Meet our research partners
Each of our research partners works on problems related to antimicrobial resistance and are interested in hosting teachers for a summer research project opportunity.
Learn more about possible project ideas for each research laboratory in the table below
| Host Scientist | Sample project idea |
| Tim Johnson | Learn how to conduct genomic and microbiological surveillance for AMR. Genomic surveillance will be conducted using public data available from CDC, USDA-FSIS, and FDA. Microbiological surveillance will be conducted using samples collected from local retail grocers and local wastewater treatment plants. |
| Kevin Lang | Learn how to generate RNAP mutants in B. subtilis and perform survival assays in the presence of fluoroquinolones (antibiotics); use bioinformatics to compare DNA sequence of mutants and wild type. |
| Roberta O’Connor | Learn to culture human cell lines to measure compound cytotoxicity via infection assays with Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium. Participants will learn how the initial stages of drug discovery are conducted, and how “positive hits” are prioritized based on potency and cytotoxicity. |
| Dmitri Drekonja | Assess whether diagnostics like rapid molecular tests speed the transition from broad-spectrum antimicrobials to narrow-spectrum agents or whether procalcitonin testing is effective at limiting unnecessary antimicrobial treatment for suspected pneumonia. |
| Anna Strain (MN Dept of Health) | Establish an antimicrobial susceptibility testing strategy, define quality control parameters for the assay, write a standard operating procedure, and perform testing to validate the new antimicrobial for clinical reporting. The teacher trainee will help analyze the data and write up a validation report that will be submitted to the laboratory director for approval. |
Are you interested in becoming a research partner?
What will you gain besides helping increase interest in STEM?
The principle investigators in the laboratories will give their graduate students, post-docs, or staff the opportunity to develop skills in teaching research to others.
Objectives of the program for research mentors:
- Develop teaching and mentoring skills
- Translate summer research into active learning activities that address Minnesota Academic Standards in Science and introduce career opportunities
- Practice education research and build teaching portfolios
Please contact us if you are interested in becoming one of our partner research labs