The Role of Bacteriophages in Modulating Trimethoprim Resistance in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens has renewed interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy as a potential alternative treatment. However, the evolutionary interplay between phage resistance and antibiotic susceptibility remains poorly understood, particularly in Pseudomonas species. This study investigates how phage resistance in Pseudomonas chlororaphis, a less virulent relative of P. aeruginosa, influences susceptibility to the folate pathway inhibitor trimethoprim. We hypothesized that phage-resistant mutants would exhibit altered trimethoprim sensitivity due to pleiotropic effects on efflux pumps, cell envelope structures, or biofilm formation. Using the ancestral P. chlororaphis strain (14b11), we generated phage-resistant mutants and assessed their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for trimethoprim. Most mutants showed reduced growth at sub-MIC trimethoprim concentrations compared to the ancestral strain, suggesting increased susceptibility. However, some mutants displayed variable responses, indicating possible divergent resistance mechanisms. These findings suggest that phage resistance may incur fitness trade-offs affecting antibiotic susceptibility and highlight the potential for combined phage-antibiotic therapies. Given the genetic overlap between P. chlororaphis and P. aeruginosa, these results offer a safer framework for preclinical exploration and highlight the need for future molecular investigations

Material Girl in a Material World: Exploring the Material Agency of Human Skeletal Remains and Paleoclimate Proxy Records from Pella, Jordan

This Independent Study presents the first published report of human remains from the College of Wooster’s Pella Collection. The remains were excavated from the archaeological site of Pella, Jordan, by the College of Wooster in 1967. They were subsequently brough to the United States, where they have remained in storage ever since. This project performs an osteological analysis of the remains, as well as a paleoenvironmental analysis of ancient Jordan to investigate the relationship between paleoclimate proxy records and archaeologically-derived narratives of the ancient Near East. The results of the two analyses are examined through the theoretical lens of material agency, in order to best contextualize their long and complicated histories. This study creates biological profiles for the thirteen identified individuals, and explores the different meanings attributed to the human remains across time and in different sociopolitical contexts. Similarly, the materiality of climate reconstruction is explored in order to accurately evaluate the applicability of paleoclimatic records. This project will hopefully serve as a starting point for future bioarcheological and paleoenvironmental research on the Pella Collection

Wooster Magazine: Spring 2025

In the spring 2025 Wooster magazine, alumni share insights from their fields for the lifelong learners The College of Wooster inspires. Creative graduates including Kent Sprague \u2714, Kathryne Hall ’99, Scott Doty ’97, and Will Strohmeyer ’19 share techniques from behind the scenes, keyboard, and camera. Lisa Skeens ’88, David Roney ’21, Brenda Major ’72, Martin Danial ’05, and Grace Bouker ’21 illuminate meaning behind approaches and processes in health-related fields. Other features showcase how alumni involvement expands the Wooster community, the 50th anniversary of Freedlander Theatre, and the dedication of The Piper sculpture. Oak Grove features a new section, “Why I Play,” with men’s basketball guard and communication studies major Jamir Billings ’25. In “Why Wooster,” the traditional look at what drew a member of the College community to campus juxtaposes the experiences of a student from Ohio and one from Brazil. Tartan Ties includes alumni profiles of Jim Witter ’07 and Amy Melena ’16, author profile with John Pierson ’66, and “Why I Give” with Scott Weingart ’75.https://openworks.wooster.edu/wooalumnimag_2011-present/1051/thumbnail.jp

How similar are we to man\u27s best friend? Investigating Genetic Predispositions to Symptomatic Lyme disease in Canis Familiaris

Lyme disease is widespread in the United States affecting tens of thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of dogs each year. In this study, I investigated the relationship between sex, breed, age, and the time of year each dog was tested. In previous studies sex, age, breed, and time of year have been shown to have varying relationships with positive cases of Lyme in dogs. I found that none of these factors have a significant relationship with positive cases of Lyme in the data I collected. Additionally, this project focused on a genetic variant, I602S, which in humans and hamster cells was found to mute the response to triacylated proteins, like those in B. burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. None of the 32 dogs sampled in this study were found to have the I602S variant, perhaps indicating that the Isoleucine amino acid in that location is conserved in dogs for a reason. This study also included interviews with the owners of the 32 dogs who were sampled to investigate the dogs’ outdoor activity, typical outdoor habitat, and tick prevention used. The relationship between tick prevention and symptomatic cases was not found to be significant, but 76% of asymptomatic dogs used consistent tick prevention. The relationship between the use of tick prevention and symptomatic cases may be worth investigating further

Using the Thompson Family History to Unpack Desegregation in Philadelphia Schools and the Great Migration

My project uses my family’s history to explore the history of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The historical aspect of the project explores the desegregation of schools in Philadelphia and the Great Migration. The desegregation of schools in Philadelphia is a unique case study in the direction of economic shift for African American migrants, which is connected to the Great Migration which saw the shift of Southern African American migrants headed North in search of social, academic, employment reform. To conclude my study, I initiated a case study of my family using oral history and additional documentation to depict their experiences with both the Great Migration and the Philadelphia school system

Modeling the Impact of Cellular Senescence on Wound Healing in Lung Alveolar Epithelial Tissue

Aging is a leading cause of serious diseases, such as IPF, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. Aging involves twelve key factors, most of which are interconnected and can drive one another. Cellular senescence is one of twelve hallmarks of aging. Prolonged cellular senescence can lead to chronic inflammation, tumor development, immune deficit, and stem cell exhaustion, ultimately resulting in tissue dysfunction. However, the dynamics of senescent cell occurrence and removal within a population remain poorly understood. This study models wound healing in lung alveolar tissue, with a focus on the role of cellular senescence dynamics. Wound healing model was expected to reproduce tissue deterioration over time with increasing cellular senescence. Using the Python programming language and its scientific libraries, individual cells, their cell types, and the logic behind cell fate decisions are simulated on a two-dimensional grid. The simulation of wound healing process generated data on division and migration counts, wound area, wound closure step, and average permeability. Four wound healing models were developed, each with distinct features: proliferation-based wound healing model, an EMT-incorporated model, density-directed migration model, and a model integrating senescent cell dynamics. In the absence of molecular dynamics, cell population behavior alone demonstrated a collective migration of cells, delay in wound closure and rise in permeability due to cellular senescence. The fourth model integrating senescent cell dynamics demonstrated tissue deterioration during wound healing as age parameter which determines senescence probability increases, revealing age-related thresholds beyond which tissue fails to regenerate. There are several limitations in this study such as unknown initial tissue composition, unclear parameters in the system, and lack of molecular mechanisms. Future integration of genetic circuits and experimental validation will enhance model accuracy and clinical relevance. Ultimately, this work suggests that personalized simulations can support diagnosis of certain disease and intervention for age-related lung diseases like IPF

Trade, Aid, and Dependency: The Impact of U.S. Bilateral Food Aid on Trade and Welfare in Mexico

This Senior Independent Study examines the impact of U.S. bilateral food aid, particularly through Public Law 480 (PL480), on Mexico’s trade structure, agricultural sector, and economic dependency between 1991 and 2024. While U.S. food aid programs have historically been framed as humanitarian efforts, this research argues that they have functioned as realpolitik, tools that have reinforced structural trade imbalances. By analyzing trade policies, economic theory, and econometric data, this study reveals how food aid has systematically weakened Mexico’s terms of trade, increasing reliance on subsidized U.S. imports, and shaped long-term dependency on American trade policies. The senior research integrates dependency theory and the Heckscher-Ohlin model to contextualize Mexico’s economic subordination and provides empirical evidence demonstrating how PL480 disrupted comparative advantage, altered labor productivity, and reinforced asymmetric trade relations. Collectively, this research highlights the geopolitical function of U.S. food aid and its role in maintaining Mexico’s position as a subordinate trade partner, challenging conventional narratives that depict aid neutral tool of economic development