate the broader collaboration between URI, Brown, and the NASA R.I. Space Grant Consortium.”
Research pointers
Marder and Remy shared advice for students looking to conduct research in the cellular and molecular biology field. They emphasized getting involved early and exploring one’s interests or curiosities as much as possible. “Read some papers, and get a sense of what you’re interested in,” Marder says. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors to learn about the type of work they do or to start doing research in their lab.”
“Get involved early with the department, get to know your professors, and get involved in research,” Remy adds. “When I first joined Dr. Camberg’s lab, I didn’t know that I wanted to study bacterial pathogens. Even if something isn’t your current interest, you never really know where your interests lie.”
This story was written by Yvonne Wingard, Communications Fellow in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences.