Saint Louis University students presented their research at the Biology Symposium Sept. 6. The Symposium was a competitive event where there were a few categories to win in.

This year’s undergraduate winners were Julia Gaugel and Imandi Mendis. They represent SLU Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Intervention, an organization that connects SLU students with research opportunities on SLU’s North and South campuses related to public health. 

To combat the mounting danger that antibiotic resistance represents, Gaugel and Mendis are working to discover new antibiotics.

“…because these pathogens continue to grow resistance to the antibiotics we have over time, there’s a constant need for more and more antibiotics to be made to fight these pathogens,” Gaugel Said

Gaugel and Mendis research targets bacteria that makes humans sick, including: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species also known as the ESKAPE pathogens. 

“We’re focusing on the ESKAPE pathogens in particular, because they are the predominant cause for nosocomial infections, which are hospital acquired infections,” Mendis said.

The research is looking for soil microbes that generate antibiotics. They test this by making microbes that they isolate from the soil compete with ESKAPE pathogens.

”They’re fighting each other, but to fight each other, they’re supposed to exhibit some sort of antibiotic activity, and that’s what we’re trying to isolate,“ Mendis said.

Gaugel and Mendis were able to get involved with research through the Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Interventions program. Dr. Blythe Janowiak, the co-director of the program, is a big supporter of students participating in research projects.

“I recommend students think about what they’re most interested in doing, and talk to professors when interested in their research,” Janowiak said.

Dr. Janowiak encourages students interested in biology or neuroscience research to browse SLU’s website Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Intervention on research ideas if they are interested in starting a research project.