Annika
Atherton
Annika Atherton earned her B.Sc. in Neuroscience from Washington State University. While studying, she volunteered in Dr. Lane Brown's lab where she studied M1 subtype retinal cells. Her passion for research drove her to join the Carnegie Institution for Science to broaden her research experience while supporting the students and faculty of the Belin Lab. Her focus is to fully support the lab's research, learning and sharpening her research skills along the way.
Research
The Belin Lab is a team of microbiologists who study the biology of rhizobia, soil bacteria with the capacity to convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere into plant-fertilizing ammonia. Rhizobia form intricate symbioses with legumes including soybean, alfalfa, pea, and clover, serving as sustainable alternatives to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. The Belin Lab uses quantitative cell biology approaches to characterize rhizobial molecules that drive productive symbiosis.