I am interested in using non-model systems to address industry and societal needs. My experience with protozoan parasites led me to develop a genetic system for producing proteins of interest or serving as a new vaccine delivery platform. This protozoan can be grown axenically in a fully defined medium without a host, reaching densities of 10^8 cells/ml. Genetic tools include transfection and CRISPR/Cas9. I am prepared to develop similar tools for other microorganisms. Another area of research involves understanding how bivalves defend against pathogens without adaptive immunity.