Professional Preparation
University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 1992-1996, B.S. Microbiology
Michigan State University, Ph.D, 1996-2002, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Michigan State University, Postdoctoral, 2002-2004, Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics
Academic Experience
Doctoral Research: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, Center for Microbial Ecology. (Advisor: James M. Tiedje, Ph.D.), 1996-2002.
Research Associate, Center for Microbial Ecology, and Center for Genomic and Evolutionary Studies on Microbial Life at Low Temperatures, Michigan State University, 2002-2004.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2004-2007.
Adjunct Research Associate, Center for Microbial Ecology, Michigan State University, 2004-2008.
Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2007-2014.
Professor, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2014-present.
Acting Chairperson & Chairperson Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2014-2019.
Interim Dean of Academic Affairs, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2019-present
Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2019-2019.
Languages
English and Spanish
Honors:
Education Opportunity Fellowship, Michigan State University, 1999-2001.
Center for Microbial Ecology Graduate Fellowship, 1996-2002.
Honorable mention Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, 2000.
American Society for Microbiology Student Travel Award, 2001.
Faces in Bioscience of Puerto Rico awarde from the Industry University Consortium (INDUNIV) for my efforts promoting Biotechnology education in K-12 levels, 2018.
Service Activities
Coordinator, Internal Seminar Series, Center for Microbial Ecology, Michigan State University, 1999-2000 Ad hoc Reviewer Canadian Journal of Microbiology, PLOS ONE, NSF office of Polar Programs and International Journal of Molecular Science.
Director, Amgen Biotech Experience Program, 2008-present.
Judge, “Pa los Duros de la materia” prize. El Nuevo Día Educador, 2013-2015.
Miembro Junta Consultiva Comité de Educación Superior de Puerto Rico, 2008-2010.
Life Sciences Board Member, Iniciativa Tecnologíca Centro Oriental (INTECO), 2008-2010.
Local Organizing Committee Bio astronomy 2007, San Juan Puerto Rico, 2006-2007.
Board Member, Puerto Rico Society for Microbiology, 2006-2007.
Industry liaison committee, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2006-present.
DNA and Protein Analysis Training for Indrustry supported by Iniciativa Tecnologíca Centro Oriental (INTECO), 2008-2009.
AMGEN-BIOMINDS Liason Officer, UPR-Humacao, 2007-2009.
Planning and Development Committee, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 2007-2010.
Seminar committee, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, 2004-2019.
Curriculum committee, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao,
2006-2019.
Professional Development
PULSE Vision & Change Ambassadors Workshop, University of Puerto Rico Humacao Campus, May 2019.
Scientific Teaching Workshop, University of Puerto Rico Humacao Campus, May 2019.
XIV Professional Improvement Forum- Transforming Teaching Practices, University of Puerto Rico Humacao Campus, October 2019.
Yale First Look Immersion Program, Yale University, October 10th – 12th, 2019.
Publications
- Bakermans, C., P. Bergholz, D. F. Rodrigues, T. A. Vishnivetskaya, Ayala-del-Río, and J. Tiedje. 2012. Genomic and Expression Analyses of Cold-Adapted Microorganisms. In Polar Microbiology. First Edition. ASM press
- Wirth, S. E., L. Ayala-del-Río , J. A. Cole, D. J. Kohlerschmidt, K. A. Musser, L. del C. Sepúlveda-Torres, L. M. Thompson, W. J. Wolfgang. 2011. Description of Psychrobacter sanguinis sp. nov. recovered from four clinical specimens in New York State over a 4-year period. 2012 . Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 62: 49-54
- Ayala-del-Río, H. L., P. S. Chain, J. J. Grzymski, M. A. Ponder, N. Ivanova, P. W. Bergholz, G. D. Bartolo, L. Hauser, M. Land, C. Bakermans, D. Rodrigues, J. Klappenbach, D. Zarka, F. Larimer, P. Richardson, A. Murray, M. Thomashow, and J. M. Tiedje. 2010: The genome sequence of Psychrobacter arcticus 273-4, a psychroactive Siberian permafrost bacterium reveals mechanisms for adaptation to low temperature growth. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 76, 2304-2312.
- Rodrigues, D. F., E. C. Jesus, L. Ayala-del-Río, V. H. Pellizari, D. Gilichinsky, L. Sepúlveda-Torres, J. M. Tiedje. 2009. Biogeography of two cold-adapted genera: Psychrobacter and Exiguobacterium. ISME J. 1-8
- Bakermans, C., P. Bergholz, Ayala-del-Río, and J. Tiedje. 2009. Genomic insights into cold adaptation of permafrost bacteria. In Permafrost soils. First Edition. Springer-Verlag
- Bakermans, C, L. Ayala-del-Río, M. A. Ponder, T. Vishnivetskaya, D. Gilichinsky5, M. F. Thomashow, and J. M. Tiedje. 2006. Psychrobacter cryohalolentis sp. nov. and Psychrobacter arcticum sp. nov. Isolated from Siberian Permafrost. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56: 1285-1291. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
- Dollhopf, S., L. Ayala-del-Río and J. M. Tiedje. 2004. Artificial Neural Network and Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Microbial Community Fingerprints. In Kowalchuk, G.G., de Brujin, F.J., Head, I.M., Akkermans, A.D. and van Elsas, J.D. (Eds.) Molecular Methods in Microbial Ecology Manual. Second Edition. Springer verlag.
- Ayala-del-Río, H. L., S. J. Callister, C. S. Criddle and J. M. Tiedje. 2004. Correspondence between community structure and function during succession in phenol and phenol plus TCE-fed sequencing batch reactors. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 70:4950-4960.
- Sun, B., B. M. Griffin, L. Ayala-del-Río, S. A. Hashsham, and J. M. Tiedje. 2002. Microbial Dehalorespiration with 1,1,1-Trichloroethane. Science, 298: 1023-1025
- Braker, G., L. Ayala-del-Río, A. H. Devol and J. M. Tiedje. 2001. Community structure of denitrifiers, bacteria, and archaea, along redox gradients in Pacific Northwest marine sediments by Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of amplified nitrite reductase (nirS) and 16S rRNA genes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 67:1893-1901.