{"id":11,"date":"2021-03-29T18:46:12","date_gmt":"2021-03-30T01:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2025-11-06T17:25:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T01:25:51","slug":"curriculum-vitae","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/curriculum-vitae\/","title":{"rendered":"Curriculum Vitae"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ben <\/strong>Knowles \u2013 Curriculum Vitae<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

bwknowles@ucla.edu<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional <\/strong>Preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2016 – 2020    Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Marine and Coastal                                                            Sciences, Rutgers University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2011 – 2016    Doctorate in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of California,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Diego and San Diego State University (UCSD\/SDSU Joint Program)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2001 – 2005    Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Marine Biology with Honours in Botany<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Queensland, Australia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appointments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020-current   Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2016 – 2020    Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2014 – 2016    Course Co-instructor, Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology, SDSU<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2011 – 2014    Teaching Assistant, Introductory Cell and Molecular Biology, SDSU<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2011                Research Assistant, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Mitchell Lab)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2010 – 2011    Research Assistant, University of Queensland (Centre for Water Studies)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2010                Water Quality Monitor, South-East Queensland Water<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2009 – 2010    Research Assistant, University of Southern California (Caron Lab)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2009                Research Specialist, Proteus Environmental Technologies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2008 – 2009    Research Assistant, University of Southern California (Manahan Lab)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2007                Ecological Consultant, FRC Environmental Consultancy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2006 – 2007    Technician, Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2004 – 2006    Research Assistant, University of Queensland (Marine Botany Group)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching Positions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020-2021       Course developer and instructor, Viral Ecology and Evolution, UCLA. Designed course to be implemented Spring 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2014 – 2016    Course Co-developer and -instructor, Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology, SDSU<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2011 – 2014    Teaching Assistant, Introductory Cell and Molecular Biology Lab, SDSU<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published Work<\/strong> (Google Scholar link<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles B<\/strong>, Bonachela JA, Behrenfeld MJ, Bondoc KG, Cael BB, Carlson CA, Cieslik N*<\/strong>, Diaz BP, Fuchs HL, Graff JR, Grasis J, Halsey H, Haramaty L, Johns CT, Natale F, Nissimov JI, Schieler B, Thamatrakoln K, Thingstad TF, V\u00e5ge S, Watkins C, Westberry T, and KD Bidle. Temperate infection in a virus-host system previously known for virulent dynamics. Nature Communications <\/em>11(4626): 1-13. doi: 0.1038\/s41467-020-18078-4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boling L, Cuevas DA, Kang HS, Knowles B<\/strong>, Maughan H, McNair K, Rojas MI, Sanchez SE, Smurthwaite C, and F Rohwer. Dietary anti-microbials and prophage inducers \u2013 towards landscaping of the human gut microbiome. 2020. Gut<\/em> Microbe<\/em>s. <\/em>doi: 0.1080\/19490976.2019.1701353<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nissimov JI, Talmy D, Haramaty L, Fredricks H, Zelzion E, Knowles B<\/strong>, Eren M, Vandzura R, Laber C, Schieler B, Johns C, More KD, Coolen MJL, Follows MJ, Bhattacharya D, Van Mooy BAS, and K.D. Bidle. 2019. Biochemical diversity of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis as a driver of Coccolithovirus competitive ecology. Environmental Microbiology<\/em> 21(6):2182-2197<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thamatrakoln K, Talmy D, Haramaty L, Maniscalco C, Latham J, Knowles B<\/strong>, Natale N, Coolen MJL, Follows MJ, and KD Bidle. 2018. Light regulation of coccolithophore host-virus interactions. New Phycologist<\/em>, doi:10.1111\/nph.15459.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles B<\/strong>, Bailey B, Boling L, Breitbart M, Cobi\u00e1n-G\u00fcemes A, del Campo J, Edwards R, Felts B, Grasis J, Haas AF, Katira P, Wegley Kelly L, Luque A, Nulton J, Paul L, Peters G, Robinett N, Sandin S, Segall A, Silveira C, Youle M, and F Rohwer. 2017. Variability and host density independence in inductions-based estimates of environmental lysogeny. Nature Microbiology<\/em> 2, 17064.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles B<\/strong> and F Rohwer. 2017. Reply to Brief Communication Arising: Lysis, lysogeny, and virus-microbe ratios. Nature<\/em> 549: E3-E4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roach T, Abieri M, George E, Knowles B<\/strong>, Smurthwaite C, Haas A, and F Rohwer. 2017. Microbial bioenergetics of coral-algal interactions. PeerJ<\/em> 5: e3423.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles B<\/strong>, Silveira C, Bailey B, Barott K, Cantu V, Cobi\u00e1n-G\u00fcemes A, Coutinho F, Dinsdale E, Felts B, Furby K, George E, Green K*<\/strong>, Gregoracci G, Haas A, Haggerty J, Hester E, Hisakawa N, Kelly LW, Lim YW, Little M, Luque A, McDole-Somera T, McNair K, de Oliveira L, Quistad S, Robinett N, Sala E, Salamon P, Sanchez S, Sandin S, Silva G, Smith J, Sullivan C, Thompson C, Vermeij M, Youle M, Young C, Zgliczynski B, Brainard R, Edwards R, Nulton J, Thompson F, and F Rohwer. 2016. Lytic to temperate switching of viral communities. Nature<\/em> 531; 466\u2013470.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haas A, Fairoz M, Kelly LW, Nelson C, Dinsdale E, Edwards R, Giles S, Hatay M, Hisakawa N, Knowles B<\/strong>, Lim YW, Maughan H, Pantos O, Roach T, Sanchez S, Silveira C, Sandin S, Smith J, and F Rohwer. 2016. Global microbialization of coral reefs. Nature Microbiology<\/em> 1: 16042.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roitman S, Flores-Uribe J, Philosof A, Knowles B<\/strong>, Rohwer F, Ignacio-Espinoza J, Sullivan M, Acinas S, Cornejo-Castillo F, S\u00e1nchez P, Dupont C, and O Beja. 2015. Closing the gaps on the viral photosystem photosystem-I psaDCAB<\/em> gene organization. Environmental Microbiology<\/em>, doi:10.1111\/1462-2920.13036.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haas A, Knowles B<\/strong>, Lim YW, McDole-Somera T, Kelly LW, Hatay M, and F Rohwer. 2014. Unraveling the unseen players in the ocean \u2013 a field guide to water chemistry and marine microbiology. Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE)<\/em>; e52131, doi:10.3791\/52131.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles B<\/strong>. 2014. March from the sea: A brief history of environmental phage ecology from marine to human ecosystems. In Rohwer F, Youle M, Maughan H, and N Hisakawa (Eds.) Life in Our Phage World<\/em>, Wholon Publishing, San Diego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publications in Revision, Review, or Preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diaz B, Knowles B<\/strong>, Johns C, Laber C, Harvey E, Lowenstein D, Hunter J, Haramaty L, Natale F, Bondoc K, Graff J, Haentjens N, Baetge N, Boss E, Carlson C, Behrenfeld M, Van Mooy B, and KD Bidle. Contextualizing phytoplankton accumulation and loss in the North Atlantic with physiological state, virus infection, and mixing dynamics. In revision at Nature Communications<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silveira CB, Luque A, Haas AF, Roach TNF, George EE, Knowles B<\/strong>, Little M, Sullivan CJ, Kelly LW, Brainard R, Rohwer F, and BA Bailey. Microbial predators governing state transitions in coral reefs. In review at Science<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles B<\/strong>, Bonachela J, Cieslik N*, DellaPenna A, Baetge N, Behrenfeld M, Bondoc K, Boss E, Diaz B, Graff J, Halsey K, Haramaty L, Karp-Boss L, Natale F, and KD Bidle. Many mechanisms operate within dilution-based predator-prey assays. Reviewed at Communications Biology<\/em>; in revision for resubmission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles B<\/strong>. An empiricist\u2019s guide to theoretical viral ecology. In preparation for submission to mBio<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles <\/strong>B<\/strong>, Edwards R, Green K*<\/strong>, Haas AF, Hester E, George E, Lim YW, Little M, Kelly LW, Sandin S, Smith J, Young C, Zgliczynski B, F Rohwer, et al. Metagenomic functional profiling of viral communities across the temperate to lytic spectrum. In Preparation for submission to Nature Microbiology<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*<\/strong> Indicates undergraduate authors I mentored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019                Co-PI. \u2018Temperate viral infection as symbiosis in the Emiliania huxleyi<\/em>-EhV system.\u2019 Submitted to Moore Foundation Symbiosis Model Systems (invited for full submission after pre-submission, not funded).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019                Co-PI. \u2018The landscape of stress, death, and virus infection in the annual North Atlantic bloom across different physical mixing regimes and patterns of carbon accumulation and loss.\u2019 Submitted to Joint Genome Institute Community Science Program (invited for full submission after pre-submission, not funded).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2016 – 2018    PI; \u2018Mechanisms of Viral Inhibition of Grazing in the Environment.\u2019 Post-doctoral Research Fellowship from the Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science (funded).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional Service<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reviewer: Current Biology<\/em>, Environmental Microbiology<\/em>, FEMS Microbiology Ecology<\/em>, Frontiers in Microbiology<\/em>, The ISME Journal<\/em>, mBio<\/em>, PLoS One<\/em>, Science Advances<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ad-hoc<\/em> Reviewer: NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synergistic Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015 – 2016    Bioinformatic Breakfast: founded an ongoing working group of biologists and computational scientists to improve inter-disciplinary communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015                Bioinformatics for Ecologists: using my expertise in both ecology and computational science, I initiated and conducted a workshop teaching basic bioinformatics to traditional ecologists and oceanographers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2013 – 2016    Coral Club: coordinated monthly informal outreach meetings and talks from coral reef researchers from across institutions in San Diego, covering and integrating across a broad range of disciplines and interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2011 – 2016    BioMath Group: contributed to weekly interdisciplinary fusion of biological and mathematic approaches and problem-solving for projects across viral ecology, metagenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, thermodynamics, evolution, theoretical modeling, and coral reef biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentoring<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020    ASLO Multicultural Program Mentor and Career and Research Advice Mentorship; Ocean Sciences Meeting Feb 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019                Meeting Mentor at ASLO 2019 Aquatic Sciences<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017-2020       Nicole Cieslik*             Undergraduate Aresty Research Assistant (Rutgers)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physiology- vs. <\/em>density-dependence of viral predation; now lab tech at Gingko BioWorks. *see publications<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2016                Kevin Green*              Undergraduate student ; now Master student (SDSU)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microbial metagenomic sequencing; *see publications<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015 – 2016    Group leader, Holobiont Evolution Group, Rohwer Lab (SDSU): mentored a group with differing experience levels and backgrounds probing symbiotic biological interactions over evolutionary time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2012                Undergraduate Research Program Judge; San Diego State University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invited Talks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov 2020        Oregon State University (virtual)                    Host: Kimberly Halsey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct 2020         Weizmann Institute, Israel (virtual)                 Host: Assaf Vardi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feb 2020         San Diego State University                            Host: Forest Rohwer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct 2019         University of Maine                                         Host: Lee Karp-Boss<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct 2018         University of California, Santa Barbara          Host: Craig Carlson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 2018        Oregon State University                                 Host: Mike Behrenfeld<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 2018       NIOZ, Netherlands                                         Host: Andreas Haas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 2017        University of Bergen, Norway                         Host: Frede Thingstad<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 2016        University of Exeter, UK                                 Host: Tom Richards<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feb 2014         Scripps Institution of Oceanography              Host: Stuart Sandin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conferences and Workshops<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020                Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (San Deigo 2020, San Juan 2019, Portland 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019                American Society for Microbiology ASM Microbe conference, San Francisco, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2018                Gordon Research Conference and Seminar on Marine Microbes, Lucca, Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017 – 2019    NASA North Atlantic Atmospheric and Marine Ecosystem Study Science Team Meetings (annual meetings in 2017, 2018, and 2019), Langley Research Center, Virginia and Corvallis, Oregon, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2016                International Coral Reef Symposium, Honolulu, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015                Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Integrative Microbiology Workshop, Victoria, Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015                Single Cell Genomics Workshop, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015                Year of the Phage Conference, San Diego, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2013                Environmental Virology Workshop, Tucson, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2012                International Coral Reef Symposium, Cairns, Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relevant Research Cruises and Field Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 1000 Scientific SCUBA dives logged, hundreds of hours in small boats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017 – 2018    Characterizing viral mortality terms as drivers in the annual bloom cycle of the North Atlantic Ocean, (R\/V Atlantis<\/em>, Aug-Sept, 2017, Mar-Apr, 2018); NASA NAAMES project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017                Emiliania huxleyi<\/em> \u2013 virus mesocosm experiments, Bergen, Norway (shore-based, May-June, 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015                Microbial virus- and protist-predation dynamics along a disturbance gradient in the near-shore waters of Cura\u00e7ao, South Caribbean Sea (shore-based, April 2015).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2012 – 2015    Characterizing coral reef viral and microbial communities in the Manu\u2019a Islands group (2015), North-West Hawaiian Islands (2013), and from Hawai\u2019i to American Samoa (2012) collaborating with NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (NOAA RV Hi\u2019ialakai<\/em>; 3 cruises, 4 months at sea).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2011                Characterizing biological and optical properties of the Bering and Chukchi Seas to develop remote sensing algorithms (USCG Cutter Healy<\/em>, June-August 2011); NASA Icescape project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2003- 2010     Extensive small boating and Scientific SCUBA diving work in the Great Barrier Reef (especially Heron Island) and Moreton Bay, Australia, and Catalina Island, California, USA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ben Knowles \u2013 Curriculum Vitae bwknowles@ucla.edu Professional Preparation 2016 – 2020    Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Marine and Coastal                                                            Sciences, Rutgers University 2011 – 2016    Doctorate in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University (UCSD\/SDSU Joint Program) 2001 – 2005    Bachelor of Science in Ecology and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":747,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/747"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45,"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions\/45"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.lifesci.ucla.edu\/eeb-knowleslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}