Members

Thomas Bunt

Thomas Bunt: Group Leader. Mr. Thomas Bunt is the Group Leader for the Environmental Biology Group in the Biosciences and Biotechnology Division (BBTD) at LLNL. He has worked for over 12 years at LLNL on biothreat agent detection and characterization in environmental sample matrices. His research interests are deploying molecular diagnostics on a nationwide scale to enhance the sensitivity, specificity, and productivity of analytical laboratories in order to provide timely response to biothreats. He currently supports LLNL’s Global Security Directorate/S-Program on projects focused on characterizing and recovering from environmental contamination events. Prior to working for LLNL, Mr. Bunt researched genetic divergence among fishes in the Bahamas. He developed molecular markers to assess gene flow between emerging fish species to better understand the process and pace of speciation.

Jason Olivas

Jason Olivas: Jason graduated from Foothill High School in Pleasanton, CA.  Jason worked as a phlebotomist at Valley Care Health System while attending Cal State Hayward where he majored in Biology with an emphasis in molecular cell biology. 

After graduating from college, Jason joined LLNL to work on the Human Genome Project at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI).  After 4 years at the JGI, Jason returned to LLNL to assist with various projects for DHS, DARPA, and the FDA.  In 2016, Jason was asked to join an FSC chemical analysis lab which is currently working on various WCI-funded projects utilizing HPLC, GCMS, and LCMS analysis techniques. 

Sarah Fellows

Sarah Fellows: Sarah joined the lab in 2020 as the General Supervisor for the CLIA-certified CROWN lab to help bring clinical SARS-CoV-2 testing to LLNL. She has a B.S. in Molecular Biology from University of California San Diego and completed her rotations for her Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) license at University of California Irvine. Sarah has over 10 years of laboratory experience in clinical molecular diagnostics and led the CROWN team to the College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation for the clinical laboratory. 

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Teneile Alfaro: Teneile began her career at LLNL while still a student and became a full time employee in 2005. She has a degree in Wildlife Biology from UC Davis.

Teneile’s main research has focused on improvement of current processing and sampling methods of environmental samples created during decontamination efforts related a release of biological agents. Her work with Staci Kane to develop the Rapid-Viability Polymerase Chain Reaction (RV-PCR) Method protocols for application and distribution to several government agencies including the EPA’s LRN network has led to their participation in multiple mock release events testing high throughput sample processing and rapid viability analysis protocols which have been developed and evaluated for their ability to accommodate environmental samples and surface samples with outdoor debris and provide detection of low-levels of viable biological agents.

She alsosupports the rare plant monitoring and restoration project at site 300 which focuses on the rare annual wildflower, the large-flowered fiddleneck (Amsinckia grandiflora) as well as the endangered diamond-petaled California poppy (Eschscholzia rhombipetala). She also works on other environmental monitoring projects such as managing habitat for California red-legged frogs, monitoring of demography and habitat of species such as the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) and the alameda whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus).

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Staci Kane: Dr. Staci Kane is an environmental microbiologist, who has been at LLNL since 1998. She has B.S. (UW-Madison) and M.S. degrees (Ohio State Univ.) in Soil Science/Agronomy and a Ph.D. in Microbiology (UT-Knoxville). Staci has worked on environmental monitoring of specific microbial populations and their activities for over 20 years, applying real-time PCR and other molecular-based analysis methods, as well as chemical analysis methods to environmental samples. Projects have included studying TCE (solvent) and MTBE (gasoline additive) biodegradation, denitrification, re-oxidation of bioreduced uranium, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in groundwater. Staci has supported biothreat monitoring activities through the BioWatch program including directing laboratory analysis work, establishing QA/QC practices/procedures, conducting surrogate release field studies, developing sample analysis protocols, and evaluating new assays, collectors, and analysis platforms. In partnership with EPA, her team has developed and applied rapid viability PCR-based methods to environmental samples, including both DNA- and RNA-based approaches and high throughput (semi-automated) sample processing for biothreat agent characterization and remediation. Other efforts have included development and evaluation of novel wide-area decontamination methods for B. anthracis spores.