Christine Atkinson is a graduate student researcher at the University of Illinois. Her research focuses on photorespiratory bypass system designs and how they may increase plant production efficiency by minimizing nutrient losses. For the RIPE project, she will be investigating options for engineering photorespiratory bypass system using an algae model. Christine earned her bachelor's degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has earned her master's degree in nutritional sciences from Illinois. She is currently working towards her doctorate. Her work is published in many peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of American Oil Chemists' Society, Journal of Nutrition and the Journal of Infectious Diseases.