Byrille Galon

Home Institution: University of the Philippines Visayas

Host Institution: Auburn University

Program: MS in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences

Byrille completed her bachelor's degree in Fisheries (cum laude) at the University of the Philippines Visayas in 2017. After her degree, she worked as a Special Science Teacher I for two years as part of the return service for the DOST RA 10612 Scholarship Program (Fast-Tracked S&T Scholarship Act of 2013), where she spearheaded competitive student projects for Science and Engineering research competitions in the region. Byrille is currently employed as Instructor 3 in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas. As a faculty member, she has led several bridging programs on core courses for graduate and undergraduate students to meet the expected learning outcomes that were hampered during the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from that, she is actively involved in the college's public service initiatives, including website design, immersion programs for senior high school students, and the publication of several IEC materials for fisherfolks. Her research interest is geared towards maximizing the potential of microorganisms in the exploration of new bioactive compounds from aquatic products with relevant applications in aquaculture, postharvest fisheries, and the food industry.

As a Fulbright scholar, Byrille will spend two years at Auburn University under the supervision of Dr. Timothy Bruce. Her project will focus on the encapsulation of microbial-derived bioactive compounds using micro/nanomaterial carrier matrices to improve their stability, release kinetics, biocompatibility, and overall sensory attributes.