On May 2, 2024, the REDI-NET had two undergraduate student research assistants present their independent projects at the University of Notre Dame’s College of Science Joint Annual Meeting (COS-JAM).
Brooke Rodriguez, a graduating senior, has been with REDI-NET since her sophomore year. Brooke gave an oral presentation on “Added Value of Biomeme Franklin™ Real-Time PCR Thermocycler in Pathogen Surveillance”. Her study objective was to use the Oxford Nanopore Technology Next Generation Sequencing outputs to guide targeted testing of tick and water samples with Biomeme Franklin™ in Belize. She evaluated the added benefit of introducing Biomeme Franklin™ within the REDI-NET surveillance program and provided feedback directly to the Biomeme CEO.
Junior Grace Steffen has worked on the REDI-NET for two years. She presented her independent research in the poster presentation session at COS-JAM. Grace’s project was titled “Effect of Land Use on the Estimated Risk of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Belize, Central America”. The objective of this study was to quantify deforestation in two communities in Belize (San Lazaro and Indian Church) and to assess the relationship between the presence of adult Rhipicephalus linnaei and land cover change.
