Stories

Co-authored by Elisa Marroquin, assistant professor in TCU’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, a new paper published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology reveals the first systematic review to assess the effect of taking probiotics alongside antibiotics on the diversity and composition of the human gut microbiome. The review evaluates trends across 29 studies published over the past seven years.

TCU's Pre-Health Profession's Institute is partnering with Be The Match to host an on-campus and virtual Donor Registry Drive on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. The goal of the event is to add donors to the Be The Match donor registry. Registrants can be between the ages of 18-40 years old, must meet health guidelines and should be willing to donate to any patient in need.

Veterans in Engineering, Technology, and the Sciences (V.E.T.S.) officially launched in 2020. This program connects veterans, military, and non-traditional students to STEM programs. In addition to initiatives to assist veterans in STEM programs at TCU, V.E.T.S. is focused on academic advising, internships, networking, and peer support.

Carnivorous plants have a wild array of adaptations that help them flourish in nutrient-poor environments, which include strategies to lure prey to their traps. John Horner, TCU biology professor, is an evolutionary ecologist with research interests in plant-insect interactions. Here he answers some in-depth questions about these fascinating plants.

The College of Science and Engineering will launch its Peer Mentoring Program in the spring. For the program, students have been selected from each department major to peer mentor other students. Peer mentors will provide a connection with prospective, first-year, returning, transferring, and underrepresented students in their transition to the TCU community by providing resources to increase their success and engagement with the University.

October was first declared National Substance Abuse Prevention Month in 2011. It’s a time to highlight the important role of substance abuse prevention in both individual and community health, as well as an opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives to substance abuse. CSE's IBR and KPICD are working with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and other county juvenile probation departments on trying to prevent substance abuse in local and national communities.

Biology graduate student, Kimberlee Whitmore, biology alumna, Maddy Hannappel, and Matt Chumchal, biology professor and director of the Pre-Health Professions Institute, worked with a team of high school students and their teacher, Andrew Brinker, from the Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences. They collected dragonflies for the Dragonfly Mercury Project at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.

SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) and SLA, two cultural organizations on TCU campus, hosted the Mexican Cultural Showcase on Sept. 25. The showcase brought many dances and performances from students and clubs on campus.

There was some big news this month in the College of Science & Engineering. TCU’s Department of Environmental Sciences was officially renamed the Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences.