Wesley Stine

Emory University

Collaborators: Minsu Kim, Emory University, Tatsuya Akiyama, Emory University

Title: Epigenetics of Cefsulodin Resistance in E. Coli

Short Abstract:  Epigenetic effects contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics. To study these effects, we grew colonies of Escherichia coli in media containing cefsulodin, and made genealogical trees for each colony. We analyzed the kinship correlation of cell survival, and found that the survival rate of a cell’s relatives only impacts that cell’s chance of survival when dealing with the very closest relatives – siblings. We also found that cells which inherit a pole that is several generations old have a survival advantage over cells comprised entirely of newer material.

Presenter Biosketch: Wesley Stine was born in Arizona in 1996. He began his education at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, where he graduated magna cum laude with degrees in Physics and Aerospace Engineering. Afterwards, he attended Purdue University’s graduate program in aeronautics/astronautics before deciding to change fields to biophysics. He has been working at Emory University as a research associate since 2021, and is scheduled to begin Emory’s doctoral program in physics later this year.

Since beginning his work at Emory, Stine has worked under the supervision of Minsu Kim in the physics department. His present project, which involves turning timelapse images of growing bacterial colonies into genealogical trees in order to study the epigenetics of antibiotic resistance, is his first major project at Emory, though he has also done work involving microscopy of osmotically shocked cells. While at Emory, Stine’s depth of experience in coding and computational analysis – experience gained largely in his physics and engineering education at Embry-Riddle – has made him a valuable member of Minsu’s biophysics team.

Link to Full Abstract: STINE_WESLEY

Contact: wesleystine@gmail.com