Summary
Mike Lee is a microbial ecologist and bioinformatician with a decade of experience probing microbial life from deep marine environments to the International Space Station. As a Principal Investigator at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center and research scientist with Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, he blends field ecology, space biology, and scalable phylogenomics methods. His background includes NASA roles and a USC PhD focused on photoautotroph–heterotroph interactions, informing hands-on experiments and computational workflows alike. Mike builds accessible tools and teaching resources—such as GToTree and a bioinformatics primer—aimed at bringing phylogenomics to broader audiences. He is comfortable translating complex microbiome datasets into reproducible analyses for both fundamental astrobiology questions and applied biodefense. Based in Frederick, MD, he pairs rigorous academic training with practical lab and software development experience that spans from freeze-drying microbes to publishing spaceflight-relevant omics.
10 years of coding experience
4 years of employment as a software developer
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Biology, Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Biology at University of Southern California
Bachelor of Science (BS), Biology, Bachelor of Science (BS), Biology at Kean University
Associate of Science - AS, Biology, General, Associate of Science - AS, Biology, General at Ocean County College