Biology students dig into methods for fighting antibiotic-resistant pathogens

In terms of lives saved or lost, it’s one of hospitals’ most costly problems: antibiotic-resistant infections such as staph and pneumonia. But Baylor students are on the case and digging for clues around Waco – literally.

In a biology course known as “Small World Initiative,” Dr. Jacquelyn Duke (MS ’02, PhD ’06), Dr. Diane Hartman and their students are gathering soil samples to test for bacteria that might combat these infections. The work, done in partnership with Yale University, is a one-of-a-kind opportunity in the state of Texas. At many universities, undergraduates don’t even get to touch real-world, high-impact research like this. But at Baylor, such work is a realistic opportunity for even freshmen and sophomores.

Students from the first class have returned as mentors for the current class, and it has influenced some students’ career plans. “We all plan on continuing to research in the future,” says junior biology major Shelby Armstrong. “One thing I’ve learned about research is that you are never truly done; there will always be more questions and problems that arise, and as a scientist, you want to continue the process and address them as time goes on.”

Sic ’em, Dr. Hartman and students!