Danvers Native Jillian Bouchard Named Stonehill SURE Scholar

EASTON, MA (04/10/2013)(readMedia)-- A total of 50 Stonehill College students will work with 32 faculty members on a variety of research projects over the coming summer of 2013 and Danvers native Jillian Bouchard, a sophomore at the College, will work with two other students and Rachel Hirst, Assistant Professor of Biology, on the detection, sequence analysis and antibiotic sensitivity of Methylobacterium species found in association with the fungus Armillaria gallica.

Last summer's SURE group was able to provide strong support that there is an association between the fungus and a bacteria called Methlyobacterium. However, the method for visualizing the bacteria inside the fungus has proven somewhat problematic requiring the use of fluorescently labeled probes to target specific gene sequences. Bouchard will assist with preparing the bacterial genome for whole-genome sequencing and will be responsible for analyzing the data once the sequencing is complete. The other two students will be tasked with researching the synthesis of the probes and hybridization parameters and determining the susceptibility of the bacteria to a number of antibiotics and then try to cure the fungal culture with appropriate antibiotic.

The three biology majors hope to present their findings at the 2014 Eastern New England Biological Conference and to publish their research in a peer-reviewed journal.

The scholars and their faculty mentors are the 18th group to work under the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, which provides students with an opportunity to perform significant, publishable research under the guidance of an experienced faculty researcher. The research experience will help to provide students with a competitive advantage in graduate and professional school applications and in post-college employment opportunities, as well as to provide assistance to faculty in research activities.

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Stonehill College is a welcoming, academically challenging community of 2,500 students on a beautiful, active campus located 22 miles south of Boston, offering easy access to internships, job opportunities, museums, sporting events, and more. Stonehill's dedicated and supportive faculty mentor students in more than 80 diverse majors and minors in the liberal arts, sciences, and business. Stonehill is a vibrant place where students learn to think, act, and lead with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world.