Jenny Huang: Sink Drains, Suitcases, See you in China!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Jenny Huang, a senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. My (fairly unconventional) research project is on “Bacteriophages to Combat Biofilms in Hospital Sink Drains.” Though I have always had an interest in researching antibiotic resistance, the idea for my project came when when I read a news article about a drug resistant bacterial outbreak at the NIH clinical center, originating from several contaminated sink drains. Hospital sinks, which are used to dispose of everything from intravenous fluids to feeding supplements, act as ideal environments for bacteria to colonize and form biofilms. Once these sticky biofilms have established, they are extremely difficult to rid with conventional cleaning procedures. I thought, what if we could use bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, to combat the biofilms growing in sink P-traps? Through my project, I found that phages could work just as effectively as a chemical disinfectant to reduce biofilms, and phages even do a better job of spreading throughout the drains!

It is unbelievable to be representing the U.S. at an international research competition next week. Among the many things that I am looking forward to, meeting student researchers from all across the world would be at the top of my list. Being someone who is interested in science communication, I am really curious to see how students from different countries communicate their projects differently. Research is such a collaborative process, so I am looking forward to making new friends; being able to travel to the other side of the world to connect with so many different researchers is really a privilege. In addition to science, I am also hoping to learn about different cultures that each country will show during their presentations. Finally, who could go to Beijing without mentioning the delicious Chinese foods? I’m up for Zhajiang Mian and Peking Duck any day!

See you in China!

Jenny Huang