PVCC Students Present Scientific Research
Photography by Tyler Gaines
Tyler Gaines, staff writer
On April 27, 2018, PVCC students presented research projects completed in Science 299 courses. It is a requirement for students pursuing an associate degree in science. Students and faculty members gathered to observe the projects. There were many different projects on display and each one had research unique to a specific scientific study. Laboratory managers and faculty advisors assisted the students with their projects, and some were present at this particular event.
One presentation was a project by Ryan Chandler Alving, whose project was on the antimicrobial resistance of Staph. “The question I attempted to address with this project was how long it takes for a bacterium to become resistant to an antimicrobial cleanser,” said Alving. “Staphylococcus epidermis was chosen because it is common in the normal flora of humans and animals, and so is a likely candidate for developing resistance to antimicrobials.”
Another project that grabbed my attention was done by Robert Coleman, whose experiment was testing for toxins in e-liquids used in electronic cigarettes.
“One of the most prominent reasons people use e-cigarettes or vape pens is that it is seen to be healthier for you than smoking a normal tobacco cigarette, and although this may be the case, we still don’t know how healthy it is for you,” said Coleman. “In my tests, I was looking for the presence of benzaldehyde which has been seen to cause complications in mouse lungs.” His results prove the presence of an aldehyde or oxidative alcohol.
PVCC student Grayson Chasse said the event “was informative; students did a good job. It was pretty cool.”
