Benjamin Janto Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program B.S., Biology, Carnegie Mellon University Email: benjamin.janto@drexel.edu Status: 1st Year Ph.D. Student

Background and Interests:

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where I grew into a skinny person despite being fed beer and cheese for every meal. I set off to study electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. However, several pierogies later I graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Engineering Studies. From CMU, I transitioned to working as a lab technician at Allegheny General Hospital in the Allegheny-Singer Research Institute/Center for Genomic Sciences, directed by Dr. Garth Ehrlich and Dr. Christopher Post. This experience afforded me the opportunity to learn many techniques in molecular biology with a focus on bacterial involvement in middle ear disease. In addition to being responsible for the core DNA sequencing in the labs, I became involved specifically with the whole genome sequencing and genic analysis of multiple strains of Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

When I'm not staring at pages of nucleotide data I enjoy playing tennis, being a sub-par guitarist and drinking good beer (i.e., not from Milwaukee).