Michael Grillo
Michael Grillo Awarded $1.1 Million NSF CAREER Grant
Michael Grillo, assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a $1.1 million National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant to advance his research on microbiomes.
“Professor Grillo’s research not only advances our understanding of agricultural sustainability, but it also creates invaluable opportunities for our students and local educators,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “This NSF CAREER grant is a well-deserved recognition of his contributions to both science and education.”
Grillo’s scholarly work investigates the genetic mechanisms that control microbiome formation and evolution in legume plants, with implications for agricultural sustainability and food security.
The NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a highly competitive initiative that supports early-career faculty with the potential to lead advances in research and education.
Grillo’s research explores the co-evolution of plants and their microbiomes, examining how genetic and environmental factors influence these relationships. As the head of Grillo Lab at Loyola, he mentors undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers, employing an integrative approach that combines evolutionary ecology experiments with advanced genetic and genomic techniques.
“All organisms interact with an incredible diversity of microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiome, which play a vital role in human, plant, animal, and ecosystem health,” Grillo explained. “Scientists are exploring microbiomes to improve agriculture, sustainability, and food security, but little is known about the genetic mechanisms behind these relationships.”
“My research team will leverage state-of-the-art genomic sequencing approaches to identify the genes and evolutionary mechanisms that control microbiome formation in legume plants,” Grillo stated.
Legumes–including beans, peas, and lentils–are one of the most important crop families globally. By deepening our understanding of microbiome evolution, Grillo’s research has the potential to benefit plant breeders and agricultural communities.
This 5-year grant will support Loyola students and provide summer research experiences for science teachers in Chicago Public Schools, equipping them with tools to integrate microbiome science into their classrooms.
“From a young age, I wanted to be a high school science teacher, but then I discovered my passion for research and higher education,” Grillo shared. “However, I remain committed to promoting science education, and one of my top priorities when joining the Loyola faculty was to serve students interested in going into teaching.”
Grillo is one of four faculty members in the Biology Department with active NSF CAREER grant, alongside Yoel Stuart (evolutionary predictability through fossilized fish analysis), Dan Cavanaugh (circadian and metabolic rhythms in Drosophila), and Thomas Sanger (developmental bases of the adaptive radiation of Anolis lizards), highlighting the department’s national prominence in securing these prestigious awards.
Learn more about Grillo, the NSF CAREER grant, his lab, and the Department of Biology.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”
Michael Grillo, assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a $1.1 million National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant to advance his research on microbiomes.
“Professor Grillo’s research not only advances our understanding of agricultural sustainability, but it also creates invaluable opportunities for our students and local educators,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “This NSF CAREER grant is a well-deserved recognition of his contributions to both science and education.”
Grillo’s scholarly work investigates the genetic mechanisms that control microbiome formation and evolution in legume plants, with implications for agricultural sustainability and food security.
The NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a highly competitive initiative that supports early-career faculty with the potential to lead advances in research and education.
Grillo’s research explores the co-evolution of plants and their microbiomes, examining how genetic and environmental factors influence these relationships. As the head of Grillo Lab at Loyola, he mentors undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers, employing an integrative approach that combines evolutionary ecology experiments with advanced genetic and genomic techniques.
“All organisms interact with an incredible diversity of microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiome, which play a vital role in human, plant, animal, and ecosystem health,” Grillo explained. “Scientists are exploring microbiomes to improve agriculture, sustainability, and food security, but little is known about the genetic mechanisms behind these relationships.”
“My research team will leverage state-of-the-art genomic sequencing approaches to identify the genes and evolutionary mechanisms that control microbiome formation in legume plants,” Grillo stated.
Legumes–including beans, peas, and lentils–are one of the most important crop families globally. By deepening our understanding of microbiome evolution, Grillo’s research has the potential to benefit plant breeders and agricultural communities.
This 5-year grant will support Loyola students and provide summer research experiences for science teachers in Chicago Public Schools, equipping them with tools to integrate microbiome science into their classrooms.
“From a young age, I wanted to be a high school science teacher, but then I discovered my passion for research and higher education,” Grillo shared. “However, I remain committed to promoting science education, and one of my top priorities when joining the Loyola faculty was to serve students interested in going into teaching.”
Grillo is one of four faculty members in the Biology Department with active NSF CAREER grant, alongside Yoel Stuart (evolutionary predictability through fossilized fish analysis), Dan Cavanaugh (circadian and metabolic rhythms in Drosophila), and Thomas Sanger (developmental bases of the adaptive radiation of Anolis lizards), highlighting the department’s national prominence in securing these prestigious awards.
Learn more about Grillo, the NSF CAREER grant, his lab, and the Department of Biology.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”