Brittany Maree Ott-Harris

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Education
2011-Present M.Sc., Biology (concentration in Bioinformatics, Genetics, Genomics and
Evolutionary Biology), West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Research
project: determining the ability of Hirudo verbana leech mucosal secretions to
transmit the H. verbana gut pioneer symbiont, A. veronii, and to ascertain the
mechanics and dynamics of the microbial population within leech mucosal
secretions using next generation sequencing. Graduate Advisor: Rita Rio, Ph.D.
2007-2011 B.S., Biological Sciences (concentration in Microbiology; minor: English,
Literature, Language and Culture), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, Blacksburg, VA. Undergraduate Advisor: Ann Stevens, Ph.D.


Research Experience
2011-Present Graduate Research Assistant, Rio Lab, maintaining leech colony, DNA isolation,
RNA isolation, PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, cloning, ligations,
transformations, cell culturing, fluorescence microscopy, phylogenetic
analyses, next generation sequencing (Illumina). Department of Biology, West
Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.
2010-2011 Undergraduate Research Assistant, Pruden Lab, assisting a graduate student
with research involving degradation of extracellular antibiotic resistance
genes from MRSA, VRE, P. aeruginosa and multi-drug resistant E. coli in waste
water utilizing UV radiation; PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, UV fluence
assays. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech,
Blacksburg, VA.
2010 Undergraduate Research Assistant, Knowlton Lab, assisting two graduate
students with projects involving antibiotic resistance genes in calves and
phosphorus excretion in heifers outfitted with ileal and rumen cannulas; fecal
sample gathering, rumen sample gathering, feeding adult and juvenile cows,
phosphorus assays. Department of Dairy Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg,
VA.
2009 WVU NSF-REU, Rio Lab, working with the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans, and its
symbionts to understand symbiont density dependent on blood meal type and
examined expression of the iron and heme transporter systems in one of the
symbionts, Sodalis glossinidius; PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, cloning,
ligations, transformations, DNA isolation, RNA isolation, reverse transcription,
and survival assays. Department of Biology, West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV.
2008-2010 Undergraduate Research Assistant, Knowlton Lab and Arogo Lab, determining
the presence and identity of phosphate-accumulating organisms involved in
an Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal reactor; PCR and quantitative
real-time PCR. Department of Dairy Science and Department of Biological
Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
2007 Undergraduate Lab Worker, Sobrado Lab, assisting with daily lab duties, DNA
isolation, PCR, gel extraction. Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech,
Blacksburg, VA.
2005-2006 Paleontologist Assistant, working under Dr. Gerald Johnson, excavating fossils
for documentation. William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.



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Research Mentoring
2013 Mentor, WVU NSF-REU. Mentoring an undergraduate student researcher in the
Rio Lab. The project consisted of leech behavioral assays with regards to leech
mucosal secretion proximity, and a metatranscriptomics study of juvenile
leeches and leech mucosal secretions. Department of Biology, West Virginia
University, Morgantown, WV.
2012 Mentor, Benedum Collaborative at WVU. Mentoring a meritorious high school
student in the Rio Lab. Department of Biology, West Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV.


Teaching Experience
2013 Co-Instructor, Honors-The Genome and Being Human. A sophomore-level
cell/molecular biology honors course, where accelerated students learn
additional concepts not covered in The Living Cell lecture section. Students
were given additional reading, to include published citizen-science novels as
well as primary literature. Co-taught 2 sections (16 students each); created
and presented lecture, facilitated discussion, formulated discussion questions
and graded the resulting answers. Department of Biology, West Virginia
University, Morgantown, WV.
2013 Guest Lecturer, BIOL 456/693A Microbial Symbiosis. Topic covered next
generation sequencing and its importance in certain genomic cataloging
studies of the human gut microbial community; in addition, oversaw an
undergraduate paper presentation. Department of Biology, West Virginia
University, Morgantown, WV.
2012, 2013 Teaching Assistant, The Living Cell. A sophomore-level cell/molecular biology
lab course, where students conducted experiments designed to learn
molecular biology techniques. Instructed 1 (2013) or 2 (2012) sections (25
students each), developed/delivered Pre-lab lecture, facilitated lab exercise,
graded lab reports and quizzes. Department of Biology, West Virginia
University, Morgantown, WV.
2011 Teaching Assistant, Principles of Biology. An introductory biology lab designed
for in-majors biology students. Instructed 2 sections (25 students each),
taught Pre-lab lecture, facilitated lab exercise, graded lab reports and quizzes.
Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.


Awards
2014 Graduate Student Productivity Award, 2014. Monetary award given to the
most productive graduate students in the Department of Biology, West
Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.
2012 ASM Student Travel Grant. Funds to attend the 4
th
ASM Conference on Beneficial
Microbes 2012 in San Antonio, Texas.


Publications and Presentations
Research Publications
2014 Ott B, Rickards, A, Altimus G, and Rio RVM. Microbial community of Hirudo
verbana mucosal secretions. In prep.


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2014 Ott B, Cruciger M, Dacks A, and Rio RVM. Hitchhiking host secretions for
beneficial microbe transmission. In review.
2009 Runyen-Janecky LJ, Brown AN, Ott B, Tujuba HG, and Rio RV. Regulation of high-
affinity iron acquisition homologues in the tsetse fly symbiont, Sodalis
glossinidius. J. Bacteriol. July 2010. 192(14): 3780-3787, doi:10.1128/JB.00161-
10.

Research Presentations
2013 Ott B, Cruciger M, Altimus G, Dacks A and Rio RVM. Hitchhiking host secretions
for beneficial microbe transmission. Poster presented at ABASM Annual meeting,
2013, Latrobe, PA.

2013 Cruciger M, Ott B, Dacks A and Rio RVM. Unveiling the magic behind mucus: a
metatranscriptomic and behavioral analysis. Poster presented at West Virginia
University IRES, REU, SURI, & SURE Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
2013, Morgantown, WV.

2013 Ott B, Altimus G, Maxwell TK and Rio RVM. Mucosal secretions of Hirudo verbana,
the European medicinal leech, harbor a diverse microbiota and function as a
vehicle for horizontal transmission of the pioneer symbiont. Poster presented at
Pittsburgh Bacterial Meeting 2013, Pittsburgh, PA.

2012 Ott B, Altimus G, Maxwell TK and Rio RVM. Mucus secretions as a potential
vehicle for horizontal transmission of a gut symbiont in the medicinal leech.
Poster presented at 4
th
ASM Conference on Beneficial Microbes 2012, San Antonio,
Tx.

2012 Ott B, Altimus G and Rio RVM. Mucus secretions as a potential vehicle for
horizontal transmission of a gut symbiont in the medicinal leech. Poster
presented at WVU Research Horizons Day 2012, Morgantown, WV.

2012 Ott B, Altimus G and Rio RVM. Mucus secretions as a potential vehicle for
horizontal transmission of a gut symbiont in the medicinal leech. Poster
presented at Pittsburgh Bacterial Meeting 2012, Pittsburgh, PA.

2009 Ott B, Snyder AK and Rio RVM. The impact of feeding behavior on tsetse fly
(Diptera: Glossinidae) and symbiont biology. Poster presented at WVU Biology
REU Poster Session 2009, Morgantown, WV.


Personal Services, Affiliations and Activities
Current Member, American Society of Microbiology.

2013-2014 Vice President, WVU Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA)

Dec. 2012 Presented the Microbial Symbiosis Module at Ravenswood Middle School in
Jackson County, WV; the purpose was to introduce the 8
th
grade science class to
symbiosis and how leeches are used to study this topic.


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Apr. 2012 Assisted with the Microbial Symbiosis Module at Mountaineer Middle School in
Morgantown, WV; the purpose was to introduce the 6
th
grade science class to
symbiosis and how leeches are used to study this topic.

2010-2011 Vice President, Microbiology Club at Virginia Tech.

2009-2011 Participated in the Microbiology Club at Virginia Tech Outreach Program,
teaching elementary school children about microbiology.
Gilbert Linkous Elementary School, Blacksburg, VA.
Riverlawn Elementary School, Radford, VA.
Pulaski County, VA Elementary schools.

2009-2011 Planning Committee Member, Virginia Tech Annual Undergraduate English
Conference.

2009, 2010 Presenter, Virginia Tech Annual Undergraduate English Conference.