I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. Here I pursued my Honours in Biomedical Science, where I investigated the legume plant nodulating bacteria, Mesorhizobium loti and its protein-protein interactions. During this time, my interest in plant genetics and microbial interactions began. I have since worked in an Australian-based biotechnology lab where I genotyped genetically modified organisms and later established these services for the company in the US.