About This Project
Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy communities. Working with Salinas community members, participants collect soil samples and explore microbial life. We are supporting community workshops that explore microbial diversity in the Salinas Valley. Using a mobile, community-based DNA sequencing platform, we hope this project supports community data sovereignty in genomics.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
Environmental microbiome research is increasingly used to understand soil health and agricultural practices that directly affect communities. Soil microbiome data can reveal how farming systems shape soil function and resilience, but these data are also sensitive because they reflect local stewardship decisions, land histories, and food practices. When environmental data are stored or interpreted outside the community, they can be misunderstood, misused, or separated from local knowledge.
A core need of this work is community control over the data it generates. Community-owned servers allow participants to store, explore, and interpret soil microbiome data themselves, rather than relying on external institutions. This approach supports data sovereignty, builds trust, and ensures that knowledge produced from community land remains accessible to the people who steward it.
What is the significance of this project?
This project is scientifically significant because it examines how different agricultural practices shape soil microbial diversity in the Salinas Valley. By supporting community-centered workshops where intergenerational community members explore soil biodiversity using DNA sequencing, this project supports local sovereignty through science. The data collected will help clarify links between farming practices and soil health, with implications for sustainable agriculture and food systems. In addition, coupling microbiome analysis with community-controlled data storage offers a model for ethically conducting environmental research while preserving data integrity and local access.
What are the goals of the project?
The primary goal of this project is to address a variety of community-led research projects focused on soil biodiversity. This includes the effects of pesticides, a recent battery fire nearby, environmental restoration efforts, and more.
In parallel, the project aims to establish a framework for community-controlled data analysis and storage by developing local servers where sequencing data, metadata, and field observations are housed. This supports transparent analysis, reproducibility, and long-term access to the data while reinforcing ethical data governance. Together, these goals advance understanding of how agricultural practices influence soil microbiomes while grounding the research in community stewardship and data sovereignty.
Budget
In November 2025-January 2026, we hosted community DNA sequencing workshops.
We are seeking funding for a biology-focused, hands-on curriculum where students build their own data servers to learn how biological data should be ethically stored, protected, and governed. By assembling personal servers, participants gain direct experience managing access to sensitive biological information.
This is essential preparation for working with microbiome and environmental DNA sequencing data, where issues of consent, privacy, and data sovereignty are increasingly important. Students learn that biology is not only about collecting samples, but also about responsibly stewarding the data those samples generate.
Importantly, at this stage, we would like to buy a single server as a proof of concept that there is technological and procedural capabilities for communities to have sovereignty over their own data, specifically microbial data from Salinas-based soils.
Endorsed by
Project Timeline
Our first workshops ran from Nov-Dec 2025. We are running a second set of workshops in Jan 2026. In the spring, we will design the teaching module, including microbiome analysis and data sovereignty activities. The module will be implemented in the summer at BioJam, a science and art camp for migrant teens. Students will analyze the sequencing results, learn environmental microbiology, and build personal servers to practice data sovereignty with their findings.
Dec 06, 2025
Read Soil Microbiome DNA - Nanopore minION
Dec 13, 2025
Preliminary Soil Sequencing Data Analysis - Coldsprings Harbor Pipeline
Jan 27, 2026
Project Launched
Mar 02, 2026
Curriculum Drafting - Develop teaching materials for microbiome interpretation, environmental context, and data sovereignty principles.
Apr 01, 2026
Module Design - Create lesson plans, hands-on activities, and server-building guides. Identify needed equipment and finalize budget.
Meet the Team
Annel Andrea Leon
I am a Quechua bioengineer and community scientist focused on making science accessible, culturally relevant, and accountable to the communities it serves. My work combines molecular biology, data science, and public engagement. At Stanford, I conduct research on genome-edited hematopoietic stem cells for lysosomal storage disorders. Outside the Stanford lab, I lead community-based science efforts. I organized a two-day Foldscope workshop for high school students in Ayacucho, Peru, and created bilingual microscopy lessons tailored to local context. As Vice President of BioJam, I co-develop hands-on STEM workshops for migrant youth in the Salinas Valley. I also received training in Indigenous data sovereignty through the IndigiData Summer Institute and returned as a teaching assistant to support other Indigenous students in data science.
Callie Chappell
Callie is a postdoctoral research scholar in the Department of Biology at Stanford University studying soil microbiomes in agricultural systems. They have a PhD in Biology and are passionate about advancing science that centers the needs and expertise of local communities. In addition to scientific research, they have a decade of experience in informal learning, especially focusing on youth education, science, and art. You can read more about Callie at https://www.calliechappell.com.
Lab Notes
Nothing posted yet.
Additional Information
This is a two part project that teaches data sovereignty through environmental biology. First, students will analyze 16S DNA sequencing results from soil collected from around the Salinas Valley, learning how microbial diversity reflects environmental conditions and land stewardship. Second, students will put the data sovereignty conversation into practice by building their own personal servers and storing their findings securely. This hands-on approach shows students how environmental data, photos, videos, and cultural observations can be governed responsibly and kept under community control.
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