Deborah Harbour

Deborah Harbour is a Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Biological Sciences at the College of Southern Nevada, actively contributing to the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. She serves as a key faculty member in this national initiative that integrates undergraduate research with genomic education.

Her research focuses on bacteriophage discovery and genomic characterization, advancing understanding of microbial evolution through hands-on student projects. She develops curriculum resources including the Phage Discovery Guide, Bioinformatics Guide, and Phage Genomics Guide, emphasizing practical applications in genomic analysis and evolutionary biology.

Professor Harbour organizes critical program events such as the annual Phage Discovery Workshops (e.g., Workshop 18B in June 2025 and Workshop 18C in July 2025) and the upcoming 2025 Phage Genomics Workshop (December 2025). She actively participates in the SEA Symposium and Faculty Meetings, fostering collaboration across institutions.

Funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, her work supports nationwide sequencing initiatives (2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years) and maintains resources like the Annotation Forum and Phage Genomics Guide. She engages with the scientific community through SEA forums discussing faculty opportunities and program developments.