Twenty-Five Graduate Students, Early-Career Researchers Selected to Attend EMSL 2026 Summer School In Person

Strengthening a domestic supply of critical minerals and materials (CMM) is critical to the United States' pursuit of greater energy independence.

To help support those efforts, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) national user facility will bring together students, early-career researchers, and scientific experts at EMSL 2026 Summer School to share and benefit from collective expertise around the event's theme: "Advanced Methods for Understanding Critical Minerals and Materials Biogeochemistry."

Running from July 27–31, EMSL 2026 Summer School will hold virtual sessions each morning (Pacific Daylight Time) that researchers worldwide can attend. Daily agendas include "Resolving Molecular Processes at Pore Scale," "Biomolecular and Natural Organic Matter Controls on Metal Behavior in Complex Mineral-Aqueous Systems," and "The Role of Genomics and Transcriptomics in Understanding Critical Mineral Biology."

Register for EMSL 2026 Summer School virtual sessions.

Attendees chosen for additional in-person experience

Twenty-five graduate students and early-career researchers were competitively selected to attend EMSL 2026 Summer School in person, with EMSL covering the cost of airfare, lodging, and transportation. Throughout the week, these participants will experience exclusive practical and application-based learning provided by EMSL and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff.

For Rebecca Brown, an Idaho National Laboratory research scientist chosen to attend in person, this event provides a prime professional development opportunity.

"This experience will directly strengthen my current projects and lay the foundation for future research programs aimed at innovating scalable, biologically driven solutions for domestic CMM recovery," Brown said. "I am confident that the knowledge gained will have a lasting impact on my research and career trajectory."

Meet the in-person attendees

With research backgrounds ranging from applied environmental microbiology to materials sciences, and from civil engineering to marine biogeochemistry, the 25 in-person EMSL 2026 Summer School attendees hail from seven countries and represent 19 institutions.

Learn more about the attendees below (listed in alphabetical order by last name).

Elena Ayala

PhD Student, University of Minnesota Twin Cities 

Research Areas: Plant and Microbial Biology    

"In addition to gaining more knowledge and skills, I am excited to have the opportunity to meet with experts from different career paths and other attendees who share similar interests," Ayala said. "I've heard many times now that science does not happen in a vacuum. Being able to connect with other researchers, share ideas, and expand my scientific community would greatly benefit my career as a scientist."

View Elena Ayala's LinkedIn profile.

Raju Basnet

PhD Student, University of Houston 

Research Area: Civil Engineering

"EMSL's broader efforts in critical minerals and materials, particularly in pore-scale modeling and AI-driven discovery, strongly align with my research direction and my advisor's ongoing work," Basnet said. "This makes EMSL Summer School a valuable opportunity to both strengthen my technical foundation and engage with an interdisciplinary, mission-driven research environment."

View Raju Basnet's LinkedIn profile.

Rebecca Brown

Staff Scientist, Idaho National Laboratory

Research Area: Microbiology

"Attending EMSL Summer School will provide access to cutting-edge tools and expertise in molecular characterization and biogeochemistry," Brown said. "I aim to acquire advanced skills that will enable me to design innovative research projects focused on strengthening domestic CMM recovery."

Pääta Burnadze

Pre-Postdoctoral Fellow, San Diego State University

Research Area: Biochemistry

"I am eager to expand my expertise in CMM biogeochemistry through EMSL's analytical capabilities," Burnadze said. "I am committed to applying the knowledge gained toward advancing sustainable technologies for rare earth element detection and recovery."

View Paata Burnadze's LinkedIn profile.

Jooho Chung

PhD Student, Texas A&M University 

Research Area: Biological Environmental Engineering

"I am excited about the opportunity to interact closely with EMSL scientists and fellow participants working at the intersection of biology and environmental chemistry," Chung said. "Discussing my rare earth elements-focused research, receiving feedback on experimental approaches, and seeing how others integrate EMSL capabilities into their work will broaden my scientific perspective and accelerate my development as an independent researcher."

View Jooho Chung's LinkedIn profile.

Sanjukta Dhar

Postdoctoral Researcher, National Energy Technology Laboratory

Research Areas: Marine Biogeochemistry and Organic Geochemistry

"I am keen to expand my expertise in microbial dynamics that influence metal mobilization by applying multiomics workflows and imaging techniques to investigate mineral-organic matter interactions," Dhar said. "EMSL Summer School presents an exceptional opportunity to gain hands-on experience with advanced analytical techniques and cutting-edge research capabilities that will directly support my current and future research initiatives."

View Sanjukta Dhar's LinkedIn profile.

Joshua Falkowski

Graduate Student, University of Georgia 

Research Area: Biogeochemistry

"The topics covered [this year] match perfectly with my PhD research. I study the biogeochemistry of rare earth elements in soils and microbial acquisition strategies," Falkowski said. "By attending EMSL Summer School, I will benefit from practical, application-based learning sessions that are offered in person and have an opportunity to meet with EMSL scientists."

Isaac Gemedi

PhD Student, Princeton University 

Research Area: Geochemistry

"I look forward to being challenged intellectually and trained on state-of-the-art techniques to understand metal behavior in mineral-bound and soil systems," Gemedi said. "Ultimately, I hope this experience pushes me to think critically about research questions in critical mineral extractability and partitioning, while equipping me with new tools to solve the complex scientific conundrums I am deeply curious about."

View Isaac Gemedi's LinkedIn profile.

Sarah González Henao

PhD Student, Michigan State University 

Research Areas: Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, and Geobiology

"EMSL Summer School will provide training that is directly relevant to the questions I want to pursue long term, especially how microbial biofilms influence metal behavior, mineral transformation, and environmental habitability," González Henao said. "Overall, this opportunity will significantly strengthen both my current dissertation research and my future development as a scientist working at the interface of microbiology, geochemistry, and mineral-associated environmental processes."

View Sarah González Henao's LinkedIn profile.

Venkat Maduri

PhD Student, University of Houston 

Research Area: Civil Engineering 

"EMSL Summer School represents a unique opportunity to integrate experimental insight with advanced computational modeling, directly supporting my research goals in AI-enabled multiscale modeling for critical mineral systems," Maduri said. "I am confident that this experience will significantly enhance my ability to contribute to next-generation predictive tools for sustainable subsurface engineering."

View Venkat Maduri's LinkedIn profile.

Sabrina Marecos

Postdoctoral Researcher, National Laboratory of the Rockies 

Research Area: Synthetic Biology

"Participation in this program will allow me to incorporate advanced analytical methods into my current work and deepen my understanding of metal-microbe interactions," Marecos said. "The skills gained will directly strengthen my ability to develop robust, biologically driven strategies for critical mineral recovery within national laboratory settings."

View Sabrina Marecos' LinkedIn profile.

Tim Martin

PhD Student, North Carolina State University 

Research Area: Biogeochemistry

"Attending EMSL Summer School will allow me to create broader connections outside of my university with other researchers who have a strong interest in the biogeochemistry of CMMs," Martin said. "These connections will allow for my work to be further refined, pulling from the expertise of those attending and leading Summer School sessions."

View Tim Martin's LinkedIn profile.

Sabine Michael

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Denver 

Research Area: Microbiology

"One of my main projects entails the identification and characterization of predicted metallophores, microbial metal-chelating molecules, from lanthanide-dependent methylotrophic organisms," Michael said. "EMSL Summer School will expand the horizons of both my individual and our laboratory capabilities."

Henry Price

PhD Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Research Area: Materials Sciences

"Working towards a career in materials science and geochemistry, this program will provide valuable opportunities to build connections with fellow participants and scientists at PNNL," Price said. "Engaging with this community will support future collaborations and potentially the development of user proposals to EMSL."

View Henry Price's LinkedIn profile.

Kaelan Prime

Research Technician, Los Alamos National Laboratory 

Research Area: Microbiology

"My current experience is limited to a very specific scope of techniques, and more education and exposure to others will enable me to best utilize any and all resources available to me," Prime said. "EMSL Summer School will allow me to significantly expand my current knowledge of CMMs, enhance my imaging skillsets, and enable me to perform more complex and integrated data analyses for [my] team."

View Kaelan Prime's LinkedIn profile.

Kalen Rasmussen

Postdoctoral Researcher, National Laboratory of the Rockies 

Research Area: Applied Environmental Microbiology

"EMSL Summer School provides an excellent opportunity to expand into areas of interest that I currently lack the skills and knowledge to thoroughly investigate," Rasmussen said. "Learning to use EMSL's state‑of‑the‑art techniques to examine how microorganisms interact with surrounding minerals and the extractability of target metals is a crucial step toward leveraging our knowledge to increase critical metals recovery from both environmental and waste feedstocks."

View Kalen Rasmussen's LinkedIn profile.

Brittan Scales

Postdoctoral Researcher, Montana State University 

Research Areas: Microbiology and Bioinformatics

"My research integrates wet-lab microbiology and bioinformatics to study microbial community function across diverse environments, which have included open-ocean plastic associated biofilms, aquatic systems, and the human lung microbiome," Scales said. "I am eager to [bring] a microbial ecology and bioinformatics perspective to the Summer School cohort."

View Brittan Scales' LinkedIn profile.

Kevin Shaffman

PhD Student, University of Washington 

Research Areas: Geobiology and Plant Microbiology

"My dissertation topic is on the chemical and genetic mechanisms of plant-associated, microbially mediated, mineral-phosphate dissolution and how specific microbial strains can be leveraged to increase plant nutrient uptake," Shaffman said. "EMSL Summer School aligns exceptionally well with my research interests. I am very excited and thankful to participate as it will accelerate my research and be an amazing learning opportunity."

View Kevin Shaffman's LinkedIn profile.

Deepak Sharma

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Georgia 

Research Areas: Biochemistry and Plant Biology

"The 2026 Summer School curriculum directly addresses my current technical gaps," Sharma said. "This training is essential for my transition into a career focused on sustainable resource management. By learning EMSL's multiomics and imaging workflows, I will be equipped to lead future projects in biogeochemical engineering."

View Deepak Sharma's LinkedIn profile.

Brooke Sykes

Postdoctoral Researcher, Los Alamos National Laboratory 

Research Areas: Fungal Biotechnology and Microbial Ecology

"[EMSL Summer School] offers me the opportunity to train alongside experts in support of the DOE mission of U.S. energy independence," Sykes said. "I am excited to integrate my background in microbiology with the proposed topics, especially for their relevance to soil-plant systems."

View Brooke Sykes' LinkedIn profile.

Madeline Taylor

PhD Student, University of Minnesota 

Research Area: Biogeochemistry

"My future projects incorporate large-scale, multiomics approaches, but I have not had experience integrating these datasets yet. I need to develop additional computational skills to be successful in the later stages of my thesis research," Taylor said. "I also hope to expand my network of contacts related to CMM research and learn about other available resources, conferences, and meetings."

View Madeline Taylor's LinkedIn profile.

Patrick Thomas

Postdoctoral Researcher, Montana State University 

Research Area: Applied Microbial Ecology

"Understanding more about critical minerals and the underlying biogeochemical processes that influence their distribution will help me in obtaining funding and executing research that integrates critical minerals with a holistic approach to algae farming," Thomas said. "Furthermore, conducting research at a U.S. national lab has been a dream of mine since grad school, so connecting with people at PNNL in person is a very important career opportunity to expand my network."

View Patrick Thomas' LinkedIn profile.

Srinivas Voruganti

PhD Student, North Carolina State University 

Research Area: Soil Science

"By applying molecular-scale tools to spatially complex environments, I can leverage my expertise in materials characterization and soil biogeochemistry to better address fundamental mechanistic questions," Voruganti said. "EMSL Summer School will not only provide the methodological depth and interdisciplinary integration needed to bridge this critical gap, but it will also position me to contribute directly to ongoing DOE Environmental System Science-supported research in my lab."

View Srinivas Voruganti's LinkedIn profile.

Christian White

Postdoctoral Researcher, Argonne National Laboratory 

Research Areas: Environmental Microbiology and Terrestrial Biogeochemistry

"My current research investigates how microbial community activity and methane production respond to variable flooding and drying cycles in wetland soils by using controlled microcosm experiments to simulate hydrological patterns observed in field systems," White said. "My hope is to take the information and resources obtained from EMSL Summer School and disseminate them back to my research group and collaborator network, allowing us to conduct better science with more sustained impact."

View Christian White's LinkedIn profile.

Emily Wright

PhD Student, Washington University in St. Louis 

Research Area: Environmental Geochemistry

"Attending EMSL Summer School will allow me to learn about advanced characterization techniques that will be useful for studying complex interactions between dissolved metals, minerals, and organics," Wright said. "[This event] will help me meet other attendees who could serve as future collaborators, as well as to learn more about advanced techniques that could be used to study fundamental biogeochemical processes for my current and future research projects."

View Emily Wright's LinkedIn profile.