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Marquis Scholar Christine Williams ’03 (Erie, Pa.) is practically a seasoned veteran when it comes to presenting her research on the survival of mercury-resistant bacteria, which she has done at two conferences recently.
A biology major, Williams presented her findings at the 17th annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research March 13-15 hosted by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and the 79th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science April 4-6 in Grantville, Pa.
Williams, a member of the swimming and diving team, is completing the project in pursuit of departmental honors under the guidance of Nancy McCreary Waters, associate professor of biology. An award-winning teacher, Waters has conducted research with numerous Lafayette students, many of whom have shared their work through coauthored articles in leading scientific journals and conference presentations.
Williams picked up research started by Skye Harris ’02, who gathered sediment from mercury-contaminated Onandaga Lake in Syracuse, N.Y., last year.
“I looked at her ideas and took my own viewpoint on them,” Williams says, explaining that she began her research in the fall by setting up microcosms in five different aquariums using varying amounts of the sediment that Harris had collected.
Waters says that while Harris conducted “an extensive study, in which she did a number of things, Christine did a more intensive study in the laboratory based on what Skye had thought might work out.”
Williams took plant samples from each aquarium every week and examined them for concentrations of HgR, a strain of bacteria that can reduce mercury toxicity in host plants.
“We found that mercury-resistant bacteria abundance is affected almost linearly as mercury concentration increases,” she says, explaining that the results suggest “that biota (flora and fauna of the region) can actively acquire HgR bacteria to improve their survival in contaminated habitats.”
Williams adds that the results weren’t completely clear because the bacteria couldn’t be grown and examined under entirely sterile conditions.
“We were surprised by the amount of variation due to biota complication,” she says.
Waters says Williams took a very organized approach to her work, but learned quickly that research doesn’t always proceed exactly as planned.
“She’s very persistent,” Waters says. “She doesn’t give up easily.”
Williams, who will pursue a career in environmental biology, says she learned a great deal by working with Waters.
“She’s great,” Williams says. “She lets me do my own independent research, but she gives amazing feedback.”
The opportunity to present her results to professors, scientists, and fellow students was exciting, adds Williams, pointing out that she especially liked the forum offered at PAS for researchers to comment on each other’s work.
Williams spent the summer after her sophomore year working at Bayer Pharmaceuticals in West Haven, Conn., conducting research on a diabetes protein with Greg Gallo ’89 in an internship she secured through Lafayette’s Career Services.
“While I was doing the internship, I found I really love doing molecular work,” she says, explaining that much of this project also included molecular biology.
A peer tutor in biology, Williams spent three weeks studying Gothic architecture in Paris during January’s interim session between regular semesters. She has also served as a teaching assistant for one of Waters’ classes.