Mastering Microbio - A Semester of Growth in the Lab

WITS Microbiology students concluded their final lab of the semester with an advanced hands-on experiment—successfully infecting E. coli with bacteriophage ϕX174 and identifying plaques using a soft agar overlay technique. Under the instruction of Mr. Christian Ventura, MSPH, FAcadMed, students built valuable laboratory skills and tackled challenging material with confidence and determination.

“This was a demanding course, and I’m incredibly proud of how much they’ve grown,” Mr. Ventura shared. “They’re leaving the semester with a deep understanding of the material and the ability to apply it practically in the lab.”

To mark the occasion, the class posed for a celebratory photo—proudly “doing science” in action. Students also came together to sign a thank-you card for Ms. Jean Ellis, the WITS lab technician, in appreciation for her dedicated support throughout the semester. We would also like to thank Dr. Arthur Salhanick, WITS’ Lab Director, for ensuring the lab was fully equipped and set up for success each week!