UMW Student Researches Pathogens in Hopes of Saving Lives

As a University of Mary Washington student, Thien Phan is pursuing a scientific breakthrough that could one day save thousands of lives. A senior biology major, Phan is conducting research in conjunction with the biology department's phage hunters course, which is offered at certain colleges as part of the National Genomics Research Initiative. In 2008, the university became one of the first schools in the nation to be selected to participate in nationwide initiative, which is funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science Education Alliance.