Vicky's UBRP Experience in the Smyth Lab

During the 2019-20 academic year, I had the opportunity of learning at the Smyth Lab through UBRP. I participated in the ongoing Hitchhikers in Honey project investigating honey as a source of new antibiotics, using a 16S PCR to identify 22 isolated strains and looking for zones of inhibition for signs of antibacterial activity. The research was a success in that it had originally been unexpected to find microorganisms in the hostile honey environment at all, and it was intriguing to find that the majority had a zone of inhibition against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Of the 15 strains successfully identified, all belonged to the Bacillus genus, a genus already known for forming spores in hostile conditions and for producing a range of antibiotic compounds; however, lack of novelty doesn’t detract from the significance of research and this finding made it no less rewarding, suggesting new experiments identifying the remaining 7 strains, classifying the Bacillus strains with greater specificity, or even just confirming the results.

My experience here has been one of the most valuable experiences of my high school years. As someone still exploring my interests, I benefited a lot from the mentorship of not only my actual mentor Dr. Smyth, but also of the undergraduate student researchers in the lab. As long as I gathered up the courage to ask, everyone was more than willing to spend the time to walk me through my uncertainties and to share advice from their life experiences. The approachability and support constructed for me an invaluable role model of what a community should be, reaffirming that science is first and foremost an interdependent network that builds knowledge together.

– Vicky Yan