John majored in Biology at the University of Wyoming.  He received his Master's in Botany from Colorado State University, studying pollen development in corn.  He has worked in many different labs  at CSU as a research associate studying everything from RNA polymerase I in amoebas to RNA virus interactions with mammalian cells.  In the Avanzi lab, John mainly works on extracting RNA and DNA out of an array of tissues and organisms, including mice, armadillo and humans.  Away from the lab, John enjoys spending time with family, including raising his 9 year old son while skiing, hiking and fishing.

Q. How many bands would you have if you were an armadillo?

A. 9