Mahala Peter-Frank earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she majored in marine biology; microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics; and European languages and transcultural studies, with a concentration in French and Francophone studies. At UCLA, she began her research career as a research assistant characterizing microbial communities associated with floating algal rafts in the South Pacific. She later conducted independent research investigating the effects of dredging on seagrass-associated microbial communities in the Port of Los Angeles. Mahala has also contributed to research projects at the following institutions: the University of Southern California, where she investigated a novel coral bleaching methodology; at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where she optimized picocyanobacterial collection and DNA extraction protocols; and at the University of Texas at El Paso, where she examined how parasite load influences sunfish coloration. Her long-term goal is to lead international, interdisciplinary research teams focused on marine microbiology and its applications to sustainability initiatives and marine natural product discovery.
As a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar, Mahala is conducting research on the secondary metabolites of polar marine actinomycetes. These microbes are being isolated from Arctic fjord sediment samples and cultivated, then used to produce crude extracts which are being screened for therapeutic potential. Any compounds with anticancer or antimicrobial properties will thus be identified.