Biofilm and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa with Treatment of ZnCl2
Macey Gandee and Logan Dolibois
Honors Project: Biofilm and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa with Treatment of ZnCl2
Honors Course: Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Laboratory Research
Instructor: Suzanne Ziegenhorn and Gary Mines
My name is Macey Gandee and I am a freshman at Oakton. I will be receiving my Associate of Science degree in Biology in the Summer of 2024. After graduating from Oakton, I plan on attending a four-year institution where I will continue my athletic and academic career. Afterward, I intend to go to medical school to further my studies and eventually pursue a career in Radiology. I am glad to have been given the opportunity to go to Oakton and am proud to say it has been one of the steps toward success in my learning and in my future.
My name is Logan Dolibois, and I am a sophomore at Oakton College currently working toward my Associate in Arts degree. While I came to Oakton without a clear vision of what I wanted to major in, I’m honored to have had some incredible professors who helped me discover and foster my interest in the sciences. After Oakton, I will be completing my bachelor’s degree in biology and intend to go to medical school so that I can pursue a career that will allow me to never stop learning and educating myself on such an expansive field of study.
Our project focuses on Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, a gram-negative bacterium known for causing severe infections and being highly resistant to antibiotics. Throughout our research, we investigated how zinc chloride can affect the growth and function of this bacteria, its biofilm production, and how these changes may impact the bacteria's susceptibility to antibiotics. Our research also aimed to identify the most effective ways to induce these changes and which antibiotics could benefit most from this treatment of zinc chloride. Throughout this project, we received invaluable guidance from Dr. Ziegenhorn, who played a critical role in our study of mucoid conversion and quorum sensing, which were essential to the development and execution of our project.
