Michael Anthony Diaz

Michael Anthony Diaz serves as a Lecturer at Skyline College within the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. He is the primary instructor for BTEC 484 (In Silico Phage Genomics/Bioinformatics) during Fall 2025 and an additional instructor for the Spring 2025 section, teaching 28 and 29 freshmen students respectively. The courses utilize Arthrobacter globiformis as the bacterial host and involve 5 weekly hours of computational genomic analysis.

His research focuses on:

• Phage genome annotation and evolutionary analysis
• Bioinformatics pipeline development for microbial genomics
• Undergraduate research integration in genomic discovery
• Host-phage interaction dynamics

As part of the SEA-PHAGES consortium, Dr. Diaz collaborates with instructors Nick Kapp and Rocky Ng to implement HHMI-funded curricula that provide authentic research experiences. His work emphasizes computational approaches to bacteriophage genomics within community college settings.

Scientific Awards: No awards documented in source material.

He advises undergraduate students in phage genome annotation through the SEA-PHAGES framework, supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute grants. Course structures include guided genome analysis, annotation validation, and submission to genomic databases.

The SEA-PHAGES team at Skyline College operates within a national network of institutions advancing phage genomics education, utilizing platforms like PhagesDB and Genome Exchange for collaborative research.