Ruby Carrillo: Navigating a career journey with applied genetic engineering

Bio:
 
Ruby Carrillo is a Research Associate working in the Biosciences at ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company. Her current role integrates her research experience in bioenergetics, genetic engineering, and biochemistry.
Background: L. Ruby Carrillo is a first-generation Latina from Los Angeles, CA. She earned her BA in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University (MSU). At CSUN, her interest in scientific research developed while working in a microbiology lab funded by the MBRS-Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Program. Participating in LSAMP (Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation) Nexus program and SROP (Summer Research Opportunity Program) further broadened her research experience and ultimately introduced her to opportunities at MSU. As a graduate student at MSU, she worked in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded laboratory on photosynthesis studying the mechanisms involved in regulating adenylate misbalance (i.e. ATP) and redox homeostasis. After earning her PhD, she led a laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a Postdoctoral Research Associate studying similar bioenergetic pathways albeit in opportunistic pathogens instead of plants. These research experiences on energy production in multiple organisms and genetic tools yielded an opportunity to work in biocatalysis and biofuel development in one of the largest energy company in the country, ExxonMobil.

Last modified: Jul 19, 2023