Honours Student of the Month - January

Introducing January's Honours Student of the Month:Johnny Di Rienzo 1. “How have you enjoyed your experience as an Honours student so far?” I absolutely love microbiology, so getting to grow my own bacteria has been a blast! It has also been eye-opening at how much time and effort research takes, giving me a greater appreciation for those dedicated to the field. 2. “Tell us about your research project” In Dr. Mah’s lab we study antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in biofilms. These biofilms chronically infect the lungs of Cystic Fibrosis patients causing acute distress symptoms that are difficult to eradicate with current antibiotics. I am studying the gene PA1993 that is proposed to be one of the genes contributing to biofilm-specific antibiotic resistance. 3. “What advice would you have for other undergraduate researchers?” Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Even if its something you should know or it sounds dumb, it’s always better to ask and get it right the first time then to waste your time because you were too afraid to ask for help. Your lab mates are friendlier than you think, so ask away. 4. “What's the most embarrassing thing you've done in the lab?” When I was giving a presentation on my research about spinal cord connectivity, instead of talking about the cervical vertebrae, I repeatedly called it the cervix until midway through when my supervisor had to stop and correct me in front of my whole lab. Crazy how a few letters can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

Photo creds: Suzy Sun