Physics majors use HHMI grant to study bacteria

Alex Cooke and Adam Hake were funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to spend their summer conducting research with physics professor Ovidiu Lipan this summer. Their project was titled “Bacteria growth with versus without the presence of iron.”

Describe your research project.

Cooke: Our research project revolved around analyzing and accumulating data for bacteria growth with and without the presence of iron. We also focused on the absence or presence of GFPs (green fluorescent proteins) that could be identified with microscopy during the bacteria’s growth and division. We incorporated different components into our experiments, such as magnetic fields and different concentrations of iron, in order to uncover the ideal concentration for the bacteria to grow in, creating the most identifiable GFPs.

Hake: The project focused on an iron acquisition system encoded by an iron-repressed gene. The repression is mediated by a transcriptional repressor, Fur. We measured the response of bacterium E. Coli to a sudden decrease in the extracellular iron level. We spent the summer conducting the experiments and collecting data.

How’d you get involved in the project? 

Cooke: I initially got involved in the project because I wanted to get a better grasp of what the word “physics” meant. I felt as if I needed to experience something outside the conventional classroom. A couple of my friends did undergraduate research last summer and really enjoyed it, so I decided to explore the opportunity. After Dr. Lipan was recommended to me by Dr. Fetea, I talked to him about the project and realized it could be something that really interested me.   

How did this research experience add to your academic experience as a science student at Richmond?

Hake: I think the most important thing about this summer’s research is that it placed us in a unique niche in the science scene here. While Dr. Lipan is located in the physics department, his research crosses the barrier between the physics and biology fields: his work, and ours this summer, lies in the overlap. We conducted our experiments in a wet lab, which afforded me the opportunity to learn lab techniques and the experimental process, while the mathematical modeling that comes as a result of the experimentation taps into the fields of physics and applied mathematics. Because of this, we were able to interact with both physicists and biologists on a daily basis, which broadened my understanding of both fields.

What prepared you for this opportunity? 

Cooke: I knew I wanted to major in physics before the summer began but I had no idea how I wanted to apply it to my future. The physics classes that I have taken at Richmond made me interested in the subject but my curiosity for the topic is really what prepared me for this opportunity.

What has your physics experience been like at Richmond so far?

Hake: The classes are really challenging, and the professors are extremely willing to help, to do anything necessary to better your understanding of the topic. What I find most attractive and unique is the small size of the department and the small number of majors. Having small numbers creates an intimate and relaxed atmosphere that encourages learning and discourages competition among individuals. I can easily go to any member of the physics department with a question or concern and they are quick to listen and act. This sense of community is, to me, what makes learning physics easier and more meaningful.

How do you see this project contributing to your collegiate success during the rest of your time at Richmond?

Cooke: Tremendously. This research opportunity has provided me a newfound confidence in learning. 

Hake: Being a part of this research team has, perhaps more than anything, further developed my desire to understand how the world works and to solve difficult problems—something that I think can really apply to all my studies at Richmond.
 

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