Student Blogs & Vignettes
Bella Ritchie
Bella Ritchie, USF CMS graduate student
ABOUT MY RESEARCH
I am a PhD student in Dr. Mya Breitbart’s lab, where I will be studying the ecology of a recently identified virus, Turtlegrass Virus X (TVX), in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum. This seagrass species occurs naturally in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and is an important food source for charismatic native species including sea turtles and manatees. Because viruses can have positive, negative, or neutral effects on their hosts, it’s important for us to get a better idea of where this virus occurs and how it affects infected individuals. Broadly, I am interested in investigating how increasing ocean temperature and acidity affect host-microbe interactions.
WHY USF CMS?
I chose CMS because of the incredible amount of cutting-edge research being conducted in the department. When I was finally able to visit, I was immediately attracted to the small school, supportive people, and relatively laid-back environment in the program; unlike other institutions I have been a part of, none of the students I met seemed overwhelmed or unhappy. Lastly, being from Tennessee I had never lived near the beach, and the location and culture of Saint Petersburg as a city drew me in immediately.