Dr. Frank received her Ph.D. in Molecular Evolution from Uppsala University, and was a Swedish Research Council postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College, Dublin. At UC Merced, Dr. Frank combines ecological, molecular, in-situ, single-cell isotopic and single-cell genomic approaches to study the microbiomes of wild plants. Specifically, Dr. Frank studies a novel association between high elevation conifers and N-fixing endophytic bacteria in their foliage. In this project, funded by the National Science Foundation Dimensions of Biodiversity Program, Dr. Frank aims to understand the details of this symbiosis, including its evolution and transmission dynamics, and ultimately, the significance of endophytic bacteria as a source of nitrogen to nitrogen-limited forest ecosystem. Abstracts this author is presenting: