September 2022 Spotlight: Mandi Feinberg

I am beginning my fourth year as a PhD candidate in the Molecular Biophysics track of BCMB in Dr. Kay Choi’s lab. My research interests are in virology and structural biology. I got involved in research during undergrad at Virginia Commonwealth University through a Phage Discovery course where I isolated a mycobacterium phage from a soil sample. Visualizing my phage via electron microscopy was one of the most fascinating and rewarding experiences and little did I realize that it was the start of my career in structural biology. My current research focuses on determining the mechanism for synthesis of the West Nile virus genome. I am utilizing biophysical assays and X-ray crystallography to determine the structures and interactions of the viral polymerase (NS5) with the RNA promoter (stem-loop A) structure at the beginning of the 5’ untranslated region of the viral RNA genome.

My love of science extends outside the lab to my love of baking. There are many days where you might be able to find some baked goods or bread outside the lab. If I am not in the lab or baking, you can usually catch me at the island brewery or taking too many photos of my cat, Franklin, named after one of my favorite scientists. You can follow me on twitter @MandiFeinberg!