Students in Mrs. Mary Keymel’s AP biology class are partnering with researchers from the University of Buffalo on a National Institutes of Health-funded project to research naturally occurring bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria. 

Earlier this week, Dr. Sandra Small, the education coordinator at UB’s Genome Environment Microbiome Community of Excellence, visited Keymel’s class to lead students in the analysis of soil and water samples previously collected from around the Avon Driving Park. 

Keymel’s students began the process of isolating the bacteriophages from the samples so they can eventually be replicated via the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, method, then sequenced and analyzed. 

In the coming weeks and months, Keymel’s students will compile the results of their research and then share their findings during a capstone presentation at UB in April with the ultimate goal of publishing their research. 

Thank you to Dr. Small for coming to work with our students!

More photos over on our Facebook page at the link below.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=100064703294390&set=a.1284538140379617 

Photo courtesy of Mary Keymel