Diana Lima was the first participant of the CIMAS/MDC internship program in 2022, mentored by Stephanie Rosales and Katie Eaton. At Miami-Dade College (MDC), she was a chemical engineering student and interested in environmental research. During her CIMAS/MDC internship she looked at bacteria in corals from coral restoration sites. Specifically, she worked on tracking the bacteria, Aquarickettsia in the coral Acropora cervicornis. She gained familiarity with various molecular lab techniques such as DNA extractions with the King Fisher, a semi-automated DNA extraction method, and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) to quantify the bacteria. During her internship, she also learned about the research conducted at the NOAA laboratory and got to connect with other interns.
Currently, she is a rising senior at Florida International University majoring in chemistry. After she graduates, she plans on going to graduate school and conducting research on nanomaterials with environmental applications. When she is not in the lab, she enjoys raising butterflies, reading books, and spending time at the beach.
