University of New Hampshire, Manchester
McNair Scholar, 2026
Major: Biological Science
Mentor: Dr.
Research Title: Does phage absorption change optical path length?
Abstract: Bacteriophages are highly abundant microorganisms that infect and lyse their host bacteria. In recent years they have caught the eyes of researchers in their various applications ranging from applications in alternatives to antibiotics and therapies, or in usage of biosensor development. Bacteria infection has been a rising issue across the globe that has been made an even more pressing issue with the rise of antibacterial resistance. While many studies have been conducted to study applications of phages mostly in the usage of treatment of bacterial infection to work as alternatives to current common antibiotics, due to growing loss of effectiveness from bacteria adapting to antibiotics, some researchers have opted to focus on the possibility of using them as a biosensor. This project focuses on seeing if the adsorption of a phage would alter the optical path length, and if that can be used to determine bacterial presences.
