Arun Muthiah

Arun Muthiah is a Lecturer in the Department of Biology at La Sierra University. He serves as an Additional Instructor for the SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) program's Biology course (Biol 115L) during Spring Quarter 2025, conducting phage discovery research using Microbacterium paraoxydans as the host bacterium with 18 undergraduate students.

His research focuses on bacteriophage genomics and microbial evolution through the HHMI-funded SEA-PHAGES initiative. This national program integrates authentic research into undergraduate curricula, emphasizing phage isolation, genomic analysis, and bioinformatics to advance understanding of viral diversity and host-pathogen interactions.

Muthiah co-instructs a six-hour weekly laboratory course that engages students in hands-on microbiology research. The program structure includes phage discovery, genome annotation, and collaborative data sharing through platforms like PhagesDB, fostering student development in genomic science and evolutionary biology.