Ellis Torrance
- Program Years: 2020-2024
- Academic Institution: University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Field of Study: Environmental Health Science
- Academic Advisor: Louis-Marie Bobay
- Practicum(s):
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2022) - Degree(s):
B.S. Biology, Portland State University, 2018; A.S. Allied Health, Columbia Junior College, 2012
Current Status
- Research Area: Environmental Health Science
Publications
Torrance, E.L., Burton, C., Diop, A., Bobay, LM. (2023) Evolution of Homologous Recombination Rates Across Bacteria. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Accepted.Diop, A., Torrance,E.L., Stott, C.M., Bobay, LM. (2022). Gene Flow and Introgression are Pervasive Forces Shaping the Evolution of Bacterial Species. Genome Biology vol 23, 1 239. 10 Nov. 2022, doi:10.1186/s13059-022-02809-5
Pratt, A. A., Torrance, E. L., Kasun, G. W., Stedman, K. M., & de la Higuera, I. (2021). StemLoop-Finder: a Tool for the Detection of DNA Hairpins with Conserved Motifs. Microbiology resource announcements, 10(26), e0042421. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00424-21
Connor D Harris, Ellis L Torrance, Kasie Raymann, Louis-Marie Bobay, CoreCruncher: fast and robust construction of core genomes in large prokaryotic datasets, Molecular Biology and Evolution, , msaa224, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaa224
Ignacio de la Higuera, George W. Kasun, Ellis L. Torrance, Alyssa A. Pratt, et al., Unveiling Crucivirus Diversity by Mining Metagenomic Data, mBio Sep 2020, 11 (5) e01410-20; DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01410-20
De la Higuera, I., Torrance, E. L., Pratt, A. A., Kasun, G. W., Maluenda, A.,
Stedman, K. M. (2019). Genome Sequences of Three Cruciviruses Found in the
Willamette Valley (Oregon). Microbiology Resource Announcements, 8(23), e00447-19.
Symposium Presentations:
Torrance E, De La Higuera N, Kasun G, Stedman K. Gotta Catch 'em All: Environmental Recovery of Complete Cruciviral Sequences for Comparative Genomics and Host Elucidation. Oral Presentation: Better Know a Lab, Biology Investigations and Outreach Society; 2017. Portland, OR
Torrance E. Going Viral: How Viruses Shape Our World. Oral Presentation: Ladies Lab Night - Women in STEM, The Science Outreach Society; 2018, Portland, OR
Torrance E, De La Higuera N, Kasun G, Stedman K. From the Sequence to the Field: Working to Understand Cruciviral Origins through Sequence Recovery and Host Elucidation. Digital Presentation: Sigma Xi Student Research Showcase; 2018, Online
Torrance E, Stedman K. Microvirus - Macro Story: Exploring Diversity of a Microvirus Partial Genome Recovered from an Oregon Peat Bog. Ronald E. McNair Scholar Symposium; 2018 Portland, OR
Torrance E. 'Trait Analysis and Evolution'. Invited Workshop and Guest Lecture: Union Pines High School; 2020. Cameron, NC
Peeples C, Torrance E, Marsonette B, Lyon C. The Quantitative Effects of Varied Nitrogen Levels on the Rhizobial Symbiosis of P. lunatus and C. Rosea. Poster Presentation: Portland State University's Course-Based Undergraduate Research Symposium; 2017. Portland, OR
Torrance E, De La Higuera N, Stedman K Analysis of Complete Cruciviral Sequences for Comparative Genomics and Host Elucidation. Poster Presentation: Sigma Xi Columbia-Willamette 14th Annual Student Research Symposium; 2017. Portland, OR
Torrance E, De La Higuera N, Kasun G, Stedman K. Environmental Recovery of Complete Cruciviral Sequences for Comparative Genomics and Host Elucidation. Poster Presentation: American Society for Virology 2018 Annual Meeting; 2018, College Park, Maryland
Torrance E, De La Higuera N, Kasun G, Stedman K. Environmental Recovery of Complete Cruciviral Sequences for Comparative Genomics and Host Elucidation. Poster Presentation: U.S. DOE Joint Genome Institute Microbial and Metagenomics Workshop; 2018 Walnut Creek, CA
Torrance E, Diop A., Burton C., Bobay LM. Sex Isn't Everything: Estimating Recombination Rates Across Bacterial Lineages: Duke University Research Computing Symposium; 2020 Durham, NC
Torrance E.L., Diop A., Bobay LM. Estimating the Contribution and Variation of Adaptive Evolution Across Bacterial Species, American Society of Microbiology (ASM) World Microbe Forum; 2021 International Virtual Conference
Torrance E.L., Diop A., Bobay LM. Bacteria Don't Remain Neutral on the Matter: Differential Contribution of Adaptive Evolution Across Bacterial Species, Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE), SMBEv2021, 2021 International Virtual Conference
Torrance E.L., Roux S. Differentiating Between Prophage and Phage-like Host Machinery in Bacterial Genomes. Poster Presentation: Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) Genomics of Energy and Environment Annual Meeting, August 2022,
Berkeley, CA.
Torrance E.L., Roux S. Differentiating Between Prophage and Phage-like Host Machinery in Bacterial Genomes. Flash Talk & Poster Presentation: Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) Viral Ecogenomics & Applications Annual Meeting, October 2022,
Berkeley, CA.
Awards
First Place - Communicate Your Science and Engineering (CYSE) Essay Contest, 2021 - Title: "Sex Isn't Everything"Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) 2020-Present
Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Honorable Mention National Science
Foundation (NSF) 2019
Portland State University McNair Scholar 2017-2018 Ronald E. McNair Research
Funding and Scholarship
Cum Laude Honors - Portland State University BS in Biology with Chemistry Minor
First Place Award in Undergraduate Biology Division Sigma Xi C-W 14 th Annual
Student Research Symposium November 14, 2017
Sigma Xi Research Honors Society Membership Award November 14, 2017
ASV Travel Grant Award Recipient 2018 Annual Meeting at University of Maryland,
American Society for Virology
AAAS and Sigma Xi Pacific Division Travel Grant AAAS 99th Annual Meeting at Cal
Poly Pomona
C-W Sigma Xi Travel Grant Award Recipient 2018 Annual Meeting at University of
Maryland, American Society for Virology
Dean's list Spring and Fall 2016
President's List Summer 2016
Portland State University Access Grant: 2015-2017
Oregon Opportunity Grant (ORSNG): 2013-2018
Federal Pell Grant: 2013-2018