Young schoolchildren from the James R. Jordan Boys & Girls Club in Chicago made an unprecedented discovery while studying goose feces in a local park. Researchers at the University of Illinois and Chicago, led by Professor Brian Murphy, identified a potential cancer-fighting compound. Students participated in a STEM program that transformed them into real biomedical scientists before they even started high school. The students carefully isolated a bacterium from goose feces that showed antibiotic activity. The findings were published in the journal ACS Omega, with student Camaria Williams credited as a co-author.
Professor Murphy’s research laboratory focuses on the discovery of antibiotics from natural sources, and the group of young scientists participated by supplying environmental samples from their local communities.
according to a Press release By the American Chemical Society, one of 14 samples of swan feces collected from Garfield Park Lagoon contained a strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas idahoensis. Students interpreted the bacteria’s bioassay data and concluded that it had antibiotic activity and produced a never-before-seen compound.
Then, university researchers determined the molecular structure of the compound using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry, named it orphamide N after the family of molecules, and investigated its biological activity.
Although orphamide N was not responsible for the antibiotic activity that the team initially observed from P. idahoensis, the compound did inhibit the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in culture tests. According to the ACS release, further study may reveal other beneficial properties of this newly characterized molecule.
The researchers say this work proves that it is possible to combine educational outreach with natural product discovery research, and it emphasizes the importance of strong relationships between universities and their local communities.
The work of these schoolchildren is an inspiring example of how curiosity and learning can lead to significant breakthroughs even in unexpected places. Camaria Williams, a student, was listed as a co-author on the findings, which were published in the journal ACS Omega.
