Martel DenHartog

Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub (TECH) Manager

University of Wisconsin-Madison

About

As the Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub (TECH) manager, Martel oversees the TECH isolate collection of antibiotic-producing strains from Tiny Earth institutions across the United States, conducts DNA extractions for whole genome sequencing, supports TECH scientists, and liaises between TECH and the broad Tiny Earth network. She works to advance Tiny Earth’s communication and public science outreach strategies through newsletter campaigns, Tiny Earth Partner Instructor trainings, and events. In 2022 and 2023, she led the Tiny Earth Summer Research Course, a 10-week research experience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for students enrolled at two-year colleges.

Martel was introduced to Tiny Earth as an independent research project while attending Luther College. Following this project, she assisted with the Tiny Earth microbiology course and after earning her B.A. in 2019, she moved to Madison to lead the Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub where antibiotic discovery extends beyond the classroom.

In 2025, Martel earned an M.S. in Life Sciences Communication from UW–Madison where she studied factors that influence how the public searches for information about antibiotic resistance.