Shannon Cook is an undergraduate biology major with an impressive resume.
Cook, a senior from Royersford, Pa., has been doing research under the guidance of Dr. Sheryl Fuller-Espie, Biology Professor, since the summer of 2013. In that time, Cook has received three grants: two from the Pennsylvania Academy of Science and one from the Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) Biological Honor Society, for her study of innate immune responses in invertebrates in the 2014-15 academic years.
The most recent grant that Cook received was valued at $474 and goes towards all of the equipment necessary for her research. Cook is studying the immune systems of invertebrates, using earthworms as her model. She is trying to find out how, at the cellular level, invertebrates defend themselves against bacteria, when confronted with bacteria. This is found by agitating the earth worms, so that they release their white blood cells into a culture medium. Once the worms release their white blood cells outside of their bodies, Cook harvests the cells and subjects them to the bacteria of interest.
Cook submitted a manuscript for publication to the Invertebrate Survival Journal in December, with the help of Morgan Sperratore and Fuller-Espie, that is still under review.
Applying for the grant took a large amount of time and dedication, but the hours of hard work paid off when they received word that they would be awarded the funding, and Cook was extremely excited.
“This isn’t like regular school work where you just hand in assignments. This is going out into the real world asking for real money and going from there. Getting the grant was a big reality shock, but it was definitely a good one, a really good one,” Cook said.
This semester is Cook’s seventh semester of doing research throughout her college career. Doing research for a continuous number of semesters allows for continuity in the students’ examinations. This provides room for trial and error in an experiment as tedious as this one.
Dr. Fuller-Espie believes that Cook is an “exceptional, grade A student” and feels that doing research is both a “career builder but character builder, as well.”
“I was very proud of Shannon when she received the grant. I thought that she was very deserving, and in a way, I felt like a mother. When you have these research students working with you for so many semesters you kind of take them under your wing. When wonderful things like that happen to your students, you celebrate right along with them. I was ecstatic,” Fuller-Espie said.
Once a grant is received, the student doesn’t just get the money. They have to report back to the funding agency, explain their findings and attend conferences. Cook will be presenting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Science in April at Lebanon Valley College. In March, she will be giving an oral presentation at the TriBeta Convention Meeting, which is being held at Cabrini College for the first time.
“I want to do research for the rest of my life so this whole experience is very important to me,” Cook said.
Cook is looking forward to attending graduate school to obtain her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology. Her No. 1 school is currently East Carolina University.
“Shannon never fails to surprise and impress me… She’s incredible,” Fuller-Espie said. “I’m really going to miss her a lot when she graduates.”
