Carl J. Stone
2310 Elliott Ave Apt 129, Nashville, TN 37204
📞 (612) 207-6224
📧 carl.j.stone@vanderbilt.edu
Education
Vanderbilt University
Ph.D. Candidate in Biology
August 2020 – Present
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Bachelor of Science magna cum laude in Microbiology
August 2014 – May 2018
Research Experience
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Ph.D. Candidate – Dr. Megan Behringer, Department of Biological Sciences
May 2021 – Present
- Investigating genetic and epigenetic adaptations to starvation in E. coli
- Published CoMMA R package for methylation analysis using third-generation sequencing
- First-author publication on epigenetic changes in experimentally evolved bacteria
- Co-author on emergence of semi-stable subpopulations in E. coli
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Research Assistant – Dr. Shaun Brinsmade, Department of Biology
September 2018 – June 2020
- Studied nutritional regulation of virulence in Staphylococcus aureus
- Used molecular cloning, phage transduction, qPCR, and GFP reporters
- Mentored undergrads and trained grad students
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
Undergraduate Researcher – Dr. Michael Sadowsky
May 2017 – May 2018
- Compared microbial ecology tools: mothur, QIIME, DADA2
- Completed undergraduate honors thesis
Veterinary Diagnostic Lab – University of Minnesota
Student Lab Technician, Lab for Udder Health
April 2016 – August 2017
- Performed microbiological testing: culture, plate counts, antibiotic sensitivity, MALDI-TOF
Honors and Awards
Vanderbilt University
- Best Oral Presentation, Department of Biological Sciences ($200), Spring 2024
SouthEastern Population Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics Conference
- Best Graduate Student Oral Presentation, Fall 2021
Publications
- Stone CJ, Boyer GF, and Behringer MG. 2023. Differential adenine methylation analysis reveals increased variability in 6mA in the absence of methyl-directed mismatch repair. mBio, 14:e01289-23.
- Pendleton A, Yeo W-S, Alqahtani S, DiMaggio DA Jr., Stone CJ, et al. 2022. Regulation of the Sae two-component system by branched-chain fatty acids in Staphylococcus aureus. mBio, 13:e01472-22.
- Behringer MG, Ho W-C, Meraz JC, Miller SF, Boyer GF, Stone CJ, et al. 2022. Complex ecotype dynamics evolve in response to fluctuating resources. mBio, 13:e03467-21.
- Mlynek KD, Bulock LL, Stone CJ, et al. 2020. Genetic and biochemical analysis of CodY-mediated cell aggregation in Staphylococcus aureus reveals an interaction between extracellular DNA and polysaccharide in the extracellular matrix. Journal of Bacteriology, 202.
Conference Presentations
- Stone CJ, Behringer MG. A Bayesian framework for longitudinal analysis of transposon insertion-based fitness screens. Oral presentation, Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, Montreal, July 2024. Watch on YouTube
- Stone CJ, Behringer MG. Differential adenine methylation analysis reveals 6mA variability after experimental evolution. Poster, The Allied Genetics Conference, March 2024.
- Stone CJ, Behringer MG. Increased variability in adenine methylation in the absence of methyl-directed mismatch repair in Escherichia coli. Poster, Evolution 2022, Cleveland, July 2022.
- Stone CJ, Behringer MG. Epigenetic changes during long-term experimental evolution in E. coli. Talk, SEPEEG Conference, Athens, GA, October 2021.
Teaching and Mentoring Experience
Teaching Assistant, Principles of Genetics – Vanderbilt University
Fall 2021 and 2022
- Led weekly recitation sessions with 10–20 undergraduates
- Graded assessments and reinforced conceptual understanding
Graduate Mentor, Behringer Lab – Vanderbilt University
Fall 2021 – Fall 2022
- Mentored junior grad students and guided lab onboarding