About
Dr. Kimberly Metris has 20 years of experience in biotech research and is a flight instructor and commercial pilot (aircraft/drones). She holds a PhD in genetics and is faculty at Clemson University. Prior to her appointment at Clemson, she led the state genetics lab for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. She earned a Masters in Zoology from the University of Pretoria where she was part of a team of local scientists researching microbial ecology of diseases including bovine tuberculosis and blood parasite co-infection at the human-livestock-wildlife interface throughout South Africa and Zimbabwe. Her current research in airborne sensors for precision biology applications has produced publications (in review, press, and published) as a result of this technology.
Visit Dr. Metris's Faculty Profile.
How their research is transforming health care
Her research develops sensors and airborne instrumentation for One Health Genomics to understand environmental impacts of airborne microbes, air pollutants, emerging toxics and emissions on human, animal, plant, and planetary health, air quality, climate and biodiversity. The technology emerging from her research provides precision genomic data to inform rapid response strategies for health, food security, and environmental sustainability, with potential to transform airborne monitoring and biological intelligence.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
One Health, Environmental Health, Airborne Metagenomics, Airborne Pathogens, Atmospheric Allergens, Population Health and Air Quality Assessment, Disease Ecology
News and media related to their research
PeerJ Video Abstract - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lNVLedumsA
Piloting skydivers leads Clemson geneticist to develop system to reveal DNA in the sky - https://news.clemson.edu/piloting-skydivers-leads-clemson-geneticist-to-develop-system-to-reveal-dna-in-the-sky/
Clemson World Magazine Feature – “The Sky is Not the Limit: For Kimberly Métris Ph.D. ’15, science plus flying equals ground-breaking research” - https://clemson.world/metris/
Earthly Podcast, S-1, E-6 – “Researcher flies the skies collecting airborne genetic material” -https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/2023/11/14/s-1-e-6-researcher-flies-the-skies-collecting-airborne-genetic-material/
New study reveals a revolutionary approach to studying airborne genetic material. News Medical Life Sciences - https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230515/New-study-reveals-a-revolutionary-approach-to-studying-airborne-genetic-material.aspx. Emily Henderson. May 15, 2023
Bacteria found thousands of metres high in the sky. The Microbiologist. Linda Stewart - https://www.the-microbiologist.com/news/bacteria-found-thousands-of-metres-high-in-the-sky/1032.article. May 16, 2023
More biological material than believed floating at high altitude in the atmosphere - https://time.news/more-biological-material-than-believed-floating-at-high-altitude-in-the-atmosphere/. May 28, 2023
DNA in the sky. The Sentinel-Progress. Jul 17, 2023 link Top Story/Editor’s Pick - The Times & Democrat - https://thetandd.com/news/state-and-regional/clemson-geneticist-dna-in-the-sky/article_f0b08840-2003-11ee-8391-47d380fdc89b.html. Jul 21, 2023
Genetics in the sky: Piloting skydivers leads Clemson geneticist to develop system to reveal DNA - https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/clemson-geneticist-dna-in-the-sky/article_210ea43c-6f94-5ea5-af47-b4a3e3fcce46.html. Victoria Advocate. Jul 21, 2023
