Principal Investigator

Michael A. Bertucci

Associate Professor of Chemistry

Michael graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology with B.S. in Chemical Biology before pursuing his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Under the mentorship of Dr. Michel R. Gagné, he investigated methods for derivatizing N-Acyl Homoserine Lactone (AHLs), key signaling molecules in gram-negative bacterial quorum sensing. He joined the chemistry department at Hartwick College as a Visiting Assistant Professor in 2014 before moving to Moravian University one year later.  In 2021, he accepted an offer to join the chemistry department at his current institution, Lafayette College, and was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in 2024.  He has taught courses in Organic Chemistry I & II, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Nursing Chemistry and Senior Seminar for Chemistry and Biochemistry Majors.  He is the recipient of an NSF CAREER award and was named a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar in 2023.

Michael A. Bertucci’s Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Current Group Members

 

Katelyn Golembiewski

Senior Biochemistry Major

My research focuses on assembling and optimizing reporter plasmids for quorum sensing in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum.

 

 

Anna Rosencrance

Senior Biology Major

My research focuses on studying Lactiplantibacillus plantarum biofilm density and how it responds to the addition of synthetic peptides in relation to quorum sensing.

 

 

Angela Lyu

Junior Biochemistry Major

My research investigates the role of quorum sensing in regulating biofilm formation in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and its competitive interactions with different Lactobacillus strains found in the human body.

 

 

Violet Klapal

Junior Chemistry Major

My research focuses on interactions that happen in the environment between bacteria and pollutants such as nanoplastics and antibiotics as well how pollutants can work together to have different or intensified effects on the bacteria.

 

Duc Pham

Sophomore Biochemistry Major

My research focuses on developing modified peptide derivatives for determining the relationship between LamD and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum.

 

Ece Berrak

Sophomore Psychology Major

My research focuses on bioassay development and characterizing the components Lactiplantibacillus plantarum cell supernantants.

 

Former Group Members

Alex Yurtola ’26 – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Jack Baum ’26 

Mallory Downs ’25 – Nathan Kline Institute

Braeden Beal ’25 – Parabilis Medicines

Sydney Weibel ’25 – Yale University

Allie Campanella ’24 – Memorial Sloan Kettering

Xiaotian Gong ’24 – University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abby Skidmore ’24 – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Ryann Carlotz ’24 – Saladax Biomedical

Andrew Hamacher ’24 – Penn State University

Brianna Leopold ’23 – Pfizer

Becky Hartman ’23 – UMass Amherst

Jasmine Nguyen ’23 – Tufts University

Elizabeth Jones ’23  – University of Central Florida

Michael Gorgan ’22 – Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Jillian Kopchak ’22 – Avantor

Joelis Rodriquez-Santos ’22

Zachary Filliben ’22 – Florida Atlantic University

Fadi Hanna ’21 – Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Emilee Engler ’21 – SK biotek – Ireland

Naomi Rieth ’21 – OraSure Technologies

Gabe Chlebove ’21 – OraSure Technologies

Liz Hutnick ’21 – NMS Labs

Alec Buttner ’21 – University of Chicago

Ashlyn Cantrel ’19 – University of Delaware

Jonathan Nadraws ’19 – University of Pennsylvania

Kylie Chichura ’19 – Alltrna

Robert Hillman ’18 – Chemours

Erin Tiwold ’17 – GlaxoSmithKline

Jessica Lynch ’17 – University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine

Jonathan Le ’17 – Temple University School of Dentistry

Daniel Schmucker ’16 – Trinity Consultants