IRSC Students Attend American Society for Microbiology Meeting
IRSC Students Attend American Society for Microbiology Meeting
November 29, 2022 Jon Pine
ORLANDO, FL—Indian River State College biology students Ella “Crissy” Massimino, Ronald Massee, Ronald Manel and John Fitzgerald attended a conference meeting of the Florida Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (FLASM) in Orlando, FL this October. At the conference the students gave presentations of research work undertaken with IRSC professors Dr. Tom D’Elia and Megan Carroll. Additionally, Macey Nielander—who graduated IRSC in 2021 and is now a student at the Florida Institute of Technology—entered a presentation at the event.
Ella "Crissy" Massimino and her presentation.
Massimino’s presentation, “Complete Genome Sequence of the Third Largest Isolated Jumbo Phage,” placed third overall in the annual competition. She won a cash prize, along with a certificate.
“The conference was a great opportunity for our students to all get together and be exposed to the scientific community in Florida and network with peers and faculty from universities across the state,” Dr. D’Elia said. “The students also have the chance to showcase the exciting research they have been conducting. Many of the projects presented where in direct collaboration with area partners that help make the research for students at IRSC such an enriching experience.”
The annual conference is offered by the Florida Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (FLASM), which promotes microbiology education and research in Florida through meetings, discussions and publications. Attendees included undergraduate and graduate students and faculty from universities including University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of South Florida, Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, and Florida International University. Other state colleges included Valencia College and St. Petersburg College.
Events by branches of larger national scientific organizations provide students a more accessible entrance to the world of scientific conferences, Dr. D’Elia said. “The meetings are generally smaller and not as intimidating as large national meetings and they provide great networking opportunities for IRSC students with faculty from universities,” he said.
