Eva Childrey is a junior forensic science and chemistry double major working in Dr. Eh- rhardt’s research laboratory at VCU. The main goal of the research conducted in this laboratory is to explore the lipid profiles of different bacterial species

Cain, Caitlin

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Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVCU Scholars CompassAuctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship2016Bacterial Forensics: Revolutionizing BiochemicalAnalysisCaitlin CainVirginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/auctusPart of the Biochemistry Commons, and the Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons© The Author(s)This News + Noteworthy is brought to you for free and open access by VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Auctus: TheJournal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, pleasecontact libcompass@vcu.edu.Downloaded fromhttps://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/auctus/27A U C T U S  // VCU’s Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity // N+N //  April 2016 1Eva Childrey is a junior forensic science and chemistry double major working in Dr. Eh-rhardt’s research laboratory at VCU.  The main goal of the research conducted in this laboratory is to explore the lipid profiles of different bacterial species.Dr. Ehrhardt completed a post-doctoral position with the Federal Bureau of Investiga-tion on bacterial forensics, which became the basis of Childrey’s research.  During her soph-omore year, she pursued an independent study with the Ehrhardt laboratory focusing on the quantitation of fatty acids on the surface of Bacillus cereus.  The purpose of the study was to be able to identify both a strain of this species and the growth medium used through a gas chroma-tography data library search with the given lipid signals.After completing her independent study, Chil-drey was presented with a 2015 Undergraduate Re-search Opportunities Program (UROP) fellowship. With the fellowship, she expanded on her indepen-dent study by focusing on the analysis of fatty acids found on the exosporium of the bacterial cell.  Chil-drey stated that forensic analysis of the bacterial exo-sporium allows for the lipid profiles to be analyzed without destructing the cell sample. Now, in her junior year, Childrey continues to complete the goals her UROP fellowship set out to solve.  She is now looking at refining the steps need-ed to wash the exosporium of the bacterial spore and analyzing the wash for any characteristic residue of fatty acids.  Additionally, she is using Direct Analy-sis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) to analyze lipid signals.  Collectively, Childrey said that these goals will help forensic scientists analyze trace amounts of bacterial cells and can be applied to other types of bacterial species.She became interested in pursuing undergradu-ate research opportunities due to the influence of an older brother.  Before starting her research, Childrey wanted a way to understand how real-world laborato-ries work and learn how to make connections.  “Get-ting into research early was the right place for me,” said Childrey.  She found that her experience in Dr. Ehrhardt’s laboratory gave her a real understanding of the complex concepts she learned in her classes. When beginning her research, Childrey thought Bacterial Forensics: Revolutionizing  Biochemical AnalysisBy Caitlin CainFigure 1: Picture of Bacillus cereus 14579 spore.  The exosporium is the gelatinous mate-rial around the outside of the cell.Figure 2: Real time sampling using DART-MS.A U C T U S  // VCU’s Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity // N+N //  April 2016 2the research would focus solely on forensic science, but she now appreciates how the building blocks of biology and chemistry have influenced her project. After graduation, she hopes to continue research in different bacterial species and other pathogens.  Ultimately, she plans to earn a doctorate in biochemistry because she enjoys the in-tersection between these fields.  Childrey stated, “I really love the work I do with the bacteria.” Figure 3: DART-MS spectra of the exosporium wash with fatty acid biomarkers labeled.

Bacterial Forensics: Revolutionizing Biochemical Analysis

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Bacterial Forensics: Revolutionizing Biochemical Analysis

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