UT Tyler University Academy students help conduct lung disease research

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) – A group of University of Texas at Tyler University Academy seniors are digging up a hypothesis on soil and its effect on lung disease. It all began when a professor with UT Tyler Health Science Center reached out for their help.

“In order to help collect data and collaborate on a project that she does on non-tubercular mycobacteria,” said Entze Chong, a science and engineering teacher, UT Tyler UA-Tyler campus.

The students were tasked with getting samples and testing their p-h and pollution levels.

“Past couple of weeks we’ve been kind of going all around Tyler, all around this area, and collecting soil samples and we have been processing them,” said Ian Orr, senior, UT Tyler UA-Tyler campus.

This allowed them to get first-hand experience.

“It shed a lot of light on how research is conducted and what that research can mean on a global scale,” said Rebekah Daniel, a senior at the UT Tyler UA-Tyler campus.

Senior Rebekah Daniel said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her and her partners.

“It’s a great learning opportunity for students because you get to learn how it happens, who to connect with, you get to write your own reports and just see like the trial and error,” said Daniel.

“It gives them a sense of empowerment and agency that what they are doing is not just in a lab setting for a grade, but actually has implications to the real world,” said Chong.

They can’t wait to see how their work helps with the research project.

Students will be heading to Fort Worth next week to present their findings at the Globe Student Research Symposium, where they’ll get feedback from scientists about their work.

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