Columbia State students place first in scientific research at state academy

Priya Swaminathan

3 years ago

Columbia State Community College can now add another first-place accolade to its esteemed alumni, this time in the category of scientific research.

CSCC sophomore Ava Brittain recently placed first in the oral presentation microbiology category during the 130th Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science (TAS). Her project “How range specificity and genomic analysis of Actinobacteria phages” was presented virtually during the TAS annual event presented by East Tennessee State University.

Brittain, a Pulaski native, was joined by alumni Tessa Cote and Jenna St. Pierre, who worked alongside her during the spring 2020 semester as part of an Honors Biology Research course taught by Columbia State associate professor of biology Dr. Elvira Eivazova.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see students get excited about research and see them being successful in the process as well,” Eivazova said. “We are proud of our Columbia State students.”

The first-place award, Brittain said, not only gives her an opportunity for future college and career prospects but is also a testament to the curriculum CSCC offers its students. Now, she is working toward an Associate of Science degree in pre-physical therapy.

“My first place wins helped me to see that attending a community college does not make me less competitive or less worthy of listening to,” Brittain said. “My research is no less adequate than graduates from big universities.”

The research course involves projects that bring valuable educational experiences in the form of evidence-based learning. Students gain experience through projects focused on the discovery of new bacteriophages, or viruses that kill bacteria, and the characterization of their genetic makeup, according to a CSCC media release.

The study of bacteriophages allows medical doctors to use them in the treatment of such microbial diseases and save lives in difficult cases.

The phage samples, discovered and characterized by the students, go through rigorous quality control by Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists, according to CSCC. The final project shares authorship with the lead scientists of the HHMI SEA-PHAGES program. The highest level of quality is ensured when the results are published to the National Center of Biotechnology Information.

Fellow researchers Cote and St. Pierre shared their excitement in being part of the research, and how projects can be rewarding in advancing a student’s education.

“Being a part of the research program at Columbia State changed my academic path entirely,” Cote said. “Because of it, I have developed a passion for science and the drive to pursue a career in research. I am incredibly thankful to have been a part of this program, and I hope it will continue to give students like me the unique opportunity to experience research first-hand.”

A Mt. Pleasant native, Cote is currently attending Middle Tennessee State Community College as a microbiology major. Formerly part of the Columbia State Undergraduate Biology Research program, she won the prestigious Vanderbilt University Aspirnaut research internship in summer 2020.

St. Pierre, a Columbia native, is currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and is majoring in aerospace engineering. While attending UTK, she has worked at a research lab on bacteriophage interactions with E. coli bacteria.

“I am right now the only undergraduate working in the lab with two graduate students,” St. Pierre said. “I believe Columbia State prepared me well enough to work in a lab here at Knoxville. I appreciate the opportunities I was offered in undergraduate research.”

Courtesy: Columbia Daily Herald