Are you an undergraduate student interested in research? The Hartmann lab is recruiting for summer 2022 to help with Prof. Hartmann’s NSF CAREER project on antimicrobial textiles. Projects (described below) are available in microbiology and bioinformatics. Hartmann lab undergraduates have accomplished great things, including being authors on research publications and presenting posters international conferences. Our alumni have gone on to PhD programs, medical school, and other great careers. If you’re interested in joining our fantastic group, get in touch!

Hartmann lab alum Mia Tran measured metals in antimicrobial textiles. She is now a PhD student at Yale University.

Microbiology projects involve assessment of metal resistance in bacterial isolates. We have identified antimicrobials embedded in 5 textiles. Each textile contained a unique mixture of silver, copper, titanium, and zinc. We now need to characterize metal resistance in our bacteria for the study. For this project, the undergraduate student researcher will expose isolates in culture to varying concentrations of pure dissolved metals. By observing the sensitivity of these organisms to each individual metal in solution, we will establish a baseline for metal tolerance.

Bioinformatics projects involve exploration of metal resistance genes. To understand the mechanisms underlying metal resistance, or lack thereof, we will examine the genomes of the studied organisms for known genes related to metal resistance. For this project, the undergraduate student researcher will assemble and annotate whole genome sequences from our bacteria for the study. Annotated functions will be examined for metal resistance, antimicrobial resistance, mobile genetic elements, and other potential functions of interest. By identifying resistance genes, we will generate hypotheses regarding how bacteria survive exposure to antimicrobial textiles.