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A dual major in Biology and Environmental Science, Brooke Petersen '24, grew up a very curious person whose favorite class was AP Biology in high school. When college hunting, Petersen toured Â鶹´«Ã½ÉçÇø's campus and science labs. She was also able to speak with professors about the research they were conducting and knew that Â鶹´«Ã½ÉçÇø had a very unique program.

She was familiar with Rutgers but knew she wanted to go to a school where there were smaller class sizes, and professors had the ability to get to know you one-on-one. Wanting to be involved in research to gain hands-on experience, she knew she had the opportunity to build relationships with her professors at Â鶹´«Ã½ÉçÇø due to the smaller class sizes.

In the Spring of 2022, Petersen partnered up with Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Karen York to research antibiotics found in soil through the Tiny Earth Project [The Tiny Earth Project is a global partnership which encourages students to engage their scientific research in worldwide challenges such as the diminishing supply of antibiotics and soil health].

Petersen learned of York's antibiotic-producing soil bacteria research on campus through a course she had taken. This research appealed to Petersen as it would allow her to combine her interests in environmental science and biology, and it wasn't just any research project or class assignment; she knew they could make a difference in the healthcare research industry.

 

Continued research in this area has the potential to generate new medication to fight a variety of bacterial diseases. Thanks to Associate Professor of Environmental Science Dr. Jessica Hallagan and the Soil Judging Team, Petersen and York were able to collect soil samples  several feet deep from pits located across campus.

She explains the benefits of having samples of soil that is so deep, “ [York's] project has found several soil bacteria that produce antibiotics." Recently, Petersen was able to isolate chromosomal DNA and amplify it in a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The PCR product was cleaned and then sent out for sequencing. Two different bacterial species were identified as Bacillus velenzensis and Bacillus altitudinus. Being able to view the full genome of the bacteria, she was able to use a database to identify potential gene clusters that produce specific antibiotics in the bacteria. Their research suggests that deeper soil samples yield more bacterial colonies that produce antibiotics.