Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) Winners 2017

 

Eight MSP students won awards at the 2017 ABRCMS conference in Phoenix, AZ. All of them conducted their research at UCI. ABRCMS attracts approximately 2,150 undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students from over 350 U.S. colleges and universities. Winners included seven UCI undergraduates and one community college student. The following list includes the name of the MSP student that received the award (first author of the poster), the name of co-authors and principal investigator (last author), research title and category of the award:

• Maribel Anguiano, Amelie Garenaux and Luis Mota-Bravo (PI).  Research Title:  Mobile elements responsible for the acquisition of resistance genes, dfrA21 and sul1, found in an environmental Raoultella ornithinolytica. Poster category:  Physiology. Maribel was a community college student that transferred to UC Davis.

• Emily Bryant, Andrey Tatarenkov and Luis Mota-Bravo (PI).  Research Title:  Environmental Escherichia coli carries extended spectrum β-lactamase antibiotic resistance genes.  Poster category:  Physiology.

• Melissa Emami, Tiffany Batarseh, Cynthia Rodriguez and Luis Mota-Bravo (PI).  Research Title:  The dissemination of the beta-lactam resistance gene, blaCTX-M-14, carried by Enterobacter asburiae through horizontal gene transfer to different species and environments. Poster category:  Cell Biology.

• Iris Gomez, Karissa Gallego and Luis Mota-Bravo (PI).  Research Title:  Antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes in a ColV plasmid belonging to Escherichia coli isolated from an urban river.  Poster category:  Developmental Biology and Genetics.

• Alexis Guerra, Amelie Garenaux and Luis Mota-Bravo (PI). Research Title:  A unique IS26 composite transposon carrying the rare sulfonamide antibiotic resistance gene, sul3, in an environmental Escherichia coli.  Poster category:  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

• Paul Hernandez, Tiffany Batarseh, Cynthia Rodriguez and Luis Mota-Bravo (PI).  Research Title:  Multidrug resistant environmental Escherichia coli carries blaTEM-1B antibiotic resistance gene mobilized by Tn2 transposon.  Poster category:  Social and Behavioral/Public Health.

• Koyinsola Oloja, Duc Phan and Christopher Hughes (PI).  Research Title:  Investigating the effect of high glucose on vascular barrier function in an in vitro model of human vasculature. Poster category:  Cell Biology.

• Ambrocio Sanchez Pineda, Andrey Tatarenkov and Luis Mota-Bravo (PI).  Research Title:  Discovery and evolutionary trajectory of a multidrug resistant, blaCTX-M-14 harboring plasmid in Escherichia coli from environment.  Poster category:  Computational and Systems Biology.