Presentation Type
Poster
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Paul Richardson, Chemistry
Major
Biochemistry
Presentation Abstract
Approximately 2.8 million people each year are diagnosed with an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection, and more than 35,000 of those diagnosed die. In the 1920s, there was a surge in use of antibiotics to treat all bacterial infections. However, in 1947, penicillin resistance was observed and it was found that bacteria was rapidly evolving to evade antibiotics. Since this discovery scientists have been trying to discover innovative ways to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections, such as bacteriophage. Bacteriophage are naturally occurring viruses that are non-pathogenic to humans, whose hosts are bacteria. The isolation and characterization of bacteriophage will one day allow for the natural sourcing of bacteriophage, which can be used to fight antibiotic resistant bacterial infections like Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The purposes of this study was to isolate and characterize Staphylococcus and Escherichia bacteriophages and to determine possible correlations between the presence of bacteriophage on a human and their perceived stress level. Samples were collected from the nose and ears of students and faculty at CCU each month. The samples were then subjected to plaque assays and PCR to determine the presence of bacteriophage. Participants were also instructed to take a subjective stress survey to determine if there was a correlation between stress levels and bacteriophage population. Each sample was then run through a series of microbial and molecular tests to screen for the presence of bacteriophage. These results were correlated with the stress surveys to indicate any relationships that exist between phage presence and stress.
Location
Virtual Poster Session 1
Start Date
21-4-2021 12:00 PM
End Date
21-4-2021 2:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Swanson, Korinne, "Perceived stress levels and bacteriophage presence on the campus of Coastal Carolina University" (2021). Undergraduate Research Competition. 57.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2021/fullconference/57
Perceived stress levels and bacteriophage presence on the campus of Coastal Carolina University
Virtual Poster Session 1
Approximately 2.8 million people each year are diagnosed with an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection, and more than 35,000 of those diagnosed die. In the 1920s, there was a surge in use of antibiotics to treat all bacterial infections. However, in 1947, penicillin resistance was observed and it was found that bacteria was rapidly evolving to evade antibiotics. Since this discovery scientists have been trying to discover innovative ways to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections, such as bacteriophage. Bacteriophage are naturally occurring viruses that are non-pathogenic to humans, whose hosts are bacteria. The isolation and characterization of bacteriophage will one day allow for the natural sourcing of bacteriophage, which can be used to fight antibiotic resistant bacterial infections like Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The purposes of this study was to isolate and characterize Staphylococcus and Escherichia bacteriophages and to determine possible correlations between the presence of bacteriophage on a human and their perceived stress level. Samples were collected from the nose and ears of students and faculty at CCU each month. The samples were then subjected to plaque assays and PCR to determine the presence of bacteriophage. Participants were also instructed to take a subjective stress survey to determine if there was a correlation between stress levels and bacteriophage population. Each sample was then run through a series of microbial and molecular tests to screen for the presence of bacteriophage. These results were correlated with the stress surveys to indicate any relationships that exist between phage presence and stress.