Dr. Alona Chepiha joins Seafood Lab

The NC State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) welcomes Dr. Alona Chepiha to its Seafood Lab.  Chepiha earned a PhD of Agricultural Sciences “Genetics” from the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics in the Ukraine.  Most recently, she served as a biotechnologist in the protein engineering lab for a private company where her responsibilities included DNA/RNA manipulations. 

Dr. Alex Chouljenko, director of the Seafood Lab, says, as a postdoctoral researcher in the NC State Seafood Lab at CMAST, “Alona will primarily be working on a USDA NIFA funded grant project titled, Development of a Rapid, Non-invasive, and Low-cost DNA-based Method for Sex Determination in Russian Sturgeon.”  Chepiha explains that “This research will include performing various molecular analyses of DNA collected from the fish, as well as assisting with handling and caring for aquacultured fish.

 I will carry out other seafood science-related work in the areas of aquaculture, post-harvest processing, food safety, food quality, product development, and utilization of byproducts under the guidance of Dr. Alex Chouljenko.”   Chouljenko says, “We are glad to have Alona Chepiha working with the Seafood Lab as an expert in animal genetics.  Please give her a warm welcome.”