Summertime means science to some students

Anthony Jay, 21, is spending his summer in the lab working with HIV inhibitors.

Joreen Belocura, 20, is growing E. coli in petri dishes, while Corinne Mannella, 20, is isolating bacteria that can produce antibodies.

The three Ave Maria University students have forfeited their summer vacation in the name of science, but all three said it's worth it.

"I really, really liked this project," Mannella said. "Being able to devote my summer to this project is a blessing. You learn so many skills, and it's a lot of fun."

Mannella is working on a research project with Ernesto Quintero, associate professor of biology at AMU, that will isolate marine bacteria in hopes of finding new antibiotics.

Nature has been a source for 60 percent of the antibiotics that have been produced, Quintero said. But the rate of discovery of land-based molecules has decreased, and with more than 70 percent of the Earth covered with water, Quintero and his team are looking for new strains of microbes from marine and estuarine ecosystems in Southwest Florida with antibiotic, antiviral and antitumor activity.

"Our projects and goals are very similar," said James Peliska, professor of science and biology.

Jay and Belocura are working with Peliska on a project to characterize new inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase.

Reverse transcriptase is the target of many commonly used anti-HIV drugs in use, Peliska said. Ideally, the research could allow for scientists to find new ways for drugs to combat the disease, Peliska said.

While Jay works with the HIV inhibitors, Belocura has been growing temperature-sensitive E. coli, a bacterium found in feces. The plan is to introduce HIV into E. coli to test new drugs, Pelinska said.

"Now you have a very convenient way to study the way drugs work on that particular strain," Peliska said.

These are the first major undergraduate research projects the university has conducted, Peliska said.

"This is an important step for us (as a department) for all of the faculty to start a research project with our students," Peliska said. "Our goal is to give students valuable research experience."

Peliska said undergraduates rarely get a chance to perform research such as the projects that are going on this summer. Working with the professors gives students a chance to work in experts in the field, while trying their hands at independent research.

Quintero said the students are gaining experience that will help them as they prepare for post-graduate studies.

Jay plans to attend medical school after graduating from AMU, and said the research project could give him the upper hand when it comes to being a doctor.

Jay said he has learned better time-management skills from the project, since his research, like Belocura's and Mannella's, is not a 9-to-5 job.

"You really see students mature as scientists," Peliska said. "There's a lot of enjoyment in the work these students have to do," Quintero said.

And while the immediate goal is to educate students, Peliska said he hopes students will be able to publish their findings once the research is complete.