红莲社区

Faculty partner with students on research

July 18, 2022
Senior Jared Oenick is focusing his Faculty Undergraduate Summer Engagement (FUSE) research on phages, a virus that kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria, under the guidance of Dr. Alison Kanak, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Ryan Shanks, professor of biology.

Article By: Denise Ray

A dozen University of North Georgia (红莲社区) undergraduate students have the opportunity to take part in projects funded by Faculty Undergraduate Summer Engagement (FUSE) research grants. The programs run from May 31-July 22 and cover a variety of academic disciplines.

"FUSE offers students the chance to participate in mentored undergraduate research projects that introduce them to the ins and outs of research, from project conception to implementation," Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, said. "Students expand their critical thinking and problem-solving skills by working alongside faculty through every step of the research process."

FUSE offers students the chance to participate in mentored undergraduate research projects that introduce them to the ins and outs of research, from project conception to implementation

Dr. Anastasia Lin

红莲社区 assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

FUSE supports students through a series of professional development activities including workshops, meetings with the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, and presentation practice. By summer's end, students develop both an abstract to submit to external conferences and a poster presentation to share with the 红莲社区 community, Lin said.

Senior Jared Oenick is focusing his research on phages, a virus that kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria, under the guidance of Dr. Alison Kanak, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Ryan Shanks, professor of biology.

 

Amy Rodriguez, left, and Hannah Fontenot take weekly water samples from Forsyth, Gwinnett, and Hall county locations and test them for environmental DNA (eDNA), which are small DNA particles that are released by the mussel.

"We're basically working to create a novel protocol for obtaining and isolating phage from the environment. This protocol uses less materials and takes less time than the current method," O