Learn about Summer 2025 Pre-College opportunities at UMass Amherst. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review. Find out more!
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Antibiotics have been used to treat bacterial infections for decades, but resistance to these antibiotics is rising at an alarming rate. In 2019, 1.8 million people across the globe died from antibiotic resistant bacterial infections, and some strains of bacteria are now completely antibiotic resistant. Discovery of new antibiotics is critical for solving this crisis. Join the Department of Microbiology in a two week course-based research experience where you will work on research projects to discover new antibiotics.
These projects are continuations of work done by undergraduate Microbiology majors. You will use modern biotechnology and chemistry techniques, as well as traditional microbiology methods to grow, identify, and characterize antibiotic-producing bacteria and their antibiotics.
You will work in a lab on a daily basis. Techniques that you will learn include sterile technique, growing bacteria, polymerase chain reaction, electrophoresis, chemical extraction of antibiotics, and DNA sequencing. We will cover concepts such as why antibiotics exist in the first place, how the antibiotic resistance crisis occurred, other non-antibiotic treatment options, how the pandemic made this situation worse, biopiracy/bioprospecting, and the role of scientists in educating the public on antibiotic resistance. At the end of the two weeks, you will share what you have learned about your strain with your classmates in a short presentation.
Important Safety Information:
We take lab safety very seriously in Microbiology. You will receive safety training and personal protective equipment. A liability form must be signed, and there is a dress code that must be followed. You will receive more specific information about safety guidelines before arriving on campus. These requirements are set by state, federal, and university officials, and all people who work in labs at Umass follow these guidelines.
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This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus as a residential program. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.
Dates: July 27 - August 9, 2025
Two-Week Intensives: $3,907 residential / $2,262 commuter
*Program fees listed above include tuition and room & board as well as materials.
*All programs require submission of $45 application fee.
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