As part of a study abroad program at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Ohio, US, TEPI Priyusha Pokala introduced Tiny Earth at St. Francis College (SFC) in Hyderabad, India with TEPI Roselin Polugari. Students from CWRU and SFC collaborated on a research project focused on sourcing and characterizing antibiotic-producing soil bacteria.
Their work involved isolating soil bacteria, screening for antibiotic producers using the crowded plate technique, identifying bacterial strains through Vitek 2 systems and sequencing, and validating antibiotic activity of crude chemical extracts to assess potential efficacy. Students showcasing their research to a broader scientific audience at an International Conference on Sustained Nanobiotechnology held at SFC in collaboration with CWRU.
As part of the collaboration, new TEPIs in India were trained on Tiny Earth Module III: Characterizing Antibiotic-Producing Isolates and Module IV: Advancing the Antibiotic Discovery Pipeline through chemical extractions, ensuring the continuity of advanced research techniques.
