Poly Research Initiative Students Publish in Tufts Database

A group of Upper School students in the Poly Research Initiative (PRI) spent part of their summer investigating one of the world’s most pressing public health challenges: antibiotic resistance. 

They developed research questions and hypotheses, collected local soil samples, and conducted experiments to screen for antibiotic resistance genes. Their findings were professionally reviewed for inclusion in an antimicrobial resistance database maintained by Tufts University. This is the fifth year of the program, with students publishing research nationally.

“I am impressed that high school-level students are engaging so thoughtfully with the research project,” said Dr. Bascom-Slack of Tufts University School of Medicine, noting that the students made an “astute observation” about the relationship between heavy metal resistance genes and antibiotic resistance genes.

The World Health Organization identifies antimicrobial resistance as one of the top global public health threats. Through their research, Poly students are contributing data that can help scientists better understand where antibiotic resistance genes occur in the environment.

Dr. Bascom-Slack praised Poly’s participation in the Tufts University project PARE, Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment, adding, “They certainly provide a model for other high schools!” 

The Poly Research Initiative (PRI), now in its fifth year, is designed to develop students’ research skills by challenging them to make empirical contributions to professional institutions that tackle national and global issues.