NWTC Service-Learning and Civic Engagement 2018-2019 | Page 20

RESEARCH
19
TINY EARTH SYMPOSIUM
Students across
the state showcase
research at Lambeau.
Eighty NWTC students on a mission to
discover new antibiotics presented cutting
edge research at Lambeau Field, sharing and
educating others about antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is the ability of
bacteria and other microorganisms to
resist the effects of an antibiotic to
which they were once sensitive. This
occurrence represents a serious and
growing human and wildlife health threat
in terrestrial or aquatic environments.
The event was part of the Tiny Earth in
Titletown, where 120 of undergraduate
college students from Green Bay
and all over Wisconsin showcased
their innovative science and research
with a poster competition.
In preparation, the students spent an
entire year researching and testing soil
samples from around the state looking
for new antibiotics. This is part of the
Tiny Earth program spanning 44 states
and 15 countries that inspires and retains
students in the sciences while addressing
one of the most pressing global health
challenges of the century: the diminishing
supply of effective antibiotics.
“Students get to potentially discover new
antibiotics from bacteria found in soil. Being
able to do real-world research while at the
same time learning microbiology represents
a unique way of learning science: by doing
science! Many students are excited that their
work could potentially change the world and
save millions of lives,” Dr. Angelo Kolokithas,
NWTC Microbiology instructor said.
The event also featured a student poster
competition and a conversation discussing
efforts by Wisconsin’s students to harness
the full potential of the state’s soil to
tackle the looming public health crisis of
antibiotic resistance. Area scientists judged
student submissions, with awards and
prizes presented to the winning students.
“New classes of antibiotics have not been
found in decades. Finding new antibiotics
takes a lot of time and resources that
biotech and pharmaceutical companies don’t
have. Involving colleges and students in the
research, however, exponentially increases