Sean Mathews said his interest in science began in early childhood. He recalls competing with friends in elementary school over who knew the most animal facts. When the high school senior heard about an opportunity to participate in a microbiology research project at Nebraska’s Metropolitan Community College (MCC) last year, it didn’t take much convincing for him to sign up.
In addition to earning college credits in high school tuition-free, the project offered Mathews the possibility of scientific discovery, an opportunity the science-minded student didn’t want to pass up.
This article is an excerpt from the current issue of Community Magazine, published quarterly by Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska.
“[In science,] everyone thinks about discovering animals, but they say there’s nothing left to be discovered anymore. I think microbiology is where all the hidden treasures are,” Mathews presciently said in November 2023, during the first quarter of the three-quarter research project sponsored by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Discovering new viruses
That turned out to be a good hypothesis. Mathews, 17, is among the first cohort of nine MCC students participating in the Science Education Alliance — Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) project.
Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. Found almost anywhere in the environment, they are among the most abundant biological agents on earth, however, their existence in science has been known for less than 100 years.
In the first stage of the SEA-PHAGES project, students took soil samples to find bacteriophages on the Fort Omaha Campus and around the Omaha metro area. One of Mathews’ samples from Hickory Hill Park in Papillion revealed a new virus when it was isolated in a petri dish and studied under a microscope.
In his lab notes, he jotted, “WE HAVE A VIRUS!!!”
That gave him the honor to name his discovery — something he actually thought about when he signed up for the study just in case it happened.
Science has a lot of laws, one being that a new virus can’t be named after another one. That nixed Mathews’ clever first choice to call his discovery “senioritis.” But there are no such rules against naming them after characters from Stephen King novels, so Mathews named the virus “CapTrips,” shorthand for the humanity-destroying virus named Captain in “The Stand.” The creatively named phage is now an entry in the HHMI bacteriophage database used by schools participating in the SEA-PHAGES project.
Why it matters
Studying phages is important because they have been shown to offer the same benefits as antibiotics, with the key differentiator being that they can be used to kill pathogenic bacteria without harming beneficial bacteria, said Bhaswati Manish, the MCC biology instructor who coordinated the college’s involvement in the project.
“Phages are like heat-seeking missiles that are able to target specific bacteria. It makes them a promising alternative to antibiotics, which can have a number of side effects and can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance,” Manish said. “Studying phages helps to understand the biology, structure, function and evolution of bacteria, as well as at the molecular level. This knowledge can be used to develop new strategies for preventing and treating bacterial infections and new biotechnology tools.”
The appeal of hands-on research
The purpose of the SEA-PHAGES project is to teach students the techniques and processes used in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) research. Manish said the hands-on research is part of her department’s focus to bring innovative STEM learning opportunities to students. Participants who complete the program will receive up to nine credits.
Mike Flesch, MCC dean of math and natural sciences, said the HHMI partnership represents an important undergraduate research opportunity for community college students. MCC is the only community college in Nebraska to offer the SEA-PHAGES program. Fewer than 30 community colleges are participating nationally. More than 200 four-year schools and colleges throughout the country offer the program.
“Promoting STEM education is one of our goals at MCC because we need to be able to offer our students experiences that would be similar to what they may receive at a four-year institution,” Flesch said. “They’re learning research techniques that a lot of biotech companies are looking for in candidates for immediate employment, and they are also gaining valuable experience and credits for transfer degrees.”
There are two parts to the research — phage discovery and phage genomics. During phage discovery completed in fall 2023, phages were identified in soil samples, characterized and isolated from their natural environment, then purified and amplified in the laboratory. During the genomic phase of the research in spring 2024, students mapped and annotated the sequenced DNA of the phage and submitted them to the HHMI phage database. They were then submitted to GenBank under the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Discoveries made in the program will be submitted as scientific reports to peer-reviewed science and biomedical journals for publication. Students will be involved in preparing the manuscripts and editing work as part of their course participation and research training. Two MCC students will participate in the HHMI SEA-Symposium, where they will gain the academic résumé-building opportunity to present their findings.
Strengthening communication skills
Mathews is already receiving good recognition for his work. At the Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair in March, he presented a poster on his phage research at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. His poster won an award that was presented at Lauritzen Gardens later that month. Mathews was also selected as one of the six top candidates in the Senior Division and participated at the Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences (NJAS) meeting held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in April.
Six additional students from the SEA-PHAGES program made a joint presentation on two research posters at the NJAS event. Ye Ye Aye and Josephine McLean each received the Outstanding Research in Biology Award from the University of Nebraska Medical Center for the work they presented at the annual Nebraska Academy of Sciences meeting.
“In addition to the scientific processes they are learning, the phases of the research also help our students work in teams and develop their verbal and written communication skills when they present and explain their work,” Flesch said. “Through participation, they expand their knowledge, learn hands-on lab techniques, learn about basic research protocols and expand their horizons on potential careers.”
