https://phys.org/news/2024-12-middle-schooler-compound-piece-goose.html Phys.org Topics * Week's top * Latest news * Unread news * Subscribe [ ] Science X Account [ ] [ ] [*] Remember me Sign In Click here to sign in with or Forget Password? Not a member? Sign up Learn more * Nanotechnology * Physics * Earth * Astronomy & Space * Chemistry * Biology * Other Sciences * Medical Xpress Medicine * Tech Xplore Technology [INS::INS] * * share this! * 78 * Twit * Share * Email 1. Home 2. Chemistry 3. Biochemistry 1. Home 2. Chemistry 3. Analytical Chemistry * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- December 2, 2024 Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread How a middle schooler found a new compound in a piece of goose poop by American Chemical Society How a middle schooler found a new compound in a piece of goose poop Through a partnership with a local university, a middle school student (seated) discovered a never-before-seen compound using specialized programmable equipment (right). Credit: Adapted from ACS Omega 2024, DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c07459 A group of young students became bonafide biomedical scientists before they even started high school. Through a partnership with a nearby university, the middle schoolers collected and analyzed environmental samples to find new antibiotic candidates. One unique sample, goose poop collected at a local park, had a bacterium that showed antibiotic activity and contained a novel compound that slowed the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in lab tests. Inequities in educational resources, especially those in science, engineering, technology and math (STEM), where experiments are expensive, have kept some students underrepresented in these fields. By engaging a group of these students early in real, high-quality research, a team from the University of Illinois at Chicago led by Brian Murphy is providing young learners a chance to see themselves as scientists and explore careers in science with hands-on experience. The team partnered with a Boys and Girls Club in Chicago to bring interested middle schoolers into a 14-week applied science program. Murphy's lab is focused on discovering antibiotics from natural sources, and the cohort of young scientists participated by supplying environmental samples from their local communities. And the students' contributions to the research group didn't end there. They stayed actively involved throughout the scientific discovery process by programming a specialized robot to scoop up bacterial colonies from growth plates and test them for antibiotic activity. One of the 14 samples collected--goose poop from the Garfield Park Lagoon--contained a strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas idahonensis. The students interpreted the bacterium's bioassay data and concluded it had antibiotic activity and produced a never-before-seen compound. Then, the university researchers determined the compound's molecular structure using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry, named it orfamide N after the family of molecules it belongs to, and investigated its biological activity. Although orfamide N was not responsible for the antibiotic activity that the team initially observed from P. idahonensis, the compound inhibited the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in culture tests. Further studies could reveal other advantageous properties of this newly characterized molecule. The researchers say that this work proves that it's possible to combine educational outreach with natural product discovery research, and it emphasizes the importance of a strong relationship between universities and their local communities. The study is published in the journal ACS Omega. More information: Jin Yi Tan et al, Discovery of New Cyclic Lipodepsipeptide Orfamide N via Partnership with Middle School Students from the Boys and Girls Club, ACS Omega (2024). DOI: 10.1021 /acsomega.4c07459 Journal information: ACS Omega Provided by American Chemical Society Citation: How a middle schooler found a new compound in a piece of goose poop (2024, December 2) retrieved 12 December 2024 from https:/ /phys.org/news/2024-12-middle-schooler-compound-piece-goose.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. 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