Administration

Communications

Genomics student to represent C-SC at national research symposium
Tuesday, May 11, 2010

CANTON, Mo. – Gina Osburn, junior biology/pre-med major from Chatham, Ill., has been selected to represent Culver-Stockton College at the 2nd annual National Genomics Research Initiative (NGRI) symposium at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Janelia Farm Research Campus in Ashburn, Va., June 12 - 13.

The NGRI is a program that was conducted the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010 at C-SC and was funded by HHMI. Students who were chosen to participate in the program were split up into pairs and isolated bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, from soil samples. After isolating the samples the students had to characterize the bacteriophages by using a variety of lab techniques and DNA sequencing.

Osburn applied to participate in the NGRI from at C-SC because “it was a great opportunity to learn various lab techniques and learn exactly what scientific research is like,” said Osburn.

She was chosen by her peers and the course faculty to represent C-SC at the symposium “because of her understanding of the research project, her commitment to the project and her enthusiasm,” said Dr. Indiren Pillay, associate professor of biology and chairperson of the Natural and Mathematical Sciences Division.

Osburn will give an oral presentation on the isolation, identification, sequencing and annotation of the genomes of two mycobateriophages collected in Canton at the symposium.

“I will also get to speak about my personal experiences with the project and how this project has added to my interest and outlooks in scientific research,” added Osburn.

Osburn also said that she is excited to meet with people from other colleges and looks forward to seeing what types of phages they found.

In addition to being chosen to travel to the NGRI symposium this summer, Gina will also be completing an internship at the Simmons Cancer Institute at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Ill. During her internship Osburn will be conducting research on the Epstein-Barr virus, specifically working with the EBV BKRF4 protein and it’s interactions with core histones.

“Gina is a very dedicated student, who has keen interests in the sciences,” added Pillay. “She thrives in the academic environment at Culver-Stockton and I have little doubt that she will succeed in her career goal to be a biomedical scientist.”