Frank Xavier Ferrer González

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School of Oceanography

1503 NE Boat Street 

Box 357940 

Seattle, WA 98195-7940

xaquatic@uw.edu

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EDUCATION

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2022 - Ph.D. Marine Sciences

University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

2015 - M.Sc. Biology

University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

2011 - B.Sc. Industrial Microbiology 

University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico        

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
 

Postdoctoral Appointment

• Studying microbial networks that regulate transfer of Carbon in the surface ocean, UW. 

• Supervisor: Anitra Ingalls

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PhD     

• Heterotrophic bacteria as biological sensors of phytoplankton exometabolic resources in the surface ocean of the Pacific, UGA,

       Advisor: Mary Ann Moran

 

MS

• Antibiotic Resistance Screening in Metagenomics Libraries Generated from Puerto Rico Cave Soil, UPRM (2015)

       Advisor: Carlos Rodríguez Mingüela

• Mastering Metagenomics at the Handelsman laboratory, Yale University, New Hampshire CT, USA (2012)

       Advisor: Ashley Shade

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BS    

• Construction of Functional Metagenomic Libraries from Guanica’s Dry Forest, UPRM

      (2010-11)

      Advisor: Carlos Ríos Velázquez

• Identifying and classifying rare and endangered flora of Puerto Rico and Vieques Island,

      UPRM (2008-09)

      Advisor: Gary Breckon

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TEACHING EXPERIENCE

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University of Georgia

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2021 - Graduate Learning Assistant for Principles of Biology

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University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

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2014 - Laboratory Instructor of Genetics

2013 - Laboratory Instructor Bacterial Genetics 

2014 - Professor: Ethics, Integrity and RCR 

2014 - Lab Assistant: Metagenomics Laboratory 

 

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

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1. Ferrer-González, F.X., Nowinski, B., and Moran, M.A. (in preparation). Bacterial Transporter Dynamics Through a Declining Coastal Phytoplankton Bloom. To be submitted Environmental Microbiology. 

2. Ferrer-González, F.X., Hamilton, M., Schreier, J.E., Olofsson, M., and Moran, M.A.. Biologically Labile Components of Extracellular Release from Photosynthetic Picoeukaryote Micromonas commoda. Submitted to ISME Commun. 

3. Moran, M.A., Ferrer-González, F.X., Fu, H., Nowinski, B., Olofsson, M., Powers, M.A., Schreier, J.E., Schroer, W.F., Smith, C.B., and Uchimiya, M. (2022). The Ocean's labile DOC supply chain. Limnology and Oceanography.

4. Olofsson, M., Ferrer-González, F.X., Uchimiya, M., Schreier, J.E., Holderman, N.R., Smith, C.B., Edison, A.S., Moran, M.A. (2022). Growth-stage-related shifts in diatom endometabolome composition set the stage for bacterial heterotrophy. ISME Communications, 2(1), 1-9.

5. Holderman, N.R., Ferrer-González, F.X., Glushka, J., Moran, M.A., Edison, A.S. (2022). Dissolved organic metabolite extraction from high salt media. NMR in Biomedicine.

6. Widner, B., Kido Soule, M. C., Ferrer-González, F. X., Moran, M. A., & Kujawinski, E. B. (2021). Quantification of Amine-and Alcohol-Containing Metabolites in Saline Samples Using Pre-extraction Benzoyl Chloride Derivatization and Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC MS/MS). Analytical Chemistry, 93(11), 4809-4817.

7. Ferrer-González, F. X., Widner, B., Holderman, N. R., Glushka, J., Edison, A. S., Kujawinski, E. B., & Moran, M. A. (2021). Resource partitioning of phytoplankton metabolites that support bacterial heterotrophy. The ISME journal, 15(3), 762-773.

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SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

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1. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Flujo de carbono en la superficie del océano, Puerto Rican Virtual Research Talks, Zoom, Fall, 2020, Oral

2. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Resource Partitioning of Diatom Metabolites by Marine Bacterial Heterotrophy in the Surface Ocean, Marine Science Student Symposium, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Fall 2020, Oral

3. Nicole Holderman, John Glushka, Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Arthur Edison, Metabolomic strategies to elucidate interactions between phytoplankton and marine bacteria, Metabolomics Association of North America (MANA), Georgia Tech, GA, November 2019, Poster

4. Brittany Widner, Melissa Kido Soule, Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Elizabeth Kujawinski, Quantification of Polar Dissolved Metabolites in Seawater and Diatom Cultures, Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Summer Workshop, Woods Hole, MA, June 2019, Poster

5. Nicole Holderman, John Glushka, Haris Panagos, Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Arthur Edison, NMR Strategies to Understand Carbon Cycling in the Ocean, Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference (ENC), Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA, April 2019, Poster

6. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Resource-Based Niche Partitioning in Surface Ocean Heterotrophic Bacteria Growing on Diatom Derived Metabolites, Southeastern Biogeochemical Symposium (SBS), University of South Carolina, Columbia South Carolina, March 2019, Poster

7. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Asking the Bacteria What Diatom Metabolites Support Heterotrophic Growth in the Surface Ocean, Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan Puerto Rico, February 2019, Oral

8. Brittany Widner, Melissa Kido Soule, Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Elizabeth Kujawinski, A Novel Method for Quantification of Polar Dissolved Metabolites in Seawater, Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan Puerto Rico, February 2019, Oral

9. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Asking the Bacteria What Diatom Metabolites Support Heterotrophic Growth in the Surface Ocean, Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan Puerto Rico, February 2019, Oral

10. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Diatom Metabolites Support Heterotrophic Growth in the Surface Ocean, Annual Southeastern Branch American Society for Microbiology Meeting Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA, November 2018, Oral

11. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Phytoplankton Metabolites that Support Heterotrophic Growth in the Surface Ocean, Southeastern Biogeochemical Symposium (SBS) Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL April 2018, Poster

12. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Mary Ann Moran, Diatom derived metabolites that Support Heterotrophic Growth in the Surface Ocean, Suddath Symposium, The Chemical Ecology of Microbiome Interactions, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA, January 2018, Poster

13. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Assessing the Cave Resistome in Puerto Rico Using Metagenomics. Puerto Rico Society of Microbiology (SMPR): Third Student Research Symposium Passing the Torch of Research and Ethics to the Next Generation. Puerto Rico Society of Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, October 2014, Oral.

14. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Assessing Antibiotic Resistant Clones in Puerto Rican Soils through Metagenomics. Annual conference of the AAAS-Caribbean Division: Infectious diseases in the tropics. AAAS and Science Caribbean Division, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Center. Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, September 2013, Poster.

15. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Identifying Multiple Types of Antibiotic Resistant Bioprospects from Cave Soil Metagenomic Libraries. American Society for Microbiology 113th General Meeting; Accessing the Puerto Rican Cave Resistome. American Society for Microbiology, Colorado Convention Center. Denver, Colorado, May 2013, Poster.

16. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Unraveling a Highly Resistant Kanamycin Clone in Puerto Rican Soils through Metagenomics. VI International Congress of Public Health Promoting Universities and IV Public Health Puerto Rican Conference. Medical Science Campus UPR and the Faculty of Biosocial Sciences and Graduate School of Public Health, Puerto Rico Convention Center. San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 2013, Poster.

17. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Unraveling Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Soil Metagenomics. Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Conference 2012. SACNAS, Washington State Convention and Trade Center. Seattle, Washington, October 2012, Poster.

18. Frank X. Ferrer-González, Unraveling Gentamicin Resistance Genes in Soil Metagenomics. American Society for Microbiology General Meeting 2012. American Society for Microbiology, Moscone Convention Center. San Francisco, California, May 2012, Poster.

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GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT MENTORSHIP

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1. Sam Cryan, Graduate student, Chemical Oceanography, University of Washington, Studying homarine catabolism in isolates of Puget Sound. Fall, 2022 

2. Nelly Wood, Graduate student, Integrative Life Science Rotation Program, University of Georgia, Determining bacterial kinetics from diatom substrates. Fall, 2019

3. Stephanie L. Stromp, Undergraduate student, Biology Department, University of Georgia, 2016-2017: Bacteria-Phytoplankton Interactions in Understanding the Marine Carbon Cycle.

4. Lidimarie Trujillo, Undergraduate student, Biology Department, 2012-2014: Cultivable Approaches and Generation of Metagenomic Libraries from Soil for Functional Screening of Estrogen Metabolizing Candidates

5. Luis Morales, Undergraduate student, Premedical Program, Industrial Microbiology Program, 2012-2013: Functional Screening of Thermal Tolerant Clones in Metagenomic Libraries

6. Nader Rebhat, Undergraduate student, Industrial Microbiology Program, 2011-2012: Isolation of Cultivable Antibiotic Resistant Candidates from Soil of Cueva Ventana

7. Cristian Acevedo, Undergraduate student, Industrial Microbiology Program 2012: Isolation and characterization of different color spectra antibiotic resistant bacteria

8. Hiram Morales, Undergraduate student, Industrial Microbiology Program, 2011: Screening for sulfur producing bacteria in soils of Puerto Rico

9. Albin Cardona, Graduate student, Professional Development Program, 2012: Generation of Antibiotic Minimum Inhibiting Concentrations, Bacterial Growth Curves and Functional Antibiotic Resistance Screening

10. Ricky Padilla, Undergraduate student, Mayagüez Residential Center for Educational Opportunities CROEM, 2011: Isolation of Antibiotic like Substances from Plant Sources

11. Giovanni González and Juliana Rodriguez Varella, Professional development students, Science and Technology of Food Program and Teachers Development Program, 2011: Generation of a metagenomic library using the indirect method from cave Ventana.

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AWARDS

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1. Graduate School Student Travel Award, 2022

2. Graduate School Student Travel Award, 2017

3. University of Georgia’s Graduate Recruitment Opportunity Assistantship. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. August 2015 to May 2017.

4. Annual Conference of the AAAS-Caribbean Division: Infectious Diseases in the Tropics-Second Place Robert I. Larus Award. AAAS and Science Caribbean Division, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Center, September 2013.

5. National Institute of Health, Rise2Best UPR-M Fellow University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Grant No. NIH-R25GM088023 June 2011 to May 2013.

6. United States Agricultural Department, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) Undergraduate Research Fellowship. GRANT NO. USDA-HSI-CSREES 2007-02386, January to May 2011.

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PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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1. Member of the Student Life Sub-Committee of the Marine Science DEI Initiative, 2020 to 2022.

2. Member of the DEI Training Sub-Committee of the Marine Science DEI Initiative, 2020 to 2022.

3. Member of the Marine Science, DEI committee, 2020 to 2022.

4. Co-Chair of the Student Life Sub-Committee of the Marine Science DEI Initiative, 2020 to Fall 2021.

5. Co-lead, First Graduate Student Marine Science Department Symposium, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Fall 2020.

6. Outreach to underrepresented students at Cedar Shoals High School: Latin American Ocean Scientists and what we do, February 2020.

7. STEM Zone: What is marine sciences? Missouri Home Game, UGA, November 2019

8. Co-lead, One filter one family, supplying 1000 water filters to families in PR

9. Co-lead, Hurricane Maria UGA Response Team, Fall 2017

10. Graduate Steering Committee, Southeastern Biogeochemical Symposium (SBS), University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Spring, 2017.

11. Mentor for Denzell Cross, Gateway to Graduate School (Summer Bridge) Program, University of Georgia, 2016-2017

12. Mentor for Walter Johnson, Gateway to Graduate School (Summer Bridge) Program, University of Georgia, 2016-2017

13. Mentor for Martin Douglass, Gateway to Graduate School (Summer Bridge) Program, University of Georgia, Summer 2016

14. Photograph Exhibition on Climate Change United Nations COP21, in cooperation with the Fondation Alliance Francaise París. United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21, Paris, France, 2015

15. Photojournalist for Sea Grant Puerto Rico, Research: How climate change impacts the West Coast of Perto Rico. Summer to Fall 2014

16. Photographer for the Graduate Program at the Department of Chemical Engineering at University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. September to October 2014

17. Photojournalist of Esta Vida Boricua, A Life Narrative Project, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. January 2014 to 2015.

18. Photography Exhibition: Climate Change and the City: State of Emergency? Urban Culture Fair and the Fondation Alliance Francaise París, Mona Lisa at Rio Piedras, PR.

19. Photographer Fellow: The Fondation Alliance Francaise París French Fellowship. The Fondation Alliance Francaise París, San Juan Puerto Rico.

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RESEARCH CRUISES OR COASTAL SAMPLING EXPERIENCES

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1. Coastal Sampling at Sapelo Island GA, for the In Situ Chemotaxis Assay (ISCA), February 2019

2. NSF DMSP Initiative Seward, Alaska to Newport, Oregon, RV Oceanus, August 2017