A group of young students became true biomedical scientists even before starting high school. Through a partnership with a nearby university, high school students collected and analyzed environmental samples to find new antibiotic candidates. One unique sample, goose droppings collected from a local park, had bacteria that showed antibiotic activity and contained a new compound that slowed the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in laboratory tests.
Inequalities in educational resources, especially in science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM), where experiments are expensive, have kept some students underrepresented in these fields. By engaging a group of these students early on in real, high-quality research, a team at the University of Illinois at Chicago led by Brian Murphy is giving young students the opportunity to see themselves as scientists and explore scientific careers with practical experience. . The team partnered with a Boys and Girls Club in Chicago to attract interested high school students to a 14-week applied science program.
Murphy’s lab focuses on discovering antibiotics from natural sources, and the group of young scientists participated by providing environmental samples from their local communities. And the students’ contributions to the research group did not end there. They remained actively involved throughout the scientific discovery process by programming a specialized robot to collect bacterial colonies from the growth plates and test their antibiotic activity.
One of the 14 samples collected (goose droppings from the Garfield Park lagoon) contained a strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas idahoensis. The students interpreted the bacteria’s bioassay data and concluded that it had antibiotic activity and produced a compound never seen before. Researchers at the university then determined the molecular structure of the compound using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry, named it orphamide N after the family of molecules to which it belongs, and investigated its biological activity. Although orfamide N was not responsible for the antibiotic activity the team initially observed in P. idahoensisThe compound inhibited the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in culture tests. Additional studies could reveal other advantageous properties of this newly characterized molecule.
The researchers say this work demonstrates that it is possible to combine educational outreach with natural products discovery research and emphasizes the importance of a strong relationship between universities and their local communities.
The authors acknowledge funding from the University of Illinois at Chicago Graduate College, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, an Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Faculty Scholar Award, the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Graduate Student Scholar Award, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases and Kidney Diseases from the National Institutes of Health. They extend a special thank you to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago outreach volunteer mentors.