BENJAMIN SANCHEZ-SEDILLO

Benjamin Sanchez-Sedillo, PhD CandidatePhD Candidate – Started 2016

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM

Advisor/Lab: Russell Groves

Research Interests:Pesticide fate and effects in the environment.

Undergraduate

University of New Mexico 2009-2015
Bachelors of Science in Biology (2015)

Hobbies and Interests:
I enjoy practicing many sports: boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, soccer, rock climbing, fishing, and snowboarding. Other interests and hobbies include spinning poi, juggling, and hiking.

Why I Joined METC
I’ve had a love for nature that I have long been inspired by. This led me to pursue my interest in natural sciences at the university. The path I was on led me face-to-face with the meta-problem of toxicants in the environment. Inquiry into graduate programs that address this issue, METC was the natural choice for me. The program impressed me with its multidisciplinary faculty and approach to problems pertaining to environmental and human health. It’s with METC do I believe I can get the training to become an interdisciplinary scientist that can effectively address the omissions of the past and the errors of the future.

Research
My work will be focusing on studying the adverse effects of pesticides on aquatic insects in Wisconsin tributaries.  I will be beginning this work by testing these tributaries for the neonicotinoid insecticides Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam.

Publications:

  • Hernandez-Maldonado, J., Sanchez-Sedillo, B., Stoneburner, B., Boren, A., Miller, L., McCann, S., Rosen, M., Oremland, R. S. and Saltikov, C. W. (2016), The genetic basis of anoxygenic photosynthetic arsenite oxidation. Environmental Microbiology. doi:10.1111/1462-2920.13509

Presentations:

  • Sedillo, B. 2016. The Genetic Basis of Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Arsenite Oxidation. PREP Annual Research Symposium, UCSC. June 9, 2016. Oral presentation.
  • Sedillo, B. 2014. The Degradation of Fungal Necromass and its Contribution to Soil
  • Carbon Sequestration. REU Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, Chicago Botanic Garden. August 15, 2014. (Chicago Botanic Garden Research Experiences forUndergraduates.). oral presentation.
  • Sedillo, B. and Hedrich, A. 2013. Orchid Mycorrhizae. New Mexico Orchid Guild, Albuquerque Garden Center, November 3, 2013.oral presentation.
  • Sedillo, B. and Saltikov, C. 2015. Regulation of Anaerobic Arsenite Oxidation in a Haloalkaliphilic Photosynthetic Bacterium. Annual SACNAS National Conference, Gaylord convention center, October 29, 2015. (Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program), poster.
  • Sedillo, B. and D.L. Taylor. 2014. Mycorrhizal fungi targeted by two closely related mycoheterotrophic orchids. Annual SACNAS National Conference, Los Angeles Convention Center, October 29, 2014. (Initiatives to Maximize Student Diversity [UNM] student.), Poster.
  • Sedillo, B. and D.L. Taylor. 2014. Mycorrhizal fungi targeted by two closely related mycoheterotrophic orchids. Annual Biomedical Research Symposium, University of New Mexico, October 10, 2014. (Initiatives to Maximize Student Diversity [UNM] student.), poster.
  • Sedillo, B. and D.L. Taylor. 2013. Mycorrhizal fungi targeted by two closely related mycoheterotrophic orchids. Annual SACNAS National Conference, Henery B. Gonzales convention Center, October 29, 2013. (Initiatives to Maximize Student Diversity [UNM] student.), poster.

Honors:

  • NSF Fellow
  • SciMed GRS Fellow
  • IMSD student