Irene Newton

Irene Newton is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Indiana University-Bloomington, serving as Primary Instructor for the Molecular Microbiology Lab (SEA-PHAGES Section) in Fall 2024. This in situ phage discovery course utilizes Arthrobacter globiformis as host bacterium with 11 students meeting twice weekly for 5 total hours.

Her research spans:

• Microbial genomics and phage evolution
• Undergraduate science education pedagogy
• Molecular microbiology techniques
• Genomic annotation workflows

Professor Newton actively contributes to the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program, developing educational resources including phage discovery guides and bioinformatics protocols. She participates in national program events such as the Phage Genomics Workshop and SEA Symposium.

As part of the SEA Team, she supports the program's infrastructure through forum engagement and resource development for the Phage Discovery Guide, Bioinformatics Guide, and genomic analysis tools. Her work focuses on integrating authentic research experiences into undergraduate curricula through the nationwide phage genomics initiative.