My Genius Project Introduction

My name is Mya Pomatto and I am a high school senior at Egg Harbor Township High School. For my Genius Project, I will be researching bacteriophages and comparing to their effectiveness to that of traditional antibiotics. I've chosen to research this topic for my project because it is one that had sparked my interest at a young age and that hits close to home. When I was only twelve years old, my grandfather suffered a heart attack resulting in the death his left ventricle. One year later, the site of the LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) implant had become infected as a result of a common bacterial development. He was placed on antibiotics, yet they were unable to eliminate the bacteria surrounding the LVAD. I began researching alternative medication, which was when I was first introduced to the concept of bacteriophages. The bacteria quickly became resistant to the antibiotic, so only the strongest (and most dangerous) antibiotics could kill it. He knew that the antibiotics would kill him if the bacteria didn't, so he decided that

he'd rather be home with his family. Without treatment, the bacteria killed my grandfather within four days from sepsis. Since then, I can't help but wonder if the introduction of bacteriophages at an earlier stage could have saved my grandfather's life. What I hope to gain from this project is a vast knowledge of bacteriophages, and the answer to whether or not bacteriophages are a safe alternative to traditional antibiotics. Additionally, I intend to come to a conclusion as to which treatment proves to be more effective.