Bacteriophage Research
From 2014 through 2020, we taught and mentored undergraduate research students at TMCC under our undergraduate research program as a part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance - Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. This research involved students capturing, isolating, identifying, and characterizing bacteriophages specific to Mycobacterium smegmatis from northern Nevada soils. Further research using bioinformatics was conducted by undergraduate research students to annotate genomes of these bacteriophages to determine genetic characteristics. Another research project involved undergraduate students surveying the Nevada desert soil microbiome, including the identification of bacteria and bacteriophages present in native desert soil. During this time, undergraduate students made posters and presented at many different conferences and symposiums.
Conferences and Symposiums
Undergraduate Research Student Posters
2020
Abigail T. Peterson, William Lara, Oscar Gonzalez, Nick Hillar, Tina Hailer, Jarelin Huliganga, Angelica Villa-Reyes, Kanoe Saffery, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Laura A. Briggs.Â
Isolation and Genomic Analysis of Mycobacteriophages TopGun and ScoobyBlue, as well as Gordoniaphage TinaLin.Â
NASA 2020 Symposium
2019
Abigail T. Peterson, Keziah Dutt, Heather Bohn, Kristen Sommerfeld, Ethan Pierrot, Deanna Lewis, Frank H. Robertson, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Laura A. Briggs
Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Mycobacteriophages Lewan and Heathen, Including Host Range Investigation of Phage Heathen
11th Annual SEAPhages SymposiumÂ
June 2019
HHMI Janelia Research Campus
2018
Frank H. Robertson, Summer S. Strickland, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Laura A. Briggs
Host Range Specificity Assay of 118 Novel Bacteriophages Isolated from the Soils of Northern NevadaÂ
INBRE Pilot Grant Conference
August 2018
Kimberly Penrose, Summer Strickland, Laura A. Briggs, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy
Host Range Analysis of Mycobacteriophages Isolated from Soil Samples
INBRE Pilot Grant Conference
August 2018
Frank H. Robertson, Brendon C. Ghiringhelli, Meggan Rowley, Chandler Stucki, Sydney Garcia, Stassi Henry, Leonard Naegele, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Christine B. Emmons, Laura A. Briggs
Genomic Analysis and Biological Characterization of Novel Bacteriophages BrutonGaster and Schmidt
10th Annual SEAPhages Symposium
June 2018
HHMI Janelia Research Campus
2017
Eric Lundin II, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Dr. Laura Briggs
Superinfection Immunity Analysis of Bacteriophages using the Mycobacterium smegmatis Xeno Lysogen
CCURI Fall 2017 Colloquium
November 2017
Leonard Naegele, Leah Whitefield, Kimberly Penrose, Summer Strickland, Laura A. Briggs, & Tina Slowan-Pomeroy
Investigation of the Host Specificity of Mycobacteriophages Captured and Purified from Nevada Soils
CCURI Fall 2017 Colloquium
November 2017
Maya D. Hauk, Christine B. Emmons, Samantha Ensminger, Sarah Guill, Nicole Barnes, Tera Read, Leonard Naegele, Rebecca L. Nguyen, Summer S. Strickland, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Laura A. Briggs
Host Specificity Testing and Multiple Sequence Alignment Analysis of Bacteriophages Guillsminger and NicoleTera
9th Annual SEAPhages Symposium
June 2017
HHMI Janelia Research Campus
2016
Connor Brown, Kimberly Penrose, Austin Peterson, Cathleen Ritter, Jessica Ponce, Joshua Beal, Tylor Holcomb, Kristen Sommerfeld, Debra Davis, Krymsen Hernandez, Eric Lundin, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Julie Ellsworth, Laura A. Briggs
Isolation, Purification, and Characterization of Bacteriophage Cookies
8th Annual SEAPhages Symposium
June 2016
HHMI Janelia Research Campus
Sydney Oren, Laura A. Briggs, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Kristen Sommerfeld, Eric Lundin, Erica
Dietlein, Kimberly Penrose, Connor Brown
Profile of Bacteria and Bacteriophages from the Mason Valley Fish Hatchery
CCURI Spring 2016 Colloquium
April 11, 2016
Volunteer State Community College
Gallatin, TN
2015
Christina Hines, Kimberly Penrose, Julie Ellsworth, Laura A. Briggs, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy
Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophage Appletree2, a Cluster L, Subcluster L1, Siphoviridae
7th Annual SEAPhages Symposium
June 12-14, 2015
HHMI Janelia Research Campus
Ashburn, Virginia
Kimberly Penrose, George Mwinnyaa, Eric Lundin, San Tat, Jocelyn Perez, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Laura A. Briggs
The Development Of Water Test Kits to be Used for the Capture of Bacteriophage from Wild Waters
CCURI Spring 2015 ColloquiumÂ
May 2015
Portland, Oregon
7th Annual SEAPhages Symposium
HHMI Janelia Research Campus
June 12-14, 2015
Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophage Appletree2, a Cluster L, Subcluster L1, Siphoviridae
Christina Hines, Kimberly Penrose, Julie Ellsworth, Laura A. Briggs, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy
CCURI Spring 2016 Colloquium
Volunteer State Community College
April 11, 2016
Isolation, Purification, and Characterization of Bacteriophage Cookies
Tylor Holcomb, Connor Brown, Kimberly Penrose, Austin Peterson, Cathleen Ritter, Jessica Ponce, Joshua Beal, Kristen Sommerfeld, Debra Davis, Krymsen Hernandez, Eric Lundin, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Julie Ellsworth, Laura A. Briggs
CCURI Spring 2016 Colloquium
Volunteer State Community College
April 11, 2106
Profile of Bacteria and Bacteriophages from the Mason Valley
Fish Hatchery
Sydney Oren, Kristen Sommerfeld, Eric Lundin, Erica
Dietlein, Kimberly Penrose, Connor Brown, Laura A. Briggs, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy
INBRE 2018 Annual Conference
Reno, NV
August 23, 2018
Host Range Specificity Assay of 118 Novel Bacteriophages Isolated from the Soils of Northern Nevada
Frank H. Robertson, Summer S. Strickland, Tina Slowan-Pomeroy, Laura A. Briggs
Acknowledgments
These projects were supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Nevada IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). NSF #1118679
