Amber LaPeruta

Amber LaPeruta serves as a Lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was the Primary Instructor for the SEA-PHAGES program's in silico section (phage genomics and bioinformatics) during Spring 2022. This course engaged 18 undergraduate students in computational analysis of bacteriophage genomes using Gordonia bacterial hosts including Gordonia lacunae, Gordonia rubripertincta, Gordonia terrae, and Gordonia westfalica.

Her research and teaching focus on bioinformatics and microbial genomics, with specialized expertise in phage-host interactions and computational genome annotation. She employs interdisciplinary approaches bridging wet-lab microbiology with dry-lab genomic analysis, emphasizing undergraduate research training through the national Science Education Alliance initiative.

As part of the HHMI-funded SEA-PHAGES consortium, LaPeruta contributes to a collaborative network advancing genomic literacy and evolutionary science education. Her work supports curriculum development in phage genomics while facilitating student-driven discovery of novel bacteriophages through bioinformatics pipelines.