To prepare for Hampden-Sydney’s entry into the Science Education Alliance of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Professor Mike Wolyniak recently completed training at HHMI’s Janielia Farm Research Campus on how to conduct the Alliance’s coursework on isolation and characterization of bacteriophage from the environment.  Bacteriophage are viruses that infect bacteria and can be found in almost all parts of the environment.  Hampden-Sydney Molecular Biology students will spend the fall semester isolating bacteriophage from the environment, purifying it, and performing molecular analysis. The findings will directly contribute to research work performed at the University of Pittsburgh in which undergraduates from around the nation study bacteriophage diversity in the environment.

Electron micrograph of "Golyath", a bacteriophage from the James Madison University collection from the Science Education Alliance course

Meet "HampGernon"! The spots are filled with Hampden-Sydney's first isolated bacteriophage!