Michael is from right here in Ithaca, NY and attends nearby Lansing High School. In the Brutnell lab, Michael is mentored by Rhiannon Bussey, an undergraduate in the lab. His project deals with characterizing a mutant of the magnesium chelatase I-subunit, part of an important enzyme for chlorophyll biosynthesis. For this project, he is using several techniques including DNA extraction, PCR, sequencing, and plasmid preps.

When he’s not looking at colleges for next year, he likes to play pick-up basketball and the saxophone.