RADNOR, Pa. (June 16, 2016)—With antibiotic resistance on the rise, senior Robert Schmidt (Cabrini College) and junior Andrew Conboy (Chestnut Hill College) presented research to help the scientific community understand more about viruses that can infect bacteria.
Their research—gathered from two years of study with colleagues—won first place at the annual Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Sciences (HHMI SEA-PHAGES) Symposium.
Out of more than 90 posters submitted nationally, the students’ research was one of only three posters awarded first place.
Developed during an intercollegiate research course at Cabrini, their poster showcased an isolation technique for arthrobacter phages, a family of viruses that are known for their involvement in environmental remediation.
The course is sponsored through the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE,) a consortium of eight independent higher education institutions in the Greater Philadelphia region. Hosted at Cabrini College, the course is part of HHMI’s internationally recognized SEA PHAGES undergraduate research program, a network of over 100 institutions whose collective research findings are pushing the field forward with their research discoveries.
Schmidt and Conboy were mentored by Cabrini faculty including the late David Dunbar, PhD, Professor of Biology. Additional support for their poster presentation was provided by Melinda Harrison, PhD, Associate Professor of Chemistry; Anne Coleman, PhD, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Life and Physical Sciences; and Cabrini College’s first Master of Science in Biological Sciences student, Morgan Sperratore (’16).
About Cabrini University
Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University is a Catholic institution that empowers students to become advocates of social change through an Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership development.
Cabrini enrolls approximately 1,300 undergraduates in more than 35 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations, and minors on its serene 112-acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The University also enrolls 900 students in graduate, doctoral, and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, PA, and at five off-campus locations.