(Posted November 27, 2007)

Travis Hull \'09 is the recipient of an undergraduate research fellowship from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The ASM Undergraduate Research Fellowship (URF) is aimed at highly competitive students who wish to pursue graduate careers (Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D) in microbiology. Travis submitted an application in the spring of 2007 with a proposal of the research he is conducting in the laboratory of his mentor, Dr. Jennifer Bennett. The proposal lists the following three specific research goals: 1) Identify interesting cell division and sporulation mutants of Streptomyces coelicolor using a high efficiency in vivo transposon system. 2) Determine the locations of the transposon insertions on the chromosome using primers that anneal to the known transposon sequence. 3) Characterize the newly identified genes using microscopy, genetics and biochemical techniques. The fellowship provided funds for Travis to pursue the project at Juniata during the summer of 2007, and to attend the national ASM conference in the summer of 2008. As a result of this fellowship, Travis has already isolated two novel genes that he has begun to characterize. Following graduation, Travis plans to pursue a career in the field of infectious disease research as a physician scientist. Travis Hull \'09 was also awarded a travel grant to present his research at the 2007 ASM General Meeting in Toronto, Canada. Travis competed against almost 800 undergraduate, graduate and medical students as well as post-docs for one of the 160 Corporate Activities Program Student Travel Grants.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.