Loralyn M. Cozy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Education
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Research
Dr. Cozy is a microbiologist who studies how bacteria and fungi produce secondary metabolites, including antibiotics and interesting flavor compounds. She works with students to isolate and characterize bacteria and yeasts from the environment and screen them for the production of interesting compounds. These organisms can then be characterized metabolically, physiologically, and molecularly. Her work aligns with the Tiny Earth project which seeks to student-source antibiotic discovery.
Several interesting developmental questions arise from this situation:
How does Anabaena ensure that heterocysts are evenly spaced along a filament?
How does an Anabaena cell decide to terminally commit to a heterocyst fate?
How does Anabaena permanently turn off cell division in these specialized cells?
Dr. Cozy’s research uses classical and molecular genetics to find genes that regulate these processes and uses molecular and microscopic analyses to examine when and where these genes are expressed during development. She encourages students to engage in research in her lab and then communicate their findings.
Teaching
Dr. Cozy teaches
- General Biology (BIOL 101)
- Microbial World (BIOL 110)
- Microbiology (BIOL 314)
- Better Living Through Microbes (BIOL 413)