Emily Mevers

Emily Mevers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Virginia Tech's College of Science, where she established her research program in August 2020. Her lab investigates ecological metabolomes to discover bioactive natural products with therapeutic potential, focusing on underexplored niches like marine egg masses and millipede secretions.

Education:

• B.S. in Chemistry, University of South Florida (2009)
• M.S. in Organic Chemistry, University of California San Diego (2011)
• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, University of California San Diego (2014)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School (2014-2016)
• Research Associate, Harvard Medical School (2017-2020)

Research Focus: Dr. Mevers employs a function-first discovery approach to isolate natural products evolved for specific ecological roles. Her work centers on marine egg mass microbiomes (seeking predation-deterrent compounds for cancer/infection applications) and deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems (studying electron shuttles for mineral respiration). This integrates chemical ecology, organic synthesis, and microbial physiology to bridge ecological function with drug discovery.

Publication Trends: Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in millipede defensive chemistry (5 articles), marine egg mass microbiomes (4 articles), and bacterial electron transfer (3 articles). Her work consistently links ecological function to bioactive compound discovery, with increasing focus on computational prediction of redox properties and host-microbe chemical interactions since 2023.

Scientific Recognition:

• American Society of Pharmacognosy Postdoctoral Research Fellow Travel Award (2015)
• Teddy Traylor Award (2013)
• David Carew Graduate Student Travel Award (2013)
• Biochemistry of Growth Regulation and Oncogenesis NIH Trainee (2011-2014)

Research Leadership: Dr. Mevers directs the Mevers Lab at Virginia Tech, mentoring graduate students in natural product discovery. Her prior NIH-funded training and current institutional support enable access to advanced instrumentation for metabolomics and bioassay development. She actively collaborates with marine biologists for sample collection and ecologists for functional validation.

Research Infrastructure: The lab operates from 3103 Hahn Hall South, utilizing NMR, mass spectrometry, and microbial culturing facilities. Current projects include chemical profiling of marine invertebrate microbiomes, millipede alkaloid biosynthesis studies, and high-throughput screening of redox mediators – all aligned with Virginia Tech's strategic focus on One Health initiatives.