Feature Story
How Curiosity Led to the Discovery of a New Species of Bacteria in North America
When Veronica Andersen (‘25) decided to collect her own bacteria samples for the microbiology class she served as a teacher’s assistant in January 2024, no one expected it to lead to the discovery of a new brand of bacteria, a team of students and professors embarking on over a year of research, and an upcoming submission slated to become the university’s first peer-reviewed scientific paper.
“In my microbiology class Dr. Johnson had us examine some bacteria samples he had, but I asked if I could collect my own. So I just took some water from Cedar Creek at Natural Bridge, and it just happened to do something special,” said Andersen, who works as a park ranger at Natural Bridge. “We weren’t looking for anything like that. I was just being a nerd and seeing what was growing in the water and it turned into something incredible.”
Noticing that it was presenting as a dark purple bacteria which Associate Professor of Biochemistry Roger Johnson had never seen before, he and Andersen decided to sequence the DNA using 16S rRNA gene analysis to identify it.
“It didn’t come back as any of the known species, so that was our first clue that this was a brand new bacteria,” said Dr. Johnson. “In order to prove that, you actually have to take the bacteria and send it into a place to get the whole genome sequence of 6 million base pairs tested. And long story short, it is a new species that’s never been described before.”
The sequencing confirmed that the bacteria belonged to the Janthinobacterium genus—a rare group of bacteria found in places like Turkey, China, and the Arctic—but it had never before been recorded in North America. As Andersen began working with Johnson outside of the class to explore the organism further, four other seniors and biochemistry majors, Isaac Armstrong, Jacob Smith, Matthew Dryden, and Wes Leneave, joined through a specialized research course offered during the Fall 2024 semester.
“We got to be part of every single stage of the process,” said Dryden. “From the streaking plates to genetic sequencing to writing the paper—it’s been incredible.”
To better examine the bacteria, the research was divided into five categories. Armstrong handled the genomic comparisons, Smith conducted the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis, and Leneave contributed to metabolic and environmental growth profiling. Andersen, who helped isolate and trace the bacteria’s environmental origins, also worked alongside Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Jared Lee to construct a phylogenetic tree mapping the bacterium’s genetic relationship to others in its genus.
Dryden, who was in charge of acquiring the electron microscopy imaging, coordinated with the University of Virginia Medical School lab to use their electron microscope for imaging the bacterium.
“These machines cost millions and are difficult to access, but one professor there understood that we were undergrads just trying to learn, and she helped me prepare the sample and guided me through the imaging process,” said Dryden. “It was a surreal experience and helped me figure out that I wanted research to be part of my future career.”
Used as the student’s senior capstone paper, Johnson will review the final edits of the paper before they submit their research for publication.
“If accepted, this will be Southern Virginia University’s first-ever peer-reviewed scientific paper,” said Johnson. “It’s a huge moment not just for the students, but for the university.”
“One of the most rewarding parts has been seeing their excitement and growth. They’ve taken ownership of this project, and that’s not something you can teach in a classroom alone. This is real science,” Johnson continued. “And now, when they apply to med school or grad school, they’re bringing actual research experience with them.”
All 2025 graduates of Southern Virginia University, Andersen plans to pursue a Ph.D. doing shark research. Armstrong, Smith, Dryden, and Leneave all plan to go into medical careers.