CV

Contact Information

Name Ira Zibbu
Professional Title PhD Candidate
Email zibbuira[at]msu[dot]edu
Location Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48823

Professional Summary

Interdiscplinary biologist with interests in Experimental evolution, bacterial genome evolution, next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics & molecular biology.

Education

  • 2025 - 2029

    East Lansing, MI

    PhD
    Michigan State University
    Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology | Ecology, Evolution & Behaviour
    • Advisor: Jeffrey E. Barrick
    • Research focus: Incipient speciation & chromosomal rearrangements in E. coli evolution experiments
  • 2024 - 2025

    Austin, TX

    PhD (transferred to MSU)
    University of Texas at Austin
    Cell and Molecular Biology
    • Advisor: Jeffrey E. Barrick
  • 2019 - 2024

    Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

    Integrated BS-MS
    IISER Thiruvananthapuram
    Biology with a minor in Data Science
    • Advisors: Jeffrey E. Barrick & Sabari Sankar Thirupathy
    • Thesis title: Chromosomal Rearrangements Over 75,000 Generations of a Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Awards

  • 2026
    Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE) Graduate Student Excellence Award
    SMBE

    The Nobel Prizes are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel’s will of 1895, are awarded to ‘those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.’

  • 2026
    SMBE Young Investigator Travel Award
    SMBE

    Travel award to attend SMBE 2026

  • 2022
    Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Junior Research Fellowship (CSIR JRF)
    CSIR, Government of India

    Awarded the CSIR JRF national Ph.D fellowship and qualified for assistant lectureship

  • 2023
    Khorana Scholars Program
    Department of Biotechnology, Government of India

    Fellowship to support 3 month research project at the University of Texas at Austin

  • 2022
    Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation iGEM Impact Grant
    International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation

    Awarded grant for 2022 iGEM project: Duonco, a dual nanovesicle drug delivery system for breast cancer

  • 2019
    Department of Science and Technology INSPIRE Fellow
    DST, Government of India

    National fellowship to support undergraduate research for 5 years

Publications