Undergraduate research project: 6 points (Dominique Preston, Class of 2027)

 

During the Fall 2025 semester, I had the privilege of conducting research on a microbiology-related topic of my choice alongside a group of 4 other students. We chose to conduct research comparing the microbial load on gym equipment at a gym that supplies gym wipes versus a gym that does not. Shared fitness facilities are environments where equipment surfaces serve as fomites for bacterial transmission. Gyms experience frequent user contact with minimal time between uses, creating conditions favorable for microbial colonization and transfer. Studies have demonstrated that gym equipment harbors diverse bacterial communities, including potential pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and coliforms that can cause infections and disease. 

While existing research has established that gym surfaces are contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria, most studies focus on characterizing what organisms are present rather than evaluating the effectiveness of real-world hygiene interventions. Thus, a critical gap remains as limited empirical data exists comparing bacterial loads between facilities with different resource availability and hygiene infrastructure, particularly in settings serving socioeconomically diverse populations. This gap is especially relevant given that access to hygiene resources often reflects broader health equity disparities, where under-resourced communities may face disproportionate exposure to environmental pathogens. 

This project allowed us to see the importance of providing access to hygiene resources, especially in underserved communities. Some areas of improvement within this project could have been having better communication with my group-mates, which was hard because of our differing schedules. But there are websites we could have utilized to maximize our free-time as work time for the project. 

• DOMINIQUE PRESTON