David Coe ’14 is being funded by the Hampden-Sydney College Honors Council and a Sears Fellowship to conduct research at H-SC this summer on the antibiotic susceptibility and resistance of bacterial eye pathogens.  Under the guidance of Dr. Kristian M. Hargadon, Elliott Assistant Professor of Biology, David is employing the Kirby-Bauer method to study antibiotic resistance/susceptibility of several bacteria known to cause infections of the eye.  Specifically, David’s work focuses on Haemophilus aegyptius, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, and he is evaluating the susceptibility of these organisms to commonly prescribed antibiotics that include penicillin, tetracyclin, streptomycin, and chloramphenicol.  David will also be evaluating whether these pathogens acquire increased resistance to these antibiotics over time by studying how their antibiotic susceptibility changes over multiple generations of growth.  David plans to attend medical school following his graduation next spring!

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From David himself:

I am really enjoying my time here on campus doing my research and relaxing with other biology majors. I am 3 weeks into a 6 week research project in which I am analyzing four bacteria known to cause bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) with four commercially used antibiotics. So far I have managed to see sufficient growth and data from three of the four bacteria and am keeping my fingers crossed on the other. I find it so interesting to see how treating one culture with an antibiotic then growing bacteria from that same culture can show a significant gain in antibiotic resistance in just 24 hours. Along with Dr. Hargadon we have also found a “mutant” strain of P. aeruginosa, which so far has been resistant to all four antibiotics. With all my data I am hoping to look at different health care providers and see just how much they charge for the use of each antibiotic, and I would like to determine whether U.S. health providers are making decisions on financial benefit or health benefit.

David using the Bunsen burner for sterilization before inoculating cultures of bacteria!

David testing antibiotic resistance/susceptibility of his bacterial eye pathogens!