Undergrads uncover conserved copper-binding gene cluster in marine bacteria

This fall, 20 Georgia Tech students published a paper, the culmination of work done during a semester-long lab course. During the semester, students analyzed sequenced genomes from marine samples collected in Key West, Florida, performing original bioinformatics research on par with graduate students and working with bioinformatics tools to explore drug discovery potential.

The course, BIOS 4190, is a research laboratory project for senior biology majors that provides faculty the opportunity to share their expertise with students in a hands-on environment. In his class, Associate Professor Vinayak (Vinny) Agarwal, who holds joint appointments in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Biological Sciences, aimed to introduce undergraduate students to advanced bioinformatics tools through applied research using raw data new to science.

The resulting paper, “Phylogenomic identification of a highly conserved copper-binding RiPP biosynthetic gene cluster in marine microbulbiferous bacteria,” recently published in ACS Chemistry Biologyinvolves the historically understudied genus Microbulbifer, a type of bacteria often associated with sponges and corals. These microbial communities are rich sources of natural products, small biological molecules often associated with medicine and drug discovery.

“This course and the resulting research are a testament to the transformative power of hands-on learning,” says Susan Lozier, dean of the College of Science, Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, and professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “The success of this course – and the remarkable achievements of the students – reflect Georgia Tech’s commitment to fostering curiosity, collaboration and scientific rigor and to empowering the next generation of scientists and leaders.”

“Students in this class are working on innovative and important work: this cohort worked with real genomic data that had never been sequenced before,” she says. “Typically, researchers might work with one or two genome sequences, but we provided 42 to the students. This may be the first time anyone has looked at Microbulbifer on such a large scale.”

From class to publication

To prepare for the course, Tang worked alongside lab director Alison Onstine, who manages the School of Biological Sciences’ teaching lab spaces, to sequence Key West’s bacterial genomes.

“Our work at the Agarwal lab is in natural product discovery. We focus on finding new pharmaceutical drugs using marine bacteria, but with a bioinformatics twist,” says Tang. “We wanted to bring this type of experience to undergraduates, so we gave students fully sequenced genomes and asked them to look for potential properties.”

Throughout the course, students learned different techniques for analyzing bacterial genome sequences and extracting data using various tools, gaining laboratory and computer skills through hands-on experiments, live demonstrations, and troubleshooting sessions.

“The highlight was showing students how much we can learn about a bacterial genus, especially one that has never been studied on this scale before,” shares Tang. “This is a growing field, so there are many opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions while learning new skills.”

Empowering future students

For many students, this was their first time using these types of tools, but Agarwal says it’s something they’ll likely encounter in both industry and research. He sees this type of research experience as particularly useful for older adults, who often have to choose between entering the job market or continuing their education.

“Bioinformatics is increasingly important for analyzing big data. Students need to be able to manipulate and understand data using computational tools, and this course plays an important role in familiarizing them with this process,” he shares. “Our goal is to demystify research and give students the confidence and tools needed for both graduate school and the job market after graduation.”

The course will be offered for the third time in fall 2026. Although the exact course of the research has not yet been decided, “we are always aiming for something new that can produce publication-quality research: students are not repeating last year’s work,” says Agarwal. This recent cohort of students built on the success of 18 undergraduates who completed the course in 2023 and also published a paper. “This course truly highlights Georgia Tech’s commitment to providing meaningful undergraduate experiences: no other peer institution that I am aware of exposes undergraduates to bioinformatics at this level.”