Tiny but Mighty: My Journey into Microbial Discovery with the Tiny Earth Project by Sarah

Sarah's safe ESKAPE testing!

When most people think of bacteria, they probably imagine illness or dirty surfaces. But through the Tiny Earth Project, I got to experience just how complex, helpful, and powerful these tiny organisms really are.

Tiny Earth is a program that involves undergraduate students in real-world antibiotic discovery as a way to both build a stronger STEM workforce and address the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance. In our class, we collected soil samples from the Sac State campus and isolated bacteria in hopes of finding ones that produce novel antibiotics. I personally isolated 24 colonies. We wouldn’t know if any of them were duplicates without genetic testing. I tested all of them against the safe relatives of ESKAPE pathogens. These are less dangerous stand-ins for a group of bacteria known for being highly resistant to antibiotics. For example, instead of using Staphylococcus aureus, we used Staphylococcus epidermidis.

To my surprise and excitement, eight of my isolates showed positive antibiotic activity. I believe that was the most in my class. After that, I ran a variety of biochemical tests such as oxidase, catalase, gelatinase, motility, and several others to learn more about them. I ended up with partial genetic sequencing on three strains and full genome sequencing on one of them. I also performed chemical extractions on two of the isolates, though they didn’t end up showing antibiotic activity when retested. That was a little disappointing, but I understand how many variables go into getting those results.

The whole process reminded me how much I love working with bacteria. They’re tiny but full of potential. They can help us digest food, create medicine, and even make us sick. That kind of range is fascinating. Seeing antibiotic activity in my isolates made the work feel even more meaningful. It felt like I was contributing to something bigger.

If there’s one thing I wish more people understood, it’s that antibiotic resistance is serious. When doctors say to finish your prescription, they mean it. Taking antibiotics correctly protects you—and it helps protect the future of medicine, too.