The University of Lynchburg hosted the Virginia chapter of the American Society for Microbiology on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7-8, in Schewel Hall. It’s the first time the event has been held at Lynchburg since 2011.
The ASM is described on its website as “one of the largest professional life science organizations in the world and a leader in scientific publishing” and “the home for microbial scientists to connect, learn, discover and prepare for the future.”
The event drew researchers from across the state and distinguished lecturers from as far afield as Indiana University. Graduate students and plenary speakers presented their research in Sydnor Performance Hall.
Between presentations, the Schewel lobby buzzed with conversation as undergraduate students presented their own research. A row of tables topped with poster boards stretched across the room.
Daniel Hardy ’26, a biomedical science major at Lynchburg, chatted with guests about his research on how macrophage cell lines perform in different cultures. He hopes to attend more research conferences, as the event gave him the chance to expand his own research by learning from others.
“This is my first-ever conference,” he said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me.”
In preparing his poster presentation, Hardy worked with Dr. David Freier, professor of sciences, whom he described as “very knowledgeable in the field of immunology and microbiology.”
Hardy also said Lynchburg’s facilities have been a useful resource. “We’ve got a good cell culture lab, where we’ve been able to perform experiments using cell lines in an aseptic environment,” he said.
Dr. Jamie Brooks ’08, assistant professor of biology and University research center fellow, was the meeting’s host and responsible for all event coordination.
“For the microbiology students, [the conference] is discipline-relevant,” Brooks said. “They get to see really high-caliber research [and] interact with clinicians and professionals. …
“The faculty from other universities actually fill out forms and [give] constructive feedback [about] how to present [and] how to improve their research and experimental design … in the hopes that we can then continue their research and present it in wider conferences later in the year.”
The plenary speakers for the event were Dr. Bryan Hsu, assistant professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech, and Dr. Michael Davis ’08, associate research professor of pediatrics at Indiana University.
Hsu’s talk was titled “The Viruses You Might Like: Phage-Bacterial Coexistence in the Gut Microbiome.”
Davis shared findings from his research at IU, which focuses on airway pH regulation and airway disease pathophysiology and therapeutics. He said he found the conference “fascinating.”
“The students have been excellent,” he said, adding that he’d seen “a lot of really great foundational research in microbiology, from basic science to translational works.”
